The Olneyville tribune. (Providence, R.I.) 1893-189?, 1894-05-26

i Melrose Hall, which has witnessed
much Of tragedy and romance, ante
dates by several years the American
Revolution. 1t is believed TO have
been built about the year lIi9 by an
Englishman named Lane. 1t was
once in the possession OF Col. Will
liam Axtell, descendant Of Daniel
Axtell, colonel in Cromwells 5 army,
who was beheaded by order of Charles
III. after having been refused by Par
lament the benefits Of the act OF
general pardons and obligations.
William Axtell was member OF the
Kings council, Loyalist and n
Tory. AT Melrose Hall the Tory ele-
ment met frequently. Many secret
conclaves were held and schemes
concocted to thwart the designs OF
the 'rebels." The house abounds in
secret rooms and passage-ways.
There were said to be dark vaults be-
meath the kitchen, where British
prisoners were confined, and over the
ballroom secret chamber, where a
beautiful young girl was starved to
death. This building stands in Mel
rose Park, some distance back from
Flatbush avenue, at the end of long
drive, lined on either side with huge
and stately pines, probably more
than hundred years old
Erasmus Hall Academy is another
Of the ancient buildings still to be
seen. 1t was founded in 1856 by
Rev. DR.. John Ii. Livingston and
Senator John Vanderbilt. The name
Erasmus was chosen in honor of De-
siderius Erasmus, distinguished
patron Of literature in Holland in
, the sixteenth century.
In 1893 there were more slaves
) in Midwout than in any other place in
Kings county.
; The late Rev. Robert q. Strong
? found, by careful research, that the
first deed of land was dated June u,
, 1886, in the extreme southern portion
, of the town. 1t was conveyed by the
Indians claiming it TO Andries Hud-
den and Walphert Gerriten, and
: was known as the Little Flats. ."
= This land was partly in Amers-
; foort, now Flatlands. The earliest
) deed for land lying entirely in Mid
wood or Flatbush was TO Jacobus
Van Corlaer about the same time.
I he first school was in l759. DIR.
Strong found that Adrian Hegeman
was schoolmaster. In August, l776,
the village presented terrible pic
ture Of devastation and suffering.
The houses of Letferts Leiferts, Jere-
miah Vanderbilt and Evert Hegeman
were in flames. This added to the
horrors war had brought on the place.
Bones Of many killed in battle were
found on the road, showing some had
| never been buried Lawless adven-
turers made life miserable for the
| honest yeomen. Fever broke out and
l grass grew in the streets. Horses
were stolen from their plows and cat
: tie slaughtered and driven away.
Business was at an end, houses were
; fired and looted and residents suffered
, for actual necessities of life.
) The old homestead Of the Lefferts
: family, on Flatbush avenue, near Lin
; coin road, is now 1872 years old, hav-
, ing been built in 1862. 1t was fired by
British troops during the battle OF
Long Island, partly destroyed and
rebuilt. There is still in the posses
sion Of the family deed bearing date
!, Of 1861, and having the signature OF
Gov. Stuyvesant. This house is filled
with ancient relics of the early part
of the eighteenth century. Garrett
Stryker, who is lineal descendant of
the early settlers, has Dutch Bible
, published at Dordrecht, in Holland,
2SS years ago,
On Flatbush avenue the Wander
bilt homestead has stood for more
than one hundred and fifty years.
The great sloping roof comes to
within about eight feet OF the
ground.
The old burying-ground is on
Church lane, just off Of Flatbush
avenue, and in the rear of the Dutch
Reformed Church. Many quaint epi-
taphs are on the tombstones. Graves
were so disturbed that in 1896 n night
watch was established by an act Of
the Legislature and guard-house
was built on the north side. Here
and in other burial places immense
structures which took about ten or
twelve men to lift, were placed over
newly-made graves. Ministers and
members Of the church who died be-
tween 170l and 1894 were buried un-
der the edifice.
The recent annexation Of the old
township lends new interest to much
Of it's early history.