Jans Martense Schenck house
Encyclopedia
Jan Martense Schenck, arrived in New Netherlands on June 28, 1650, on the ship De Valckener (the Falcon) with his sister Annetje and brother Roelof. He bought a parcel of land on Molen Eylandt (Mill Island) in the Dutch town of Nieuw Amersfoort
in what is now the Mill Basin section of Brooklyn, New York. He purchased the land with a grist mill
on it from Elbert Elbertse Stoothoff who had arrived in Nieuw Amsterdam in 1637 aboard the Vrede (Peace). The land was half of a tract Stoothoff purchased from Englishmen John Tilton Jr. and Samuel Spicer. John Tilton Jr. formerly resided in Lynn, Massachusetts
, due to his Anabaptist
beliefs he along with his wife were among the founding colonists of Gravesend
, with Lady Deborah Moody. Tilton and Spicer had bought the land from the Canarsie Indians
on May 13, 1664.
In 1672, Schenck married Jannetjie Stephens van Voorheis with whom he had eight children; His house (ca. 1675) was constructed around this time.
Named in will of Jan Martense Schenck; dated 28 Jan 1688/9; (*);
On April 20, 1688, Roelof bought one half interest in the mill and half of the land of Mollen Eyelandt from his brother Jan Martense.
Marten married Cornelia Wesselen, widow of Domine Lupardus on December 2, 1703. On December 13, 1705, their son John was born,
and on 13 December 1705, their son John was born.
John, who married Femmetie Hegeman on November 15, 1728, inherited the property from his father.
On April 15, 1784, his heirs sold it for £2300 to Joris Martense of Flatbush, who rented out the mill and house.
Joris Martense's daughter Susan, wife of Patrick Caton, inherited the house and mill.
She left it to her daughter Margaret who married General Philip S. Crooke
. The property became known as Crooke's Mill and Crooke's Island.
The mill eventually fell into disuse. The house and a small parcel of land it sat on was eventually inherited by Franklin Crooke who sold to the Atlantic,
Gulf and Pacific Company in 1909.
During the American Revolution
, the house was occupied by British
Major Thomas Moncrief, an engineer
with the 7th Regiment of Foot. On June 18, 1778 an American raiding party under Captain William Marriner formerly a private in the Continental Army
, who became a privateer
, along with Lieutenant John Schenck
of the New Jersey Militia landed on the shore of New Utrecht
with 28 militia-men from Middletown Point, N. J. in two whaleboat
s. They marched to New Utrecht were William Marriner stopped by the Van Pelt Manor
house to inform his friend Peter van Pelt of is intentions, they then marched to Flatlands and took Moncrief prisoner while he was at the house. Moncrief was taken across Raritan Bay
and up the Raritan River
to New Brunswick, New Jersey
where Marriner had a tavern. Lieutenant Schenck was familiar with the location as he had visited often and was a close relative.
The house was acquired by the Brooklyn Museum
in 1952. The land the house sat on became the site of elementary school P.S. 236. The house was still extant after the school was built, it was located behind the school. In 1952 the house was dismantled and stored for ten years. The original portion of the house was rebuilt on the fourth floor of the Brooklyn Museum.
From the (1939) WPA Guide to New York City:
Flatlands, Brooklyn
Flatlands is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Brooklyn. The area is part of Brooklyn Community Board 18.One of the original five Dutch towns on Long Island , this neighborhood was originally known as Nieuw Amersfoort, after the Dutch city of Amersfoort, but the name was changed to...
in what is now the Mill Basin section of Brooklyn, New York. He purchased the land with a grist mill
Gristmill
The terms gristmill or grist mill can refer either to a building in which grain is ground into flour, or to the grinding mechanism itself.- Early history :...
on it from Elbert Elbertse Stoothoff who had arrived in Nieuw Amsterdam in 1637 aboard the Vrede (Peace). The land was half of a tract Stoothoff purchased from Englishmen John Tilton Jr. and Samuel Spicer. John Tilton Jr. formerly resided in Lynn, Massachusetts
Lynn, Massachusetts
Lynn is a city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 89,050 at the 2000 census. An old industrial center, Lynn is home to Lynn Beach and Lynn Heritage State Park and is about north of downtown Boston.-17th century:...
, due to his Anabaptist
Anabaptist
Anabaptists are Protestant Christians of the Radical Reformation of 16th-century Europe, and their direct descendants, particularly the Amish, Brethren, Hutterites, and Mennonites....
beliefs he along with his wife were among the founding colonists of Gravesend
Gravesend, Brooklyn
Gravesend is a neighborhood in the south-central section of the New York City borough of Brooklyn, USA.The derivation of the name is unclear. Some speculate that it was named after the English seaport of Gravesend, Kent. An alternative explanation suggests that it was named by Willem Kieft for the...
, with Lady Deborah Moody. Tilton and Spicer had bought the land from the Canarsie Indians
Lenape
The Lenape are an Algonquian group of Native Americans of the Northeastern Woodlands. They are also called Delaware Indians. As a result of the American Revolutionary War and later Indian removals from the eastern United States, today the main groups live in Canada, where they are enrolled in the...
on May 13, 1664.
In 1672, Schenck married Jannetjie Stephens van Voorheis with whom he had eight children; His house (ca. 1675) was constructed around this time.
Named in will of Jan Martense Schenck; dated 28 Jan 1688/9; (*);
- (*) Jannetje born about 1673; married 20 May 1692 Gerret Janse Dorlandt.
- (*) Marten born 1675; married 2 Dec 1703 Cornelia Van Wessel.
- (*) Willemtje born about 1677; married Pieter Wyckoff.
- Stephen born 2 Oct 1681; died young.
- Jan/Johannes bp 5 Nov 1682; died young.
- (*) Neeltje bp 23 Nov 1683; married 5 Oct 1712 John Wyckoff.
- (*) Stephen born 22 Jan 1686; died 6 Nov 1767; married 26 Sep 1713 Antje Wyckoff; daughter of Nicholas Wyckoff. Left will dated 7 June 1758; proved *25 Feb 1768.
- Aaltje/Aelken.
- Antje.
On April 20, 1688, Roelof bought one half interest in the mill and half of the land of Mollen Eyelandt from his brother Jan Martense.
Marten married Cornelia Wesselen, widow of Domine Lupardus on December 2, 1703. On December 13, 1705, their son John was born,
and on 13 December 1705, their son John was born.
John, who married Femmetie Hegeman on November 15, 1728, inherited the property from his father.
On April 15, 1784, his heirs sold it for £2300 to Joris Martense of Flatbush, who rented out the mill and house.
Joris Martense's daughter Susan, wife of Patrick Caton, inherited the house and mill.
She left it to her daughter Margaret who married General Philip S. Crooke
Philip S. Crooke
Philip Schuyler Crooke was a United States Representative from New York.Born in Poughkeepsie, he graduated from Dutchess Academy, studied law, was admitted to the bar in 1831 and commenced practice in Brooklyn...
. The property became known as Crooke's Mill and Crooke's Island.
The mill eventually fell into disuse. The house and a small parcel of land it sat on was eventually inherited by Franklin Crooke who sold to the Atlantic,
Gulf and Pacific Company in 1909.
During the American Revolution
American Revolution
The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
, the house was occupied by British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
Major Thomas Moncrief, an engineer
Engineer
An engineer is a professional practitioner of engineering, concerned with applying scientific knowledge, mathematics and ingenuity to develop solutions for technical problems. Engineers design materials, structures, machines and systems while considering the limitations imposed by practicality,...
with the 7th Regiment of Foot. On June 18, 1778 an American raiding party under Captain William Marriner formerly a private in the Continental Army
Continental Army
The Continental Army was formed after the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War by the colonies that became the United States of America. Established by a resolution of the Continental Congress on June 14, 1775, it was created to coordinate the military efforts of the Thirteen Colonies in...
, who became a privateer
Privateer
A privateer is a private person or ship authorized by a government by letters of marque to attack foreign shipping during wartime. Privateering was a way of mobilizing armed ships and sailors without having to spend public money or commit naval officers...
