Blog - For The Record — NYC Department of Records & Information Services

Memorial Day

Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia places a wreath on the tomb of Captain Eddy Grant, a former New York Giants third baseman who died in 1918 during the World War I battle at Argonne Forest, France.  LaGuardia was joined by members of the 307th Infantry Regiment during the ceremony at the Polo Grounds in upper Manhattan, May 30, 1935.  Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia Photograph Collection.  NYC Municipal Archives.

Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia places a wreath on the tomb of Captain Eddy Grant, a former New York Giants third baseman who died in 1918 during the World War I battle at Argonne Forest, France.  LaGuardia was joined by members of the 307th Infantry Regiment during the ceremony at the Polo Grounds in upper Manhattan, May 30, 1935.  Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia Photograph Collection.  NYC Municipal Archives.

On Memorial Day we honor the men and women who died while serving in the United States military.  Originally known as Decoration Day, it originated in the years following the Civil War and became an official federal holiday in 1971. 

How to Research the Vital Records Collection

This is the first ‘how to conduct research’ blog in On the Record. It provides essential information about the vital records collections at the Municipal Archives. This blog is adapted from a program Marcia. Kirk recently recorded for a genealogy seminar. A subsequent blog will take us “beyond the basics.” Future blogs by subject-matter experts will provide instructions on how to research other Municipal Archives collections. 

What are vital records, and why are they important? Vital records document major events in a person’s life: people are born, sometimes they get married, and unfortunately, they die.

Historical records of births, deaths and marriages that occurred in New York City are maintained in the Municipal Archives. If the event occurred outside the five boroughs, the record would be on file at the New York State Department of Health in Albany, or in some instances, with the clerk of the local town. Births reported after 1910, and deaths reported after 1948 are available from the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene and marriages reported after 1949 are available from the Office of the City Clerk.

The holdings of the Municipal Archives include all extant vital records for the five boroughs as well as the towns and villages that were consolidated into the Greater City of New York in 1898. Municipal Archives Genealogy Collections

Researching the records

The birth, death and marriage records are filed and indexed according to the Borough where the event took place.

Most of the vital records are in a certificate format. The certificates are numbered consecutively beginning with certificate number one on January 1 of each year. The records of each Borough are filed separately.

To find a certificate, it is necessary to search an index to identify the Borough, year filed, and the certificate number.

Where are the indexes? 

Most of the indexes are available online. They are available on the local Italian and German genealogy organization website; at www.Ancestry.com; and at www.Familysearch.org. Most online indexes were created by people transcribing and/or machines reading the original hard-copy indexes which means there are mistakes in the online versions.

At the Municipal Archives researchers can view the online indexes as well as the original indexes. Sometimes it is necessary to go to the original indexes when a mistake is found in the on-line version.

Locating a certificate requires the researcher to use an index to search for the Borough, year filed and the certificate number.

Births records:

It is important to note that about 25% of births during the time correlated with the Municipal Archives holdings (prior to 1910) were not reported to City government. Children were born at home and sometimes the family or persons assisting at the birth did not know the requirement or perhaps were not literate in English. More consistent birth registrations began when new legislation was enacted in 1913. (The Municipal Archives birth holdings date prior to 1910.)

When conducting a search in the indexes it is really important to keep the search terms as broad as possible. Sometimes a person’s first name is not what it is thought to be.

I came across an unfamiliar name when researching my own family. I asked my Aunt who said, “oh, that’s cousin Dolly!” Another problem is one I encountered when researching my McCabe ancestors. McCabe is a common name and there are hundreds of people with the same name.

The Municipal Archives collection of birth records totals more than 2 million certificates.  All of them have been digitized. 

This is an unusual example.  The birth certificate documents twins; most of the time there would be two separate certificates numbered consecutively, but in this case, there is one certificate, with two numbers. 

This is an unusual example.  The birth certificate documents twins; most of the time there would be two separate certificates numbered consecutively, but in this case, there is one certificate, with two numbers. 

Birth certificates contain lots of good information: the name of the person making the report – usually a doctor, but sometimes a midwife or perhaps a neighbor. There are the basics – name, race, date of birth, father’s name, age, occupation and birthplace. And most important, the mother’s name and her name before marriage, the number of children were born to her previously and the number still living.

Here is another example.This is the actor Humphrey Bogart’s birth certificate. He was born at the Sloane Maternity Hospital on December 25, 1899. His original name was Bogart de Forest. But his mother’s name was Maude Humphrey. 

Here is another example.

This is the actor Humphrey Bogart’s birth certificate. He was born at the Sloane Maternity Hospital on December 25, 1899. His original name was Bogart de Forest. But his mother’s name was Maude Humphrey. 

Special and Delayed birth certificates. 

They are not what you think. Sometimes, when searching in the birth index there is an “S” or a “D” after the certificate number. “S” means “Special,” and “D” means “Delayed.”

