Skip to main content Skip to main navigation

Peter Schermerhorn papers

Call Number

ARC.089

Dates

1799-1891, inclusive
; 1822-1877, bulk

Creator

Schermerhorn, Peter

Extent

0.1 Linear Feet in three folders.

Language of Materials

English .

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

  1. 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.
  2. 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.

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.

Collection processed by

Weatherly Stephan

About this Guide

This finding aid was produced using ArchivesSpace on 2023-08-21 11:20:55 +0000.
Using Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language: English

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.

Repository

Brooklyn Historical Society

Container

Box: A0045 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)
Center for Brooklyn History
128 Pierrepont Street
Brooklyn, NY 11201