Brooklyn, N.Y., Bureau of Sewers records
Call Number
Dates
Creator
Extent
Language of Materials
Abstract
The collection consists of records of the Bureau of Sewers of the city and, after 1898, borough of Brooklyn, New York. The bulk of the collection includes documents supporting the assessments to be levied for sewer projects; the binders of this material include maps of the blocks and lots relevant to a sewer project, lists of property owners, and certifications. The bulk of these materials are from the twentieth century (circa 1900-1960), but there are also many binders from the late nineteenth century. There are a few assessment binders from prior to the 1880s, with the earliest dating from 1859. Other materials in the collection include blueprints of sewer projects and designs, field books concerning special sewer structures, notes on land valuation assessments, journals of work on particular projects, materials test results, and other matter. The bulk of this other material is from the early decades of the twentieth century, up to the 1930s. The latest material in the collection are excavation notices from the late-1980s.
Biographical / Historical
In the mid-19th century, the City of Brooklyn made a serious effort to tackle its sewage and waste problems. As with the rest of the United States, Brooklyn (as did Manhattan) lacked underground sewage systems. With the outbreak of cholera and other infectious diseases circa 1830, combined with an ever-rising population, the City of Brooklyn established a Board of Sewer Commissioners in 1857 to deal with its formidable sewage disposal problems. Still, sewage disposal consisted mostly of drainage, and it wasn't until the last quarter of the 19th century that the construction of underground sewage systems began in Brooklyn. With the consolidation of Flatbush and the other municipalities of Kings County into the borough of Brooklyn in the late 1800s, the expansion of the sewer system continued well into the twentieth century.
Arrangement
The collection is organized in the following series:
Missing Title
- Series 1: Assessment Binders
- Series 2: Division of Survey and Design Worksheets
- Series 3: Contract Administration Logsheets
- Series 4: Project Work Logs and Journals
- Series 5: Land Valuation Assessments
- Series 6: Blueprints
- Series 7: Field Books - Special Sewer Structures
- Series 8: Tests and Computations
- Series 9: Excavation Notices
- Series 10: Miscellaneous
Scope and Contents
The bulk of the collection includes documents supporting the assessments to be levied for sewer projects; the binders of this material include maps of the blocks and lots relevant to a sewer project, lists of property owners, and certifications. The bulk of the assessment binders are from the twentieth century (circa 1900-1960), but there are also many binders from the late nineteenth century. There are a few assessment binders from prior to the 1880s, with the earliest dating from 1859.
Other materials in the collection include blueprints of sewer projects and designs, field books concerning special sewer structures, notes on land valuation assessments, journals of work on particular projects, materials test results, and other matter. The bulk of this other material is from the early decades of the twentieth century, up to the 1930s. The latest material in the collection are excavation notices from the late-1980s.
Subjects
Organizations
Topics
Places
Conditions Governing Access
Open to researchers without restriction.
Conditions Governing Use
There are no conditions governing use of the collection.
Preferred Citation
Identification of item, date (if known); Brooklyn, N.Y., Bureau of Sewers records, ARC.235, Box and Folder number; Brooklyn Public Library, Center for Brooklyn History.
Location of Materials
Immediate Source of Acquisition
The sources of the accessions comprising the collection are not known.
Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements
The majority of the materials in this collection are stored offsite and advance notice is required for use. Please contact cbhreference@bklynlibrary.org at least three weeks prior to research visit.
About this Guide
Processing Information
Several volunteers were responsible for processing the assessment binders (series 1), which comprise the bulk of the collection, between June 2011 and January 2012. Alison Bunis and Willy Gillespie did preparatory arrangement and photocopying work for the Transitional and Post-Consolidation binders. Alison also processed the Transitional Sub-series. A team of volunteers from the firm Goldman Sachs arranged much of the Post-Consolidation Sub-series and processed the bulk of the Ocean Front district binders. Ted Rizzo processed the bulk of the assessment binders, including those in the Post-Consolidation Sub-series and the Brooklyn District Sub-series. The overall collection arrangement was managed by archivist Larry Weimer, who also described the collection and processed all material other than the Transitional, Post-Consolidation and Brooklyn District assessment binders.
The collection combines the following accessions: 1978.144, 1985.057, 1993.009, and 2011.010.