The “Special” and “Delayed” births were called that because the birth was reported to the Health Department long after the child was born, or in some instances, the record was amended (father’s name added, etc.) at a later date.

By the way, the Archives does not correct information on vital records – even if there is an obvious misspelling of a name. If a certificate must be amended for some legal purpose, the Archives staff will not make the change, but will instead provide an official letter stating that any vital record in the Municipal Archives cannot be amended.

In this example, Rosa was born April 2, 1900; however, the record was not filed until 1906. 

In this example, Rosa was born April 2, 1900; however, the record was not filed until 1906. 

This is an example of a birth ledger.  Records for Manhattan and Brooklyn prior to 1866 and the other Boroughs prior to 1898 exist in this format.  The information recorded is essentially the same as would appear on a certificate.   

This is an example of a birth ledger.  Records for Manhattan and Brooklyn prior to 1866 and the other Boroughs prior to 1898 exist in this format.  The information recorded is essentially the same as would appear on a certificate.   

Geographic Birth Indexes

The standard birth index is arranged by last name. However, we also have another type of index for births – the ‘geographic’ index.  In this index the births are listed by place of birth.

In this example, these card lists all the births that took place at 410 and 411 West 54th Street, in Manhattan between 1880 and 1883.

In this example, these card lists all the births that took place at 410 and 411 West 54th Street, in Manhattan between 1880 and 1883.

There are geographic indexes for births from 1880 through 1909 for Manhattan, and from 1898 through 1909 for the other four Boroughs. 

Marriage Records

Marriage records are more complicated because there are two completely separate series:  The Health Department marriage certificates (1866-1937), and the City Clerk “licenses,” (1908-1949). When researching a marriage index, it is important to notice whether the index is for the Health Department certificates, or the City Clerk licenses.

For marriages prior to 1908, the only record is the Health Department certificate. In 1908, New York State passed a law that required any couple wishing to get married to first obtain a license. In New York City, the City Clerk issues these licenses.

The license record consists of three documents: 1) “affidavit,” filled out by the couple; 2) “license” issued by the Clerk; and 3) “certificate” filled out by person who performed the wedding ceremony.

The Health Department certificate series continued through 1937 which means that from 1908 to 1937, there are potentially two marriage records: the Health Department certificate and the City Clerk affidavit, license, and certificate. The basic information on each is the same except the City Clerk license series lists the country of birth of the parents of the bride and groom, and the bride’s occupation.

This is the Health Department record of Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Eleanor Roosevelt’s 1905 marriage (Eleanor was a distant cousin of Franklin). The marriage was witnessed by Eleanor’s Uncle (and sitting President) Theodore Roosevelt and his wife Edith.

This is the Health Department record of Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Eleanor Roosevelt’s 1905 marriage (Eleanor was a distant cousin of Franklin). The marriage was witnessed by Eleanor’s Uncle (and sitting President) Theodore Roosevelt and his wife Edith.

All of the Health Department marriage records have been digitized.

Marriage licenses

The index to the license series is available at www.Ancestry.com and on microfilm at the Municipal Archives. There are more than three million records in this series; digitization is underway. The list below shows the records currently available in digital format.

This is the affidavit F. Scott Fitzgerald and Zelda Sayre filled out for the license to marry at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in 1920.

This is the affidavit F. Scott Fitzgerald and Zelda Sayre filled out for the license to marry at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in 1920.

As noted in the above affidavit from F. Scott Fitzgerald and Zelda Sayre, there are three documents. The first is the affidavit filled out by the couple. It shows where they were living – in this case, both F. Scott and Zelda were residing at the same hotel in Manhattan. F. Scott was born in St. Paul, Minnesota. and was 23 years old. His parents’ names and their birthplaces are also recorded, along with his mother’s maiden name. It was his first marriage. Zelda was 19. She did not list an occupation; she was born in Montgomery Alabama.

The next document is the license, which is confusing as the document is titled: “New York State Department of Health.” The license contains essentially the same information as the affidavit.

The third document is the “certificate.  It was filled-out by the officiant and signed by the officiant and witnesses. It’s always a good idea to pay attention to the witnesses; you might find out about other family members and close friends.

F. Scott Fitzgerald and Zelda Sayre’s marriage license.

F. Scott Fitzgerald and Zelda Sayre’s marriage license.

The next document is the license, and this is where it gets confusing as the document is titled: “New York State Department of Health.”  The license contains essentially the same information as the affidavit. 

F. Scott Fitzgerald and Zelda Sayre’s marriage certificate.

F. Scott Fitzgerald and Zelda Sayre’s marriage certificate.

The third document is the “certificate. It was filled-out by the officiant and signed by the officiant and witnesses. It’s always a good idea to pay attention to the witnesses; you might find out about other family members and close friends.

