The sun., 1916-10-08
MELROSE ABBEY

wSi,h have survived Indian uprisings.
vars. RIOTS and progress are tn be found
IN the FlatUush and Fla,lduds sections.
\ few wears back FlathusN was much
richer IN landmarks and historic relics
The i~.sff.rts homestead on F'atbUsh ave-
nue. and M!dwncd street is the oldest ~
the Flatbush rclics. 1t has occupied
This site for more than 250 years. hav-
ing been the home of eight generations
OF I.effertscs ard Is stiil IN possession OF
the Leferts family II is only within re-.
cent years tina, IN" widc fields surround
ing the old homestead were subdlvlded
and sold 70 builders who have erected
many attractive dwellings on this his
for!c estate.
On the landing Of the British Al Bath
'now Bath Beach, IN August Of 1873
the American !femen sc: irc to stacks
o: grain IN Flathush and also burned
this house. Its foundations We're saved,
and IN = short time was reared the
dwelling that now occupies the site.
The land On which i, stands was granted
to L.eaer,S Petersen Van Hagcwout.
who came 10 th!s country In 1850 and
settled ~ F.atbush. He received q deed
In parchment Il year later. signed by
Peter Stuyvesant.
Behind the Erasmus Hall High School
its old parent Erasmus Han still stands
on Flatbush avenue. Many years ago,
Or. John II, Livingston came to Flat
bush. and aided by influential men OF
the town. agitated for better education.
He came 10 Flatbush during the sum-
mer OF 1885, and his students of the
oiogy came with HIM. senator John VAN
derbilt became Interested, in Dr. LIVING
ston's suggestion to have a school in
the town other than the village school
In the heart OF ~f1atbush, n together
they set 10 work to Obtain the support
OF other influential men. They finally
won to the cause Jacob Lefferts, Joris
Martense. Peter Lefrerts. Johannes r..
Lott, William r. clifford. Peter Cornell.
Matthew C~larkson, Aquila Giles, Carrot
Martense, Cornelius Nanderveer and Jus
tice John Vanderbilt.
A subscription paper was started, and
IT was not. long before a spot was
chosen for the new school in the centre
OF the village on Main road inow Flat
push ~avenus), opposite The court house
and near The place where the village
school house stood, Logs were hauled
from neighborlng farms for the new
school, and men from far and near
helped in the building They named IL
Erasmus Han. for Desidcrlus Erasmus,
The Dutch scholar who during Henry
VIII line brought the "New Learning
Ia J.ngla,t
The Governor Of the state, members
Of the Assembly. and many residents IT
Flatbush attended the first public ex-
hibi;ion held at Erasmus Han, on Sep
tember -, 1857,
Residents OF Flathush cannot have
forgotten Melrose Abbey. the picturesque
old dwelling that stood IN the east side
OF Bedford avenue until n few wears
ago, In the days Of the Revolution
tets nlI lfnlnntAl nln4a Inils t..nNr
years before. was II. HON. of col.
william AAtelI. "A Toy, who purchased
IL from a Mr.. Lane. an English
man and II was called far AMI near
Melrose Hail. fsmou. .u' . broad lawns
and flower beds. It's wide halls. gildcd
.isa " Ing O0ms ana eiat'urate parties.
For Lane himself, who about l7ts had
built this house No different from the
usual Dutch style OF architecture. had