, along with Lieutenant John Schenck
John Schenck
John Schenck was a captain in the New Jersey Militia during the American Revolutionary War.-Biography:...
of the New Jersey Militia landed on the shore of New Utrecht
New Utrecht, Brooklyn
New Utrecht was the last of six towns to be founded in what is today the borough of Brooklyn in New York City. It was named after the city of Utrecht, Netherlands. In 1652 Cornelius van Werckhoven, a surveyor born in Utrecht and a principal investor in the Dutch West India Company, began purchasing...
with 28 militia-men from Middletown Point, N. J. in two whaleboat
Whaleboat
A whaleboat is a type of open boat that is relatively narrow and pointed at both ends, enabling it to move either forwards or backwards equally well. It was originally developed for whaling, and later became popular for work along beaches, since it does not need to be turned around for beaching or...
s. They marched to New Utrecht were William Marriner stopped by the Van Pelt Manor
Van Pelt Manor
Van Pelt Manor was the name given to an area of Brooklyn, New York that today is part of the section of Bensonhurst. In the early part of the 20th Century it gave its name to a railroad station, a post office, and Public School 128 was known as Van Pelt Manor grammar school.Van Pelt Manor was an...
house to inform his friend Peter van Pelt of is intentions, they then marched to Flatlands and took Moncrief prisoner while he was at the house. Moncrief was taken across Raritan Bay
Raritan Bay
Raritan Bay is a bay located at the southern portion of Lower New York Bay between the U.S. states of New York and New Jersey and is part of the New York Bight. The bay is bounded on the northwest by New York's Staten Island, on the west by Perth Amboy, New Jersey, on the south by the Raritan...
and up the Raritan River
Raritan River
The Raritan River is a major river of central New Jersey in the United States. Its watershed drains much of the mountainous area of the central part of the state, emptying into the Raritan Bay on the Atlantic Ocean.-Description:...
to New Brunswick, New Jersey
New Brunswick, New Jersey
New Brunswick is a city in Middlesex County, New Jersey, USA. It is the county seat and the home of Rutgers University. The city is located on the Northeast Corridor rail line, southwest of Manhattan, on the southern bank of the Raritan River. At the 2010 United States Census, the population of...
where Marriner had a tavern. Lieutenant Schenck was familiar with the location as he had visited often and was a close relative.
The house was acquired by the Brooklyn Museum
Brooklyn Museum
The Brooklyn Museum is an encyclopedia art museum located in the New York City borough of Brooklyn. At 560,000 square feet, the museum holds New York City's second largest art collection with roughly 1.5 million works....
in 1952. The land the house sat on became the site of elementary school P.S. 236. The house was still extant after the school was built, it was located behind the school. In 1952 the house was dismantled and stored for ten years. The original portion of the house was rebuilt on the fourth floor of the Brooklyn Museum.
From the (1939) WPA Guide to New York City:
- Schenck-Crooke House, Avenue U between East Sixty-third and sixty-fourth Streets, is considered one of the oldest houses in New York City, the original section having been built in 1656. A white house with green shutters and red brick chimneys, it stands in a little hollow back of Public School 236, surrounded by old pine trees. Its Dutch origins are evident in the small twelve-paned windows and early round-end shingles. The slender-pillared front porch formed by an overhanging roof is an eighteenth-century addition.
See also
- Vander Ende-Onderdonk House SiteVander Ende-Onderdonk House SiteVander Ende--Onderdonk House is a historic house at 1820 Flushing Avenue in Ridgewood, Queens. It is the oldest Dutch Colonial stone house in New York City....
- Hendrick I. Lott HouseHendrick I. Lott HouseThe Hendrick I. Lott House is a historic home located at 1940 East 36th Street, resting in the neighborhood known as Marine Park, in the New York City borough of Brooklyn, there lies one of the oldest Dutch Colonial farmhouses in Kings County. It is listed on the National Register of Historic...
- Abraham Manee HouseAbraham Manee HouseThe Abraham Manee House, also known as the Manee-Seguine Homestead, is a three-part Colonial Dutch dwelling similar to the Billiou-Stillwell-Perine House in Old Town, and was designated a New York City landmark in 1984...
- List of the oldest buildings in New York