Death records.

Information on the death certificate was not provided by the person in question, for obvious reasons. The information was supplied by someone other than the deceased, usually a family member. But because the information is supplied by someone other than the deceased, there can be mistakes. It’s best to keep that in mind when using information on death certificates. Another important point is that death certificates were filed according to the place of death, not the place of usual residence, or the burial place. 

Death certificates always indicate the place of burial. If the place is listed as “City Cemetery,” that means the “Potter’s Field” on Hart Island. The Archives has the burial records for the City Cemetery, in ledger format, on microfilm, dating from 1872 to the 1980s, but there are big gaps from the late 1950s through the 1970s due to loss of records from water damage from flooding on the Island. Also, note that the City Cemetery burial records are not indexed; names are listed by date of burial.  We suggest using the death certificate indexes to identify the date.

There are more than five million death certificates in the Municipal Archives collection. All death certificates filed in The Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island have been digitized. The Manhattan certificates are partially digitized. The list below provides the description of what is currently available in digital format.

George Herman Ruth’s death certificate.

George Herman Ruth’s death certificate.

In this example, the deceased had been living at 110 Riverside Drive in Manhattan for 26 years. He was married. George Herman Ruth is of course the famous baseball player, Babe Ruth. He died in 1948 of natural causes and is buried in Gate of Heaven Cemetery which is in Westchester County.

city cem.jpg

Going back to the City Cemetery for a minute, we do have the burial records, in ledger format, on microfilm, dating from 1872 to the 1980s, but there are big gaps from the late 1950s through the 1970s due to loss of records from water damage due to floods on the Island. Also, note that the City Cemetery burial records are not indexed; names are listed by date of burial. We suggest using the death certificate indexes to identify the date.   

How to Access Vital Records

Although the Municipal Archives facilities remain closed to the public, copies of records may be ordered online or via regular mail. If the record has been digitized and you would like a PDF copy, we can email the record within about five days. PDF copies are not certified, however. If you request a record that has not been digitized, or if you need a certified hard copy, the current processing time can be eight weeks or longer.

Here are the certificates that are available in digital format:

We look forward to helping our patrons research their New York City roots and providing more in-depth ‘how-to’ guides to our rich collections.

We look forward to helping our patrons research their New York City roots and providing more in-depth ‘how-to’ guides to our rich collections.

Documenting the New Deal

There has been much speculation in recent months concerning whether President Joe Biden’s infrastructure projects and related programs, if given the green light, would prove as transformative for the nation as President Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s New Deal was in the 1930s.

A life-long swimmer, Parks Commissioner Robert Moses vastly expanded access to aquatic facilities for New Yorkers.  In 1936, he opened ten new swimming pools and during his long tenure he built and improved public beaches throughout the city. “Swim” original art for subway. Tempura water-color on tissue paper, 1937; artist unknown.  Department of Parks General Files, 1937.

There is no question, however, that the New Deal transformed New York City.  The Works Progress Administration (WPA) was the capstone of Roosevelt’s efforts to recover from the Great Depression. Established as part of the Emergency Relief Appropriations Act of 1935, the WPA was the largest jobs initiative in American history. When the federal funding for the WPA became available, Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia persuaded Roosevelt to release billions of dollars for construction projects. It was a partnership that would forever change the city.

New York received more federal funds than any other city in the nation and employed more than 700,000 people through the Depression years. They built or renovated schools, bridges, parks, hospitals, highways, airports, stadiums, swimming pools, beaches, hospitals, piers, sewers, libraries, courthouse, firehouses, markets and housing projects throughout the five boroughs. The Triborough Bridge, the Holland and Lincoln Tunnels, the FDR Drive, the Henry Hudson and Belt Parkways, and the New York Municipal (LaGuardia) Airport are just some of the WPA-funded projects that have served New Yorkers over the past eight decades.

To the eternal benefit of generations of historians and researchers, the Archives holds extensive collections essential for exploring the New Deal in New York City.

Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia to Harry Hopkins, Administrator Works Progress Administration, Postal Telegram, May 19, 1936.  Fiorello LaGuardia Collection, subject files. NYC Municipal Archives.

Documenting the New Deal in the city is largely a tale of two remarkable New Yorkers: Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia and ‘master builder’ Robert Moses. Archival records showing their influence and impact on the city total more than 1,500 cubic feet.

Of particular interest to New Deal historians are Mayor LaGuardia’s subject files. There are 27 folders with content specifically labeled as relating to the WPA.  In addition, there are files pertaining to all of the public works construction projects–housing, highways, parks, swimming pools, etc., as well as the Civilian Conservation Corps, and other New Deal programs such as Social Security. In addition, there is a separate series of correspondence with federal officials in Washington D.C. totaling five cubic feet. Not all of it specifically pertains to the WPA, but given the importance of the various programs and the billions of dollars flowing from Washington, information about the massive federal program is well represented in the correspondence.

Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia to Miss Sue Ann Wilson, Federal Theatre Project, November 24, 1936. Fiorello LaGuardia Collection, correspondence with federal officials. NYC Municipal Archives.

LaGuardia’s records have been available at the Municipal Archives since its founding in 1952. The Robert Moses collection is a more recent addition. In 1984, city archivists visited a Department of Parks and Recreation storage facility at the Manhattan Boat Basin under the Henry Hudson Parkway, where they discovered 800 cubic feet of material—about 400,000 items—from 1934 through the 1970s, that included an extensive record of the WPA-funded projects during Moses’s long reign as a New York power broker. LaGuardia appointed Moses as Commissioner of the Department of Parks in 1934 and he served in that capacity until 1960, during which time  he also held at least a dozen city and state positions.

79th Street Boat Basin, Henry Hudson Parkway, ca. 1937.  Municipal Archives Collection, NYC Municipal Archives.

The records found at the Boat Basin were in remarkably good condition, consisting of carbons or originals of Moses’s correspondence, memoranda, transcripts, reports, contracts, news clippings, maps, blueprints, plans, printed materials, press releases, invitations, and photographs. There are 121 folders specifically labeled “WPA,” in the “General Files,” series but, similar to the LaGuardia papers, Moses’ correspondence relevant to New Deal programs are evident throughout the collection.

No detail was too small or building too insignificant for Moses and his talented team of architects as illustrated by the handsome design of this concession stand and comfort station. Pelham Bay Park, October 22, 1941. Department of Parks Collection. NYC Municipal Archives.

The third trove of WPA-related materials in the Archives is the WPA Federal Writers’ Project collection. The WPA did not just improve parks and build roadways—a portion of the money was set aside for unemployed professionals in the “arts.” As WPA director Harry Hopkins explained, “they have to eat like other people.” It was called Federal Project Number One, and consisted of Art, Music, Theatre and Writers’ Projects. The Federal Writers' Project (FWP) was the only one to operate in all 48 states and the territories of Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands, as well as New York City.  At its peak, in April of 1936, there were 6,686 on the payroll nationwide; approximately 40% were women.

Triborough Bridge, December 1937. WPA Federal Writers’ Project Photograph Collection. NYC Municipal Archives.

New York City housed the largest FWP Unit, employing nearly 300 people. The writers produced the New York City Guide, New York Panorama, Almanac for New Yorkers, a number of ethnic studies, Who’s Who in the Zoo—a total of 64 proposed books. The New York City Guide proved so durable and popular that it was re-published in 1966, 1982 and again in 1992. To illustrate the books, the NYC unit acquired photographs from trade organizations, other branches of Federal Project One, and sent staff photographers to document many aspects of New York City.

Feeding the City, reference materials, brochure, ca. 1937. WPA Federal Writers’ Project Collection. NYC Municipal Archives.

Two years ago, a manuscript and research files from this collection documenting the consumption and preparation of food in the City were showcased in an exhibit Feeding the City at the Municipal Archives.

Manhattan approach to the Holland Tunnel, December 6, 1936. WPA Federal Writers’ Project Photograph Collection. NYC Municipal Archives.

Shortly after the commencement of World War II hostilities, the WPA discontinued Federal Arts programs around the country and many shipped their records to Washington, D.C. (most went to the Library of Congress). The records of the NYC Unit of the Writer’s Project did not leave the City, however. They were deposited in the Municipal Library. Although there is not extant documentation to confirm this, it seems likely that the FWP staff had been regular patrons of the Municipal Library and well known to long-time Library Director Rebecca Rankin. Perhaps she suggested that her Library would provide a good home to their records. And indeed it did; the FWP collection (eventually transferred to the Municipal Archives) has served as a rich research resource for many decades.

Bookbinder. WPA Miscellaneous Projects, Bookbinding, ca. 1937. WPA Federal Writers’ Project Photograph Collection. Photographer: Ralph DeSola (Federal Art Project). NYC Municipal Archives.

WPA instructors held classes in designing and staging puppet shows, Tompkins Square Boys Club, January 1937.  WPA Federal Writers’ Project Photograph Collection, Photographer: von Urban (Federal Art Project). NYC Municipal Archives.

The photographs in the collection are of particular relevance to documenting what the WPA accomplished in New York City. The FWP staff arranged the pictures by subject, e.g. “Bridges, Triborough Bridge,” or “Transportation, Tunnels.”  “WPA Activities” was another subject heading and reviewing the list of sub-headings provides an indication of the wide scope of the WPA: construction projects, music project, nursery schools and parent education project, puppet teaching project, sewing project, theatre project, etc. 

