The Monte Vista journal., 1906-03-03

Persons who wish to witness the
spectacle OF an old estate In the
process OF being swept over and swal.
lowed up by wave OF modernity, a
quiet and staid old village being
transformed into suburb. and an an
Client manor in the process Of disinte
grafton should visit Brooklyn, and see
the passing away of Van Pelt Manor.
Around some of the most ancient
houses now standing in this country
have sprung up, and are still springing
up, modern blocks and detached
houses Of the familiar suburban type.
These old houses. most of them rather
low and decidedly rambling, spreading
themselves over the ground with the
calm assurance that they could take
all the space they wanted, are some OF
them more than 200 years old all
Of them. Of the old stock, more than
100 and are practically as good to-
day as when they were erected. For
these old houses were built by men
who built as the Romans built. think
ing that the gods watched their labors
and that 1t would fare hard with
them II labor and material were not
OF the greatest excellence.
They were built. these Van Pelt
houses. to be lived in by their build
ers and long lines OF descendants
after them. And so they have been
up to comparatively recent years.
There are two of the Van Pelts still
living at the Manor. One is Townsend
Cortelycu Van Pelt. now well along
In years. and the present read OF the
family, and his bachelor brother ia.
cob. Townsend Corteiyou Van Pelt's
wife. who Is still living, was OF the
Rapelje family, and is eighth In de-
scent from Sarah Rapelje, the FIRST
white child born in that section of
Long Island. The Van Pelts. though
OF Holland Dutch extraction, received
their grant OF land from the Duke OF
York In the year 1864. II was In that
year that n British fleet captured
Long Island. and 1t was given by
Charles II. TO his brother. the duke.
Afterward. with the rest OF New York.
It went back for time TO the Dutch.
only to revert again to the English.
Sosk V1V wv tNO0DOs
II was In that eventful year Of 1864
that Dart Van Pelt built the house In
which his descendant. Townsend Cor
telyou. now lives. The grant was for
fifty acres. and the manor house was
built on what was once the Kings
Highway. The neighbors OF the Van
Pelts were the Van Brunts, and away
toward the west. around where Fort
Hamilton now stands. lived In great
colonial style the Cortelyous. With
the Van Brunts and the Cortelyous
and other Long Island families living
still further away the Van Pelts be-
gan TO intermarry, ana before long
there was n small family village In
existence In which every one was re-
lated. The old Van Brunt house-a
Van Brunt married n daughter OF the
tnn Pelts-waS built only . year or
two after the manor house, and Is
still standing. halo and hearty a. Il
gets along Into Its third century.
An Interesting house which was
torn down some hfty years ago was
the Cor,elyou house which stood on
Main street. nearly opposite the grave
yard. This was probably the finest
house on the manor. and old Dutch
tiles taken from Il. old furniture and
other mementoS ARE still In the pos.
session OF Mrs. Townsend Cortciyou
Van Pclt and have sometimes been
loaned by her for exhibition. To the
Cortclyou house was taken IN ofiiccr
wounded 10 the battle Of Long Island
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