Administrative Information
Conditions Governing Access
Open to researchers without restriction.
Conditions Governing Use
The materials are in the public domain.
Preferred Citation
Identification of item, date (if known); Pierrepont family papers, ARC.263, Box and
Folder number; Brooklyn Public Library, Center for Brooklyn History.
Related Materials
Center for Brooklyn History holds many maps once owned by the Pierreponts. Many of
these were likely separated over time from this collection and relate particularly
to Series 3 (Real Estate) and Series 6 (Waterfront and Ferries). Generally, these
are maps of Hezekiah Beers Pierpont's property in Brooklyn Heights and of the land
extending into the East River granted to the Pierreponts by New York State. The maps
are especially strong at showing street lines, property development and waterfront
along what is now the Pierrepont Street and Montague Street area of Brooklyn Heights
across most of the nineteenth century. Several maps are mid-nineteenth century re-surveys
or drawings of earlier surveys, thereby emphasizing changes over time. The Pierrepont
maps are foldered together in CBH's Map Collection and can be requested as a complete
set. Alternatively, specific maps can be requested by call number; individual maps
can be identified through CBH's Map Portal.
CBH also holds some maps concerning Hezekiah's holdings in upstate New York counties.
These are found in the New York State folder in the Map Collection. Finally, CBH's
copy of Bernard Ratzer's Plan of the City of New York in North America: surveyed in the Years 1766 and 1767 was owned by Henry Evelyn Pierrepont.
CBH holds the John Jay Pierrepont photograph collection (call number ARC.197), which includes images in various formats of Brooklyn and waterfront
scenes. These images can be viewed on the library's image database, PastPerfect.
The Robert Benson deeds at CBH (call number ARC.007) include several deeds from the late 1700s and early
1800s concerning Brooklyn Heights, including one between Benson and Hezekiah Pierrepont.
The Reformed Church on the Heights records (call number 1977.185) includes nineteenth century property records related to Love
Lane and Pierrepont land.
The Luquer and Payne families papers (call number ARC.282) includes letters from Henry Evelyn Pierrepont to his wife (1865-1866);
documents related principally to Seth Low Pierrepont concerning his disposition of
the estate of Anna Jay Pierrepont, which included One Pierrepont Place; and documents
concerning family burial lots at Green-Wood Cemetery.
The Brooklyn Certificate Collection (call number 1977.307) includes several membership certificates and other such recognitions
awarded to Pierrepont family members.
CBH holds a number of materials on the library shelves related to the collection,
including a copy of Hezekiah Beers Pierpont's will (call CS71.P53474.1854), Henry
E. Pierrepont's Historical Sketch of the Fulton Ferry (call number F127.K5.P54.1879), and genealogies of the Pierrepont family. These materials
can be found through Brooklyn Public Library's catalog.
Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements
The majority of the materials in this collection are stored offsite and advance notice
is required for use. Please contact cbhreference@bklynlibrary.org at least three weeks
prior to research visit.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
The collection is comprised of several accessions. Explicit documentation of the provenance
for most of these accessions is lacking. Evidence exists that most of the material
included in the collection was donated by Pierrepont family members who were active
participants in The Long Island Historical Society (re-named Brooklyn Historical Society
in 1985) from its founding in 1863. The papers were received over a period of approximately
seventy-five years, from the late nineteenth century through 1962. Copy of disputed
will of H.B. Pierpont is the gift of Charlotte Beagle, 2015.
Processing Information
The collection was first described in 1978 by Thomas Mill. In 1999, with sponsorship
from a grant from the National Historical Publications and Records Committee, the
finding aid was revised by Project Archivist Teresa Mora, with further edits by Project
Consultant Marilyn H. Pettit. Additional minor edits were made by Leilani Dawson in
2006. In 2011, Project Archivist Larry Weimer slightly re-arranged parts of the collection
and modified the finding aid, principally to accommodate input to a collection management
system, Archivists' Toolkit. One additional file (1986.002) added to Series 3 by Archivist
John Zarrillo in November 2014. Four additional court publications which had been
separated from the papers were added to Series 6 by John Zarrillo in February 2015.
Accession M1975.646 (broadside advertisement for land in Jefferson County) added to
Series 3 by John Zarrillo in August 2015. Copy of the disputed will of H.B. Pierpont
added to Series 3 by John Zarrillo in March 2017.
The collection is comprised of several accessions: 1973.325, 1973.088, 1973.248, 1973.288,
1974.182, 1974.246, 1977.137, 1977.139, 1977.336, 1977.658, 1980.035, 1986.002, 1987.015,
and M1975.646.
