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Brooklyn, N.Y., Department of Law, Corporation Counsel records

Call Number

2013.015

Dates

1843-1920, inclusive
; 1894-1905, bulk

Creator

New York (N.Y.). Law Department.
Brooklyn (New York, N.Y.). Department of Law.

Extent

118 Linear Feet in 235 manuscript boxes, 4 flat boxes, 1 flat file drawer, and 1 oversize shelf

Language of Materials

English .

Abstract

The collection consists of the records of the office of the Corporation Counsel of the City of Brooklyn and, following the 1898 consolidation of the Greater City of New York, the records of the Brooklyn office of the Corporation Counsel of the City of New York. The bulk of the collection comprises legal documents related to complaints filed against the city. The Corporation Counsel was also responsible for overseeing the opening of city streets and the collection includes a series of records related to these matters. On the whole, the collection documents the activities of the Brooklyn Corporation Counsel, as well as the day-to-day legal issues that the citizens of Brooklyn faced in the 19th and early 20th centuries. It also documents the rapid expansion of Brooklyn's infrastructure, especially its streets and water supply. The Brooklyn, N.Y., Department of Law, Corporation Counsel records collection spans the years 1843 to 1920 (bulk dates 1894 to 1905).

Historical note

The charter for the City of Brooklyn that consolidated the Village of Brooklyn with the Town of Brooklyn was approved in 1834. The charter established the city's municipal government which consisted of a mayor and a common council. The common council was granted the power to appoint various positions, including a separate Attorney and Counsel. These positions were typically occupied by a single appointee, except from 1847 to 1850 when they were held by two separate appointees. The 1873 charter of the City of Brooklyn established a single Attorney and Counsel as head of the city's Law Department. The charter specified that the Attorney and Counsel would serve as chief legal advisor for the mayor, the common council, and the various city departments established over the years. The Attorney and Counsel was also charged with managing the proceedings necessary for opening, closing, or otherwise improving city streets. By 1885, the position title was changed from Attorney and Counsel to Corporation Counsel. In 1898, the City of Brooklyn was consolidated into the Greater City of New York. The Brooklyn office of the Corporation Counsel subsequently reported to the Corporation Counsel of the City of New York and was headed by an Assistant Corporation Counsel. The Brooklyn office handled all legal matters that affected the Borough of Brooklyn and Kings County.

Arrangement

The collection is organized in the following series:

Series 1: Case Files, 1849-1920

Series 2: Streets, 1844-1912

Series 3: Correspondence, 1866-1913

Series 4: Property Files, 1851-1918

Series 5: Laws, 1867-1898

Series 6: Miscellaneous, 1843-1915

Scope and Contents

The collection consists of the records of the office of the Corporation Counsel of the City of Brooklyn and, following the 1898 consolidation of the Greater City of New York, the records of the Brooklyn office of the Corporation Counsel of the City of New York. The collection spans the years 1843 to 1920 (bulk dates 1850 to 1905) and measures 113 linear feet. The bulk of the collection comprises legal documents related to complaints filed against the city. Common complaints include personal injury claims, property damage claims (mostly related to the city's sewer system), assessment disputes, and civil service grievances. The Corporation Counsel was also responsible for overseeing the opening of city streets and the collection includes a series of records related to this activity. The collection also includes correspondence with various city departments (Water Supply, Finance, Police, etc.) that sought legal advice.

While the majority of the collection is Brooklyn specific, portions of the collection deal with other nearby areas, especially Queens County and Long Island. Specifically, from 1896 to 1899, there are several complaints related to Long Island City. There are also a number of files related to property acquired by the City of Brooklyn (and later the City of New York) in the Towns of Jamaica and Hempstead on Long Island relating to the expansion of the city's water supply.

On the whole, the collection documents the activities of the Brooklyn Corporation Counsel as well as the day-to-day legal issues that the citizens of Brooklyn faced in the 19th and early 20th centuries. It also documents the rapid expansion of Brooklyn's infrastructure, especially its streets and water supply.