It is too soon to know whether  President Biden’s proposed programs will have the same transformative effect as the New Deal. But if a model is needed for a successful economic recovery with a lasting impact, one need look no further than New York City.

Portions of this article appeared in The Living New Deal an organization dedicated to research, presentation and education about the immense riches of New Deal public works. 

The Eastern District of Brooklyn

There is, in the Municipal Library, a charming tome titled The Eastern District of Brooklyn with Illustrations and Maps. Published on May 7, 1912, its author, Eugene L. Armbruster, was a preservationist long before that was a recognized field. An immigrant from Germany to the United States, he devoted years to documenting Long Island (which included Brooklyn and Queens) with photographs, pamphlets and other publications. Thousands of his photos are in collections at the New York Historical Society, the Brooklyn Public Library and the Queens Public Library.

Ferry Landing, Grand Street, Williamsburgh, 1835. Illustration from The Eastern District of Brooklyn with Illustrations and Maps, 1912. NYC Municipal Library.

Armbruster frequently answered questions posed by readers of The Brooklyn Eagle in a section of the paper titled “Questions Answered by the Eagle.” This idiosyncratic feature contained a hodge-podge of information in response to inquiries such as, “Is there a Shenandoah in New York?” submitted by BLANK…. Yes, in Dutchess County.  “What is meant by the seven ages of man and who was the author?” posed by Mrs. D.H. … It’s from As You Like It by William Shakespeare spoken by the Duke in Act 2 (although the better-known portion of that speech is “all the world’s a stage and all the men and women merely players”). Labeled “the local expert on Brooklyn history,” Armbruster fielded questions related to events and places in Brooklyn, such as the original location of Litchfield Mansion. Right where it remains at 5th and 9th Ave., also known as Prospect Park West.

The book itself is tiny, about the size of a box of notecards but it contains a host of information in its series of brief sketches, appendices and hand-drawn illustrations and maps. The titles themselves are beguiling: a settlement named Cripplebush, one appendix titled, “The Solid Men of Williamsburg, 1847,” and the illustration listed as Literary Emporium. Is there such flora as a cripplebush and if so, what does it look like? Were the Williamsburg men particularly chunky? Was the emporium a bookstore or early library?  The answers lie ahead.

Junction of Broadway, Flushing and Graham Avenues. Illustration from The Eastern District of Brooklyn with Illustrations and Maps, 1912. NYC Municipal Library.

Written shortly after the consolidation of the Greater City in 1898, the author intended to provide an overview of the Eastern District of Brooklyn to assist future historians. “If a history of the City of New York will ever be written, its compiler will look around for historical matter relating to the old towns, now forming parts of the metropolis, and this book was written that the Eastern District of Brooklyn may be represented then. But, what exactly is this Eastern District? Armbruster explained that during an earlier Kings County consolidation, the towns of Williamsburg, Bushwick and North Brooklyn were combined into the Eastern District. There also was a Western District that “included the remainder of the enlarged city” which was the portion of Kings County that comprised the City of Brooklyn. But that’s not all. There was a “sparsely settled” 9th ward between the two districts and a 26th ward that “was never a part of the Western District, but a town by itself until annexed in 1886 by the late City of Brooklyn.” Clear as mud!  

Suffice it to say that the book is about a series of settlements that became villages, towns and cities between 1638 and 1910. These include what are now Ridgewood and Long Island City (now in Queens), Bushwick, Greenpoint, Williamsburg and East New York. The boundaries of the settlements shifted based on grants issued by the West India Company, colonial governments and eventually through Acts of the State Legislature.   

Armbruster appears not to have accessed primary source documents and instead relied on several historical analyses. Mostly but not entirely written in the mid-to late 19th  century, the authors include Henry R. Stiles, a physician and historian who penned the multi-volumed The Civil, political, professional and ecclesiastical history, and commercial and industrial record of the County of Kings and the City of Brooklyn, N.Y. from 1683 to 1884, and E.B. O’Callaghan who is best known for his (flawed) translation of original Dutch government and West India Company records.

Burr & Waterman’s Block Factory, Kent Avenue and South 8th Streets, 1852. This factory made “patent blocks” bricks of patented designs that were stamped with a company logo. Illustration from The Eastern District of Brooklyn with Illustrations and Maps, 1912. NYC Municipal Library.

One issue with the writing is the description of Native Americans in derogatory terms that are based on a versioning of history in which the European settlers were beneficent and the original residents of the land somehow miscreants. For example: “Over the morass led narrow trails, known to the redskins and the wild beasts, but treacherous to strangers.”  Even when reporting on the murder of Native American families ordered by the Director General Willem Kieft, Armbruster maintains this form.  