Sponsor Note
Repository
Series 1: Assessment Binders, circa 1859-circa 1962, inclusive
Extent
Scope and Contents
This series includes the documents compiled by the Bureau of Sewers for the likely purpose of establishing the tax assessments to be levied for particular sewer projects. For each project the relevant documents were compiled in an "assessment binder." The documents include maps of the blocks and lots relevant to a sewer project, lists of the property owners by lot, name of the contractor engaged in the project, and certifications about the project and the provided information. There are few technical project details in the material as the documents seem to focus on setting the assessments rather than on project construction.
The bulk of the material dates from circa 1900 to 1930 and concerns the development of the Bay Ridge, Flatbush, and "Ocean Front" (e.g., Flatlands, Gravesend) districts in the consolidated borough of Brooklyn. Nonetheless, there is substantial material pre-dating Brooklyn's 1898 consolidation with New York City. The earliest of these pre-consolidation binders date from circa 1859, with the bulk from the 1880s-1890s. There are also about 200 binders from the years around consolidation, about 200 binders from the mid-twentieth century (circa 1943-1962), and a small number of Queens County assessment binders from the early twentieth century.
Arrangement
The series is organized in five sub-series:
Pre-consolidation: Includes assessment binders from the city of Brooklyn, i.e., up to the point of consolidation with New York City in 1898.
Post-consolidation: Includes assessment binders from the borough of Brooklyn, circa 1900 to circa 1952. This sub-series comprises the bulk of the series and the collection.
Transitional: Includes assessment binders from the borough of Brooklyn, 1898 to 1906. Although these binders date from the post-consolidation period, they were organized in their own sub-series because they do not refer to a local sewer district as do those in the Post-consolidation sub-series.
Brooklyn District: Includes assessment binders from the borough of Brooklyn, circa 1943 to circa 1962. These binders were arranged in a separate sub-series because their projects were attributed to either a local sewer district named "Brooklyn" or to the borough president rather than a local district, neither case being found in earlier periods.
Queens County: Includes a small number of assessment binders concerning Queens.
Sub-series 1: Pre-Consolidation, circa 1859-circa 1897, inclusive; 1883-1897, bulk
Extent
Scope and Contents
This sub-series includes the assessment binders from the city of Brooklyn (i.e., for years prior to the 1898 consolidation with New York City).
Arrangement
The sub-series has three levels of arrangement. Beginning with the highest level:
1) The sub-series is arranged overall by map designation (Map B, Map C, so forth) indicated on the assessment booklet.
2) In addition to a map code, most books also refer to a district number and some also further refer to a sub-division number. Within a set of maps, books without a district designation appear first, followed by those with just a district designation, then followed by those with both a district and sub-division designation.
3) Each of the above segments is arranged in order of assessment book number.
A few assessment books either had no specified map code, or referred only to the 29th Ward. These are at the end of the sub-series.
Regarding the date ranges found in the container list, the researcher should consider all to be circa dates. There are several documents within each assessment book, often with a range of dates, and the processing archivist used a single representative date for each book to establish the approximate date range.
Map B (1 book), 1870, inclusive
Map C (2 books), 1859, inclusive
Map D (1 book), 1871, inclusive
Map E (5 books), 1859-1893, inclusive
Map F (4 books), 1893-1897, inclusive
Map G (1 book), 1874, inclusive
Map I, District 21 (10 books), 1875-1897, inclusive
Map I, District 21, Sub-divisions 3, 9, 10 (3 books), 1872, inclusive
Map I, District 21, Sub-divisions 14-20 (8 books), 1878-1893, inclusive
Map J (5 books), 1873-1882, inclusive
Map J, District 22 (7 books), 1877-1896, inclusive
Map J, District 22 (6 items), 1883-1894, inclusive
Map J, District 22, Sub-divisions 8-13, 15 (8 books), 1870-1893, inclusive
Map K, District 23 (2 books), 1873-1894, inclusive
Map L, District 24 (21 books), circa 1877-circa 1893, inclusive
Map L, District 24, Sub-divisions 3, 24, 26-28, 31, 33-43 (17 books), circa 1872-circa 1895, inclusive
Map M, District 26 (1 book), 1895, inclusive
Map N, District 29 (50 books), circa 1890-circa 1896, inclusive
Map N, District 29 (4 books), 1879-1893, inclusive
Map N, District 29, Sub-divisions 7, 9, 12, 13, 17 (5 books), 1876-1891, inclusive
Map O, District 37 (43 books), circa 1884-circa 1895, inclusive
General
District 37 includes Weeksville, among other areas.