Subjects

Organizations

Kings County Gas and Illuminating Company.; Kings County Elevated Railroad Company (New York, N.Y.).; Jamaica Electric Light Company.; Merrick Water Company.; Long Island Railroad Company.; Kings County Water Supply Company.; Manhattan Railway Company.; Long Island Water Supply Company.; New York and New Jersey Telephone Company.; New York and Queens County Railway Company.; New York and Sea Beach Railway Company.; New York Elevated Railroad Company.; Municipal Electric Light Company of Brooklyn.; Nassau Electric Railroad Company.; New York (N.Y.). Board of Assessors.; Sea Beach Railway Company.; Seaside and Brooklyn Bridge Elevated Railroad Company.; New York, Brooklyn and Manhattan Beach Railway Company.; North Second Street and Middle Village Railroad Company.; Ocean Electric Railway Company.; Brooklyn Union Gas Company.; Brooklyn Traction Company.; Brooklyn Steam Transit Company.; Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company; Brooklyn Queens County and Suburban Railroad Company.; Brooklyn Institute of Arts and Sciences.; Brooklyn Heights Railroad Company; Brooklyn Elevated Railroad Company; Citizens Electric Illuminating Company of Brooklyn.; Brooklyn Wharf and Warehouse Company.; East River and Atlantic Ocean Railroad Company.; Edison Electric Illuminating Company of Brooklyn.; DeKalb Avenue Railroad Company.; Coney Island Jockey Club.; Coney Island and Brooklyn Railroad Company.; Coney Island Fuel Gas and Light Company.; Green-Wood Cemetery (New York, N.Y.); Flatbush Gas Company.; Fulton Elevated Railroad Company.; Equity Gas Light Company of the Eastern District.; Electric Illuminating and Power Company of Long Island City.; Church of the Redeemer (Brooklyn, New York, N.Y.); Atlantic Avenue Railroad Company; Broadway Ferry and Metropolitan Railroad Company; Brooklyn and Jamaica Bay Turnpike Company; Brooklyn and Jamaica Plank Road Company; Brooklyn and Rockaway Beach Railroad Company; Brooklyn Borough Gas Company; Brooklyn Central Railway Company; Brooklyn City and Newtown Railroad Company; Brooklyn City Railroad Co. (New York, N.Y.); Union Gas Light Company.; Williamsburg Gas Company.; Staten Island Electric Railroad Company.; South Brooklyn Railroad and Terminal Company.; Union Elevated Railroad Company.; Union Ferry Company (Brooklyn, New York, N.Y.).; Title Guarantee and Trust Company (New York, N.Y.).

Conditions Governing Access

Open to researchers without restriction, with the exception of two files related to adoptions.

Conditions Governing Use

Due to the public nature of the records there are no restrictions governing use of the collection, with the exception of photographic materials. Copyright for the photographs will remain in effect for 120 years following the date of creation. All photographs in this collection will enter the public domain by 2035.

Preferred Citation

Identification of item, date (if known); Brooklyn, N.Y., Department of Law, Corporation Counsel records, 2013.015, Box and Folder number; Brooklyn Public Library, Center for Brooklyn History.

Location of Materials

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 source of this collection is unknown. The collection was accessioned in 2013.

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.

Related Materials

Brooklyn 26th Ward improvement report for New Jersey Avenue, 1891 (1987.008)

Brooklyn City Court records, 1893-1905 (1977.332)

Brooklyn Fourth Ward tax assessment book and scrapbook, circa 1840-1900 (1978.128)

Brooklyn, N.Y., Bureau of Sewers records, circa 1853-1988 (ARC.235)

Brooklyn Roads collection, 1825-1883 (1977.337)

Brooklyn tax document collection, 1864-1909 (1986.012)

Brooklyn Treasurer and City Court Clerk receipt books, 1827-1869 (1985.089)

City of Brooklyn Collector of Gas Lamp Tax Assessment ledgers, 1855-1856 (1986.010)

City of Brooklyn property tax assessments, 1841 (1978.158)

Fulton Street assessment agreement, 1841 (1978.041)

Joseph Arthur Burr, Jr. composition book, 1860-1866 (1973.108)

Myrtle Street assessment petition, 1834-1834 (1978.040)

Queens County Treasurer's Office land auction receipts, 1892-1897 (1977.572)

Roll of assessment for the grading and paving of Flatbush Avenue, April 17, 1857 (1973.089)

Collection processed by

John Zarrillo

About this Guide

This finding aid was produced using ArchivesSpace on 2023-08-21 11:20:59 +0000.
Using Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language: Finding aid written in English

Processing Information note

The collection was arranged and described by archivist John Zarrillo, 2013-2014.

Acquisitions and processing intern Deborah Marks assisted in assembling the finding aid.

The collection was originally stored in record cartons loosely organized in rough chronological order. Each box typically contained files dating from a single year (e.g., 1898) or a consecutive range of dates (e.g., 1906-1910). While some records relating to individual case files were grouped together (bound with string), others were separate; material related to the same case was frequently scattered across multiple record cartons.

Folder titles were typically created by the processing archivist as described in the arrangement note for each series. Most records in the collection directly relate to individual cases and are grouped into the Case Files series. Other series were created to reflect the function or form of the records (e.g., correspondence not related to specific cases comprises the Correspondence series and records related to the opening of city streets comprise the Streets series). Date ranges for the collection and each series are derived from the contents of the records.

Some oversized materials within each series have been separated and stored in flat boxes.

Certain fragile materials in the collection have been replaced with photocopies for preservation purposes.

Please note that the following abbreviations are utilized: Ave. for avenue; Blvd. for boulevard; Pl. for place; Rd. for road; St. for street;

Numbered streets are expressed numerically [example: 1st Pl., 7th Ave., 59th St., etc.]

Many street names have changed since the 19th century. These changes are explained in the notes field for each folder when possible. Please note that the streets that run parallel to the East River in Williamsburg (Kent Ave., Wythe Ave., Berry St., etc.) were originally numbered (1st St., 2nd St., 3rd St., etc.).

Note Statement

Broken link in Other Finding Aids Note. That note has been unpublished.

Repository

Brooklyn Historical Society
Center for Brooklyn History
128 Pierrepont Street
Brooklyn, NY 11201