Brooklyn public improvements collection
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Abstract
This collection includes contracts, specifications, and public notices for various public improvement projects in Brooklyn throughout the period circa 1830 to 1880.
Historical note
The Village of Brooklyn was incoporated in 1816. The City of Brooklyn was incorporated in 1834.
The Common Council of the City of Brooklyn was formed in 1853 and consisted of the Mayor and a Board of Aldermen. The Common Council also appointed a Clerk who served as City Clerk for a year. The Common Council had the power to pass ordinances, manage and regulate city finances, establish and regulate police and fire departments, and regulate City-owned waterfront property, among other powers.
The Village of Williamsburgh was incoporated in 1827. It became the Town of Williamsburg in 1840 and the City of Williamsburg in 1851 before being annexed into the City of Brooklyn in 1855.
The City of Brooklyn became a borough in the City of Greater New York in 1898.
Arrangement
The collection is arranged by type and date.
Scope and Contents
This collection includes contracts, specifications, and public notices for various public improvement projects in Brooklyn throughout the period circa 1830 to 1880, including paving and repairing streets, repairing and installing lampposts, renovating City Hall, and building cisterns, among others. Some of the materials are from the Brooklyn Street Commissioners, while others are from the Brooklyn Common Council and its various committees. There are also some documents from what was then the Village of Williamsburgh and later, the Town of Williamsburg.
Subjects
Topics
Places
Conditions Governing Access
Open to users without restriction.
Conditions Governing Use
The materials in this collection are in the public domain. While many items at the Center for Brooklyn History are unrestricted, we do not own reproduction rights to all materials. Be aware of the several kinds of rights that might apply: copyright, licensing and trademarks. The researcher assumes all responsibility for copyright questions.
Preferred Citation
Identification of item, date (if known); Brooklyn public improvements collection, 1977.314, Box and Folder number; Brooklyn Public Library, Center for Brooklyn History.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Acquired from an anonymous donor in 1965. Formally accessioned in 1977.
About this Guide
Processing Information
Originally minimally processed to the collection level, this collection was rehoused and reprocessed to the file level in October 2023 by Dee Bowers.