“In an evil hour Kieft ordered some of his men to the tobacco-pipe-land and another band to the Indian village, Rechtauk, situated two miles north of the fort on the East River (the present Corlear’s Hook), while both places were occupied by some fugitive Wesquaesgeek Indians, and had them cruelly slaughtered, men women and children, under cover of night. When the savages found out that  the white men had committed the outrage, which they had first believed to be the work of an hostile Indian tribe about a dozen of the neighboring tribes of River Indians rose up against them and attacked the several plantations.” Who, one asks, should be more appropriately termed savage?

He devotes a brief chapter to the town records of Bushwick (Boswijck from “bos,” meaning a collection of small things packed close together, and from “wijk”—retreat, refuge, guard, defend from danger). This topic interests researchers and staff at the Municipal Archives. “When Bushwick became part of the City of Brooklyn the records were, in accordance with an article of the charter of the enlarged city, deposited in the City Hall. They were sent there in a movable bookcase, which was coveted by some municipal officer, who turned its contents upon the floor, whence the janitor transferred them to the papermill.”

Not all went to the papermill.  The Municipal Archives collections includes the Old Town records which includes 60 volumes from the towns and villages in Kings County during the Dutch and English colonial periods.

In one beautifully written paragraph, Armbruster describes the rise and fall of the four mile stretch of Nassau River, known at the time of publication and today as Newtown Creek. “In the background were the hills covered with trees…  At that time the creek, with the several gristmills, and the farms bordering thereon, differed in no way from the rural scenes, which are often seen as typical of Holland, except for the hills in the background. But since then the mills have vanished and factories and coal yards have taken their places and commercialism in general, with no eye for landscape beauty has taken hold of the territory. The water of the creek has been polluted to such a degree that the name of Newtown Creek has come into ill-repute, and it is well that the waterway, when cleansed and improved, will be known by the euphonious name of Nassau River.

Williamsburgh Gas Works Office, 93 South 7th Street, 1852. Illustration from The Eastern District of Brooklyn with Illustrations and Maps, 1912. NYC Municipal Library.

Phoenix Iron Works, 230 Grand Street, 1852. Illustration from The Eastern District of Brooklyn with Illustrations and Maps, 1912. NYC Municipal Library.

On the list of federal Superfund sites for the past decade, perhaps when the Environmental Protection Agency does undertake cleaning up the toxic waste, Newtown Creek will be again named Nassau River.

Map of the area north of Newtown Creek. Illustration from The Eastern District of Brooklyn with Illustrations and Maps, 1912. NYC Municipal Library.

The appendices include three sections providing census information. Number 9 from the Census of Kings County circa 1698, lists the names of freeholders, and enumerates their family members, apprentices and enslaved people within Kings County “on Nassauw Island.” There were 51 freeholders, including four women. Eleven were of French ancestry; one was English and the remaining 39 were Dutch. In addition to the freeholders there were 49 women (presumed wives) 141 children, 8 apprentices and 52 enslaved people.

Appendix Number 12 provides the number of all inhabitants in the Township of  Bushwyck, male and female; black and white, in 1738. The total of 325 “Ziele” (souls) listed 41 freeholders, including six women. There were 119 white males; 130 white females, 42 black males and 36 black females.

Appendix 13 offers a list of householders in one district of Bushwick. The 22 householders enslaved 20 men and 21 women.

A list of all the Inhabitants of the Township of Bushwick-Both White and Black-Males and Females, in 1738. An illustration from The Eastern District of Brooklyn with Illustrations and Maps, 1912. Appendix XII. NYC Municipal Library.

This data shows that the colonial households and economy of Bushwick grew increasingly reliant on slave labor. The 1698 census shows that 21 households included enslaved people and five of the 30 remaining households listed  apprentices. By 1738, 25 of the 41 households in the census listed black residents, who we presume were enslaved.

And now, to our initial questions.

Cripplebush was an area of land that stretched from Wallabout Bay to Newtown Creek and so named because of the thick scrub oak that flourished there, which the Dutch called kreupelbosch meaning thicket. The actual hamlet, which received a patent in 1654 was located around what today is South Williamsburg, just north of the Marcy Houses operated by NYCHA.

In 1847, a publication was issued listing the men of  Williamsburgh and City of Brooklyn who owned $10,000 or more in personal property or real estate. The Solid Men of Williamsburgh refers to the 44 men living in that town who met this economic threshold.

As for the Literary Emporium—who knows.  The illustration does not offer a clue as to its purpose.

Literary Emporium, corner of 5th and Grand Streets, 1852. Illustration from The Eastern District of Brooklyn with Illustrations and Maps, 1912. NYC Municipal Library.

Building Histories, part 2

In our continuing series of blogs focused on the Manhattan Building Plan project, this week Alexandra Hilton highlights three architecturally significant buildings documented in the collection – the New York Fire Department Shore Station” the Margaret Louisa Home on East 16th Street, and the “Little” Singer Building. 