Map O, District 37 (20 books), circa 1883-circa 1894, inclusive
General
District 37 includes Weeksville, among other areas. See especially assessment book 340.
Map O, District 37, Sub-divisions 5, 11, 16, 18, 20, 21, 23, 24, 26-36 (20 books), circa 1874-circa 1894, inclusive
Map Q (3 books), 1870, inclusive
Map Q, Districts, 32, 34, 36 (2 books), 1874-1895, inclusive
Map R, District 38 (2 books), 1876, 1893, inclusive
Map S, District 39 (2 books), 1893-1896, inclusive
Map S, District 39, Sub-divisions 1-7, 9-13, 15-21 (19 books), circa 1895-circa 1897, inclusive
Map unspecified (2 books), 1859, 1872, inclusive
Ward 29, District 1 (7 books), 1896-1897, inclusive
Ward 29, District 1, Sub-divisions 5-7 (4 books), 1897, inclusive
Sub-series 2: Transitional, circa 1898-circa 1906, inclusive
Extent
Scope and Contents
This series generally includes the assessment binders for the borough of Brooklyn from the years shortly after consolidation. They are differentiated from the bulk of post-consolidation binders (see sub-series 3) in that these do not refer to a local sewer district by name. Generally, this sub-series includes the earliest binders created after consolidation, beginning with binder 1 and extending roughly to about binder 300, though there are gaps and exceptions in the numbering sequence.
Arrangement
The sub-series is arranged in assessment binder number order, which corresponds to a roughly chronological order.
In its original state, most of the material was held in hard-cover binders by metal fasteners; in these cases, the material was removed from the binders. The cover of the original binder, which included a project description, was photocopied and included with the retained documents (generally, the retained documents also include a form of this description, but a photocopy was taken in case the cover referenced additional details). Most of the documents refer to the original assessment binder number, but when they did not, the archivist noted the binder number in [brackets] on both the photocopy of the cover and on an internal document.
Most of the original binders included the date that the material was "confirmed by the Board of Assessors." In some instances, this date was recorded on the inside of the binder cover itself. In those instances, the archivist transcribed the Board of Assessor confirmation date onto an internal document; this appears in brackets as [CBA] with the transcribed date enclosed. In only the earliest binders, another date was recorded, that of "confirmed with Tax Col[lector]'s copy." These were also transcribed by the archivist and appear as [CTC] with the transcribed date enclosed.
Generally, all binders were discarded after the documents were removed, the cover photocopied, and the CBA and CTC dates transcribed. If the inside binder covers contained any notes other than the dates, these were photocopied. (Some binders noted that the information had been included on a wall map. This note was not photocopied.) Two binders (numbers 26 and 57) were retained as representative samples of the bulk.
In some instances, documents were bound into their covers. The entire bound matter was retained in these instances. These are foldered together, roughly sequenced with the loose documents.
Regarding the date ranges found in the container list, the researcher should consider all to be circa dates. There are several documents within each binder, often with a range of dates, and the processing archivist used a single representative date for each binder to establish the approximate date range.
Binders 1-42, circa 1898-circa 1899, inclusive
Binders 43-79, circa 1899-circa 1900, inclusive
Binders 78-101, circa 1901, inclusive
Binders 102-135, circa 1901, inclusive
Binders 136-168, circa 1901-circa 1902, inclusive
Binders 164-190, circa 1902-circa 1903, inclusive
Binders 187-341, circa 1902-circa 1906, inclusive
Binders 221-300, circa 1903-1905, inclusive
Sub-series 3: Post-Consolidation, circa 1900-circa 1955, inclusive
Extent
Scope and Contents
This sub-series comprises the bulk of the assessment binders. It includes sewer projects done throughout the consolidated borough of Brooklyn (i.e., Kings County) through the first half of the twentieth century. The bulk of the material concerns the local districts consolidated into Brooklyn in 1898 (e.g., Bay Ridge (New Utrecht), Flatbush, and Ocean Front (Flatlands and Gravesend). Areas that were within pre-1898 Brooklyn are also represented in the sub-series, though not as extensively as the newer areas. The specific districts included in the sub-series are listed in the arrangement note.
Arrangement
Although the binders were found in no organized state by the processing archivist, it appears that the original order of the post-consolidation binders was in sequential assessment book number, which was roughly chronological. These numbers ranged from 1 to circa 3200. In an effort to enhance user access to the collection, the archivist referred to a document within each binder to determine the local sewer district approving the project (e.g., Bay Ridge, Flatbