The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-12-27
AN OLD LANDMARK BURNED.
THE DESTRUCTION on CHRISTMAS DAY
OF THE DONGAN MANSION.
A Governor who GobbIed up 5000 Acres Of
Staten Island Land and Butt Thereon n
House that stood from loss until 1878.


A Governor who GobbIed up 5000 Acres Of |
Staten Island Land and Buitt Thereon n
House that stood from loss until 1878.
In the afternoon of Christmas Day the old
house known ms the Dongan mansion. in West
Brighton. Staten Island was burned to the
ground. Standing on tho outskirts OF the viii
lage. on the road leading to Port Richmond. set
in n clump OF trees in the midst of five acres or
Whereabouts Of grassy surrounding. the place
had been familiar to the present Staten Island
generation. and TO a great many generations
gone before.
Originally tho property was part OF an extern
sive tract which had been patented by Thomas
DonRan. Governor OF the Staten Island colony.
As it was not possible for the Governor to patent
to himself. he ingcniously circumvcnted the
difficulty by making preliminary patent OF
the land to n Mr.. Palmer Of New York. with tho
understanding that it should be Immediately
patented back again TO himself Mr.. Palmer
was a lawyer. who had removed to New York
from the Barbados. and he had been created
ranger" OF Staten Island. and subsequently
became tho first Judge OF the Court Of Oyer and
Terminer that had ever been appointed there.
His temporary concern with the Dongan patent
is still indicated in the namo OF n small brook
bordering Cassloton and Mortified, and which
IL called Palmcrs Run. Two weeks after tho
issue Of the patent by the Governor TO Mr..
Palmer tho land thereby covered, in pursuance
of tho agreement mentioned. was patented bnck
again 10y Mr.. Palmer to the Governor. who thus
avoided trifiing but an actual diinculty ana
became patentec in perfectly logical and law
full form.
The patent was dated Mnrch 81. 1857. and
covered tract of 1000 acres, compris ng tho
larger part Of what subsequently became tho
lordshlp and manor OF Cassiltowne-afterward
tered into too Cassieton- Cassii. in ireland,
whence Gov. Dongnn came; and the manor
| house-the same that was burned on Christmas
| Day-was built IN tho year following the grant
! 1t should be noticed that at that time there
! was exceeding greut agitation on the island
| in regard to certain religious matters, Dongan
and all his officers were Papists. and after tho
| battle Of the Boyne and the elevation Of william
and Mary to the British throne they did not
alter their professions title. but remained
arrant Papists still The majority OF the peo-
Die In the colony wished 30 acknowledge tho
now dynasty. but Dongan refused TO listen
1 10 anything OF the kind. and perhaps
| would not have needed to trouble himself
further in the matter had not the neigh:
| boring people OF New York Loyalty aroused
themselves. and coming down upon him With
seized all his arms. and proclaimed William
and Mary for him. But as soon as the New
towne we're thrown into the widest terror by
rumors that the Governor had formed plLn 70
| ony on n given night. II was observed that his
| brigantinc. lying ut the wharf was being sup
piled with fabulous quantities OF provisions
|
she WIS about to make voyage TO Madeira
and was arming herself because she was afraid
| Of an attack by tho Turks, nobody believed that
| The Captain would not allow anybody to 40 on
| board, which was 30 suspicious circumstance
that the alarm in Cassitowne arose to fever
height: and the people OF the Colony. forsakin ina
their houses. retired into tho forest and hid
themselves each day at nighttall. or passed the
night in small boats in the bay. in order to pro-
tect themselves from massacre while they slept
But for some reason the anticipated attack did
not occur, and in 1854 Gov. Dongan went back
TO ireland. where he became the Earl OF Lime
rick. and whence he never returned
Dongan retained tho Staten Island grant a.
well as other extensive tracts on Long lslanC
and in Whitehall until IT'S. when, having NJ
children OF his own. he conveyed the whole e
p6ngan. on May 2 Of that year The Slater
Island property fell To Walter. He lived in lh'
Rer %heH he ded TSs S Wa John mq
known in Cassiltowne as Jacky Dongan. and b,
being a fast liver. and loving mucl
e eTe prope Rfyu to d the McyeRar family
who owned It for a, number OF years and ther
sold II to Squire John Bodine who afterwar'
sold II to his father. John Bodine, Sr. This oil,
gentleman died In 1885. and at his death IN
property passed into the hands OF Rlcha .,
gentlemen OF New York. They owned IL durinl
their lfetims. Then the property reverted {
out in streets and parcels and sold by auction
when the, present lot. with the house, wa
OF one Of the Bodne hcirs. He lived in tn
place for a time. and then sold it 20 his brother
, iu-luW. Charles W ludSOr. VINO was supposed 7
be concerned in the robbery Of the Mercantil
Bank. at the corner OF broadway and De
street. some years ago. When lac escaped
Europe he sold the property 70 his brothcr-ln
Jaw Jacob Bodinc. and he sold It 10 the wife Z
his brother, Albert Bodne the widow OF Nj
williamson. editor Of the New York SuHdd
Dfspdich.
Within tho last two years some laOorors, /
| cleaning out vault on the promises. found %
amount Of gold coin. According to tho pouuln
, | story in West Brighton. IL WIS a vast amount
500 OOO-Und the same story supl nses thni tai
| gold came from the Mercantile Bank, and va
, | part Of the proceeds Of the robbery before met
| toned The lahOrer- who found the money-t
| story goes on-kcut what they found and one
| them purchased a lot shortly aiterward, and hui
sion In West Brighton. too. that there IL MOI
: | of the same sort OF money to be got by anybOd
| who can obtain leave to dig W the premises.
a Passing through tho hands Of all these ger
p | eratious Of owners, the old house undetwrl
y | almost no alteration, and upon tho day OF .
destruction WAS as solid and wen condluon'
= | IA al the time OF its building. When Cay
= | Jacob Post purchased II the enclosure in Il
rear was somewhat dilapidated. and he =
n | newed II, but that was all the change that VI
u | ever made. The east and west sides werc pr
cisely the same as when the house WIS built.
was an ample mansion, built OF wood, Wi
!, gnmhrc roof. and shingles running all over
from the ridgepole 10 the ground. II nad
!, randa in front. supported 10y pair OF Inass
" wooden posts. The Ioisis supporting tho moo
= were five inches square. and these and oth
i fundamental parts Of the structure were OF o.
- which time had only served to make IA hard
n | horn. The furniture of the house was mOder
- and from the inside you got no notion OF VIVA