Shore Quarters for Fireboat New Yorker

Fireboat “New Yorker,” tied up at the Station House, c. 1910. Department of Docks and Ferries Collection.  NYC Municipal Archives

In 1891, the fireboat “New Yorker” became the first floating engine, as they called them, to have its own permanent shore station. No longer standing, the building was located near Pier A and Castle Garden in Battery Park.

Shore Quarters No. 57 for Fireboat New Yorker, façade elevation, blueprint, 1891. Manhattan Building Plan Collection, NYC Municipal Archives.

The New Yorker was in service from 1891-1931. It was constructed by Julius Jonson from plans by Charles H. Haswell. Fireboats were part of engine companies until the Fire Department’s Marine Division was organized in 1959 and the New Yorker was part of Engine 57. It was 125 feet long and around 350 tons and could pump 13,000 gallons of water a minute. It was the most powerful fireboat of its day.

An ocean liner passes along Battery Park; shore quarters building at left; Pier A at right, ca. 1939. WPA Federal Writers’ Project Collection, NYC Municipal Archives.

Shore Quarters No. 57 for Fireboat New Yorker, balcony, blueprint, 1891. Manhattan Building Plan Collection, NYC Municipal Archives.

The building was similar to other engine houses and was intended to serve as housing for the company. There was a bunkroom upstairs, sliding poles to the ground floor and a complete set of telegraph instruments for informing the company of all alarms throughout the city. The company also responded to fires that occurred on the water. Boat disasters weren’t uncommon, the General Slocum steamboat tragedy took place not long after the New Yorker went into service.

Shore Quarters No. 57 for Fireboat New Yorker, door and window plan, blueprint, 1891. Manhattan Building Plan Collection, NYC Municipal Archives.

The New Yorker responded to many such tragedies. One well-known event is the 1900 Hoboken Docks fire that happened in and around a German shipping company’s piers at Hoboken, New Jersey. Cotton bales stored on the company’s southernmost wharf caught fire and winds carried the fire to nearby barrels filled with turpentine and oil, causing them to explode. The fire destroyed the piers up to the Hudson River waterline, as well as nearby warehouses, three transatlantic liners and almost two dozen smaller boats. When canal boats, barges and other debris caught on fire and started drifting toward the New York City side of the river, the New Yorker and other fireboats were dispatched to help contain the fire. More than 326 people lost their lives in the accident, mostly seamen and other workers, but also women who had been visiting one of the destroyed ships.

The New Yorker also responded to the 1911 Dreamland Park fire in Coney Island. The park was only open for seven years before it burned to the ground. On the night before opening day of the 1911 season, a water ride named Hell Gate developed a leak. A contractor from a roofing company was repairing the ride, using tar to plug up the leak. For reasons probably having to do with an electrical malfunction, the lightbulbs illuminating the man’s space as he worked exploded, and in his surprise, he kicked over a bucket of hot tar. The ride was immediately on fire. Most of the park was made of wood lath covered by a mixture of plaster of Paris and hemp fiber, a wildly flammable combination. Many Coney Island amusement parks used this dangerous combination in construction and often experienced fires. A high-pressure water pumping station had been installed a few years earlier as a preventive measure. That night it failed. Chaos ensued, lions were on the loose, an NYPD sergeant heroically rescued babies from the incubator exhibit. Dreamland was completely destroyed and never rebuilt.

Fireboat, The New Yorker, 1903, Department of Docks and Ferries Photograph Collection, NYC Municipal Archives.

After this storied career, the New Yorker was taken out of service in 1931.  It was auctioned in 1932 and replaced by the John J. Harvey fireboat. The firehouse was reaching the end of its days and Battery Park was about to be closed for several years while the Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel was built. Engine 57 was moved to then Pier 1 in 1941.

Margaret Louisa Home YWCA 

1894 Annual report of the Young Women’s Christian Association of the City of New York, internet archive.

1894 Annual report of the Young Women’s Christian Association of the City of New York, internet archive.

The Margaret Louisa Home located at 14-16 East 16th Street is part of the Ladies’ Mile Historic District. It was commissioned by YWCA-benefactor Margaret Louisa Shepard, daughter of William H. Vanderbilt. It was built in connection with the YWCA to serve as a temporary home for Protestant women seeking employment. Robert Henderson Robertson designed the six-story home to accommodate 100 female residents. Construction was completed in 1891.

Young Women’s Lodging House, front elevation, 1889. Manhattan Building Plan Collection.  NYC Municipal Archives.

The building façade is rock-face brownstone interspersed with brick in the Romanesque Revival style. The letters “YWCA” are inscribed on the exterior at the top of the second story, originally a mezzanine level. The midsection is punctuated with foliate designs and rows of dentils ending in carved lion masks. Alternating Romanesque columns run along the top, terminated by a cornice with block modillions and supported by decorative panels. Capping the facade is an arcaded parapet between higher end piers with carved panels. A seventh story under a peaked roof had been designed by Robertson but scrapped due to building regulations governing lodging houses.

