Peter Schermerhorn papers
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Abstract
The Peter Schermerhorn papers span 1799 to 1891, with the bulk from 1822 to 1877. The collection includes an account list from Peter Schermerhorn to John R. Cozine for the sale of paint, a deed regarding the demarcation of streets in Brooklyn between Samuel Smith and Peter Schermerhorn Jr., a deed recording the sale of a subterranean vault to Peter Schermerhorn at St. George's Church in New York City, and legal papers and land documents detailing Schermerhorn's bequeathments to his nephew William Henry Schermerhorn of Flushing, Queens. Also included is one photograph of the Abraham Schermerhorn house in Brooklyn. The house was located at 28th Street and 3rd Avenue, near Gowanus Bay in the present-day neighborhood of Sunset Park.
Biographical note
Peter Schermerhorn (1749-1826), like his father and grandfather, was commander and owner of shipping vessels trading between New York City and Charleston, S.C. He married Elizabeth Bussing on September 11, 1771. From 1776 to 1783, Schermerhorn and his family lived in Hyde Park, N.Y. to protect his vessels from British seizure. Upon his return to New York City, Schermerhorn advertised himself as a shipchandler. In 1808, he and sons Abraham (1783-1850) and Peter (1781-1852) opened a shipping business under the name Peter Schermerhorn and Sons at 243 Water Street in New York City. The Schermerhorn family resided at 68 Broadway in lower Manhattan.
In 1795, Peter and his brother, Simon Schermerhorn, purchased over 150 acres of land near the Gowanus Bay in Brooklyn for use as a family summer home. Upon his father's death, Abraham Schermerhorn inherited this property, which included a farm and house hailed as the oldest house in Brooklyn, built in 1690. Abraham sold the land in 1835; it now makes up a large portion of Green-Wood Cemetery. The modern-day Schermerhorn Street in downtown Brooklyn is located near the site of Abraham and Peter Schermerhorn's ropewalk, used for their shipping business until 1841, when it was destroyed by a fire.
Sources
- Benardo, Leonard, and Jennifer Weiss. "Schermerhorn Street." In Brooklyn by Name: How the Neighborhoods, Streets, Parks, Bridges, and More Got Their Names, 51. New York: New York University Press, 2006.
- Schermerhorn, Richard, Jr. Schermerhorn Genealogy and Family Chronicles. New York: Tobias A. Wright, 1914.
Scope and Contents
The Peter Schermerhorn papers span 1799 to 1891, with the bulk from 1822 to 1877. The collection includes an account list from Peter Schermerhorn to John R. Cozine for the sale of paint, a deed recording the sale of a subterranean vault to Peter Schermerhorn at St. George's Church in New York City, a deed regarding the demarcation of streets in Brooklyn between Samuel Smith and Peter Schermerhorn Jr., and legal papers and land documents detailing Schermerhorn's bequeathments to his nephew William Henry Schermerhorn of Flushing, Queens. Also included is one photograph of the Abraham Schermerhorn house in Brooklyn. The house was located at 28th Street and 3rd Avenue, near Gowanus Bay in the present-day neighborhood of Sunset Park.
Subjects
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Places
Conditions Governing Access
Open to researchers without restriction.
Conditions Governing Use
Reproduction rights for photographs have not been evaluated. Please consult library staff for more information.
Preferred Citation
Identification of item, date (if known); Peter Schermerhorn papers, ARC.089, Box and Folder number; Brooklyn Historical Society.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Gifts of Abigail Adams Smith Museum, date unknown, and Mary E. Adair, 1974.
Other Finding Aids
Item-level description and digital versions of images from the collection are available for searching via the image database in the library.
About this Guide
Processing Information
Minimally processed to the collection level.
This collection combines three accessions: 1977.620, 1978.078, and V1991.114.
Material found in repository added to collection by Lena Evers-Hillstrom in October 2018.