The sun., 1916-10-08

Remsen place and Church avenue, was
built long before the War Of the Revolu-
tion. and II IL believed by members Of
the family that some Remsen q lived In
It ever since Manhattan Island had It's
first Dutch governor. The FIRST member
Of this distinguish family was Rem Van
Der Beck. . blacksmith In early Brook
Ign. who married JEANETTE De Rapelje,
about whom the Canarsie Indian legend
has come down. telling how. when jan
nette was . little girl. a sQuaw bundled
her into q tub n rowed her all the way
from 0owanus Island to Long Island,
that the Indians might see what a little
white girl looked like.
The quaint Lott homestead. combining
the old and the new. stands or Kimbeil's
road near Flatlands Bay. and IL one Of
the most interesting places t~hereabouts
at n time . show place In this part
Of the country. and called the finest house
in Kings county. The Hendrick I. Lott
homestead was probably built about
1900. Johannes Lott, a descendant Of the
irst Lott that came to America. bought
the land In 171s from Coert WORTHLESS.
and there was q time when most Of the
land In this section wa owned by either
Lott. who lived on the farm and event.
tuaiiy became one Of the largest land
ownsrs In Flatlands. was something Of a
farmer and something Of a soldier. He
served as captain Of the Kings County
Militia and fought we'll in the French
and 1nrian war. His three sons received
each a farm after his death, and one Of
them was the Hsndrick I. Lott who built
this homestead. moving the dining room
Of the old house and Its kitchen up 10 the
new. The old part IL probably more han
200 years old.
The Ditmars House still stands In
kouwenhoven place. Flatlands. johann
mes Ditmars. fairly well of In this
worlds goods for the time In which he
lived. young. patriotic. obeyed the com
mands given by Gen. Washington to
burn barns and grain. He had. how
ever. a guardian who was q Loyalist
and refused to burn his grain. The
enemy were not far away and Amer
lean soldiers ordered that the barn Of
the guardian of Ditmars DO burned.
whereupon young Ditmars rushed into
the building, e~xtinguished tho Are and.
mounting a convenient pile Of hay. cried
to the Americans. "Tf you burn this
barn, you burn me 80
They marched way IN solemn file.
leaving young Johannes Ditmars mas
ter OF the situation.
Near the nav yard on Cumberland
street is All old house surrounded by a
high board fence. Probably Samuel
Boughton. once its owner and from
whom the house has taken It's name,
knew much more Of its history than is
known to-day. or he may have been too
much engrossed in filling the land that
adjoined II and In raising fruit and
vegetables on an extensive scale to play
the %antiquary. Mr.. Boughton occupied
the place after the Revolution. but the
extent Of his stay II not generally
known. After his death. In 1860. the
estate passed through various hands.
To-day the Boughtcn house IL sur
rounded by tenements. Washington
passed long nights there planning de-
tails for the American rmy Some
years age In making repairs workmen
found AN old single with the inscrip-
ton, Erected l7a7."
Strangers In New York a half CEN
tury ago were given the following direc-
ton to reach Plymouth Church Gross
Fulton ferry and follow the crowd"
Henry Ward Beecher was then pastor.