Young Women’s Lodging House, plan of 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th floor, 1889. Manhattan Building Plan Collection, NYC Municipal Archives.

The building included 78 bedrooms, a parlor and reception rooms, private dining areas, a public restroom and laundry. Bedrooms were furnished with a white-painted iron bed, small oak table, a rocker and washstand with toilet set.

Young Women’s Lodging House, Longitudinal Section, Annex, 1889. Manhattan Building Plan Collection, NYC Municipal Archives

A one-story building originally meant to be a studio or meeting rooms was built as an annex at the rear of the lot. It also housed the boiler in the basement. 

The home was very successful. Boarders could stay for four weeks. Rooms rented for 60 cents a day with an extra 85 cents for meals. Most women seeking employment were teachers, milliners, dressmakers and stenographers, but there were also physicians, lecturers, actresses, nurses, photographers, and all sorts of other jobs represented. Plus, the home had its own employment bureau to assist residents in finding work.

14-16 East 16th Street, Manhattan, Block 843, Lot 39, 1940 Tax Photograph Collection. NYC Municipal Archives.

Parallel to the home, on a lot facing 15th Street, was the Young Women’s Christian Association, or YWCA, building, where women could take specialized training courses. It was built before the home, in 1887, also thanks to funds from Margaret Louisa and John Jacob Astor and other wealthy patrons. Robertson designed this building, in the Romanesque Revival style as well, with a mix of red brick and brownstone. An enclosed corridor and intervening garden space connected the building with the home on 16th Street. 

Both buildings are still standing today, although altered in use. The 16th Street YWCA was sold to the Society of the Commonwealth in 1917, where it became known as The People’s House. Organizations such as the National Women’s Suffrage Party, Margaret Sanger’s Birth Control League of New York and The Rand School, formed by members of the Socialist Party of America, took offices in the building.

The Margaret Louisa Home lasted longer and was operating until 1946. In 1951, it became the Sidney Hillman Health Center. The first floor was completely renovated, and the facade was modernized at this time. Most recently, plans have been approved by the Landmarks Preservation Commission to convert the building into a hotel, which would include demolishing most of the structure but preserving the facade. As of 2020, developers planned to rebuild the first floor facade to match the original, as well as adding the never-built  gabled roof from Robertson’s original designs.

Little Singer Building 

Little Singer Building, Ernest Flagg, elevation, 1903, blueprint. Manhattan Building Plan Collection, NYC Municipal Archives.

The twelve-story Little Singer Building was designed by Ernest Flagg for the Singer sewing machine company in 1903.­­ It is located in Soho at 561-563 Broadway between Spring and Prince Streets. The intricate iron tracery on the exterior makes this one very distinctive and you’d be hard-pressed to miss it if you walked past; it’s a style unique to the time period.

Little Singer Building, Ernest Flagg, Prince Street and Broadway elevation, 1908, blueprint.  Manhattan Building Plan Collection.  NYC Municipal Archives.

Flagg, who was known for designs in the Beaux-Arts style, built the iron structure to be fireproofed with brick and terra cotta, a relatively new innovation at the time, with a rusty red and green color scheme. An abundance of recessed glass on the front of the building along with the delicate wrought-iron tracery gave it a lighter appearance. Bolted iron plates make vertical pilasters that mark the end bays. Five central bays join vertically with curled iron tracery at the top of the 11th story, where the cornice is also supported by wrought-iron brackets. A top story, simple in comparison, is set above it. More of this same look can be seen around the bottom two stories. Tracery continues around the window bases and lacy strip balconies across each story. It’s all very ornamental.

“The Little Singer Building,” 561 Broadway, ca. 1980. NYC Municipal Archives Collection.

“The Little Singer Building,” 561 Broadway, ca. 1980. NYC Municipal Archives Collection.

The building is L-shaped; the Prince Street facade is essentially a narrower version of the Broadway side with the addition of a sign that reads “The Singer Manufacturing Company.”

A few years after completing the building in 1904, Flagg was retained to build a larger structure for the Singer Company on Broadway at Liberty Street. When the new structure was completed, the first building became known as the “Little” Singer Building. The second Singer building was finished in 1908 and was briefly the tallest building in the world. It was demolished in 1968.

Manhattan Block 500, Lot 20, 1940 Tax Photograph Collection, NYC Municipal Archives.

Manhattan Block 500, Lot 20, 1940 Tax Photograph Collection, NYC Municipal Archives.

In 1979, the Little Singer building was converted to a co-op with offices and joint living and work quarters. In 2008, it received a much-needed restoration, which included a re-creation of the original glass and ironwork sidewalk canopy on the Broadway side.

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