The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-06-28

thirty-two buildings which have
weathered more than a century
" sunshine. snow and rain.
They are all that remain of Colonial
New York. Hidden away in OBJ
scure spots in the 327 square miles
in the greater city they rave escaped
builders and developers who. spurrcd on
by demand which they themselves
have created. have robbed the city in
the last twenty years OF many fine OK
amples of Colonial buildings. relics
which cannot he replaced at any cost.
Tho obscure locations of many of the
thirty-two buildings remaining are their
safeguard. Were they IN sections
where the demand for building sites is
keen they would soon he bought up
and removed to make way for more
pr ductive buildings. Sentiment is a
Characteristic that few builders or de-
velopers or real cstat" operators have.
That house should have been the
home of one of the great men of early
History has no consideration for them.
sdered. If well located the owner ia
tempted to sell by n big offer which IL
usually effective in bringing about n
sale That means the end Of the old
building 1t is tumblod down and loft
building. tenement, factory or "A row OF
homogeneous houses erected.
Such desecration has gone on so long
that a panS Is no longer felt when the
removal of some cherished building or
property IL announced That thirty
Two buildings have escaped will he a
surprise to many, as it Is generally he
levcd that New York has fewer land
marks to take pride in than any other
,arge city in the East Some years ago
every section had landmark to VEN
crate. Around 1t We're woven stories Of
fact and fancy which made people re-
spect II as a local institution. IL was
possible then to show a country cousin
the birthplace of men who had by arms
or diplomacy made this great coun-
Try Builders came and landmarks
along business highways not protected
by the funds of historical societies were
bought and their sites improved with
money making buildings.
In Manhattan there are twelve build
inss which have seen the century
mark. Brooklyn has six and Queens,
The Bronx and Staten Island four each.
Photographs and short history or
each Of the landmarks have been ar
ranged in a booklet issued recently by
the Bank OF the Manhattan Company.
which started life as the Manhattan
Company a concern organized TO sell
water to New Workers.. The booklet is
Intended to show the types Of buildings
that were in New York when this COM
pany entered the business field. II did
not continue long as a water company.
Not many years after its organization
II took up banking and has continued
as banking institution every since
II Is probably the oldest bank In New
York. The book is the result OF much
research and investigation and the
pictures reproduced on this page are
|, taken from its attractive pages.
The two oldest houses in the greater
city are the Schenck- Crooke house or
Mil Island, near Bergen Beach, and the
Bergen homestead on East Seventy.
second street, Bergen Beach. Both were
built IN 1866, but the former Is consid
cred the older by many because 1t has
undergone fewer structural change!
than the Bergen homestead. The
sohenck-Crook house Is a simple franz
building one story high. with the roo
continued over the porch. II Is typi
cal Dutch house and one not knowing
It's history would recognize II as thu
: work of Dutchman of early times
Jan Martinse Schenck Van Nydeck
the scion OF noble family Of the Low
Countries, built 1t. He came to Amer
lea with some friends In 1850, having
heard the possibilities OF the new
country far across the seas that hi
countrymen were settling. He settled
on Mill Island. near Bergen Beach, Sc
ping advantages. After a time n
operated ships between the island an
the old country and became yer,
wealthy.
After Nydcck died Capt. John Scheme
inherited the property and continue
~" business left him by his ancestor
Il S'hennEs heir sold the property, abou
| SrNcnty-fvr acres Of woodland, uplan
ava salt marsh, to Joris Martcnse,
native OF Tlatbush, for G2, 300, TIL
property Is now held by a firm of cor
Ha'tor' who did work on the propert
I'' winch they were not paid. The
were employed by Gen. Philip $. Crook
whose wife inherited Mill Island an
ne Ola homestead of her family. whiC
."' be very valuable property for fa'
DRY purposes when the Jamaica Ba
improvement has been finished,
MOI Tar from this house Is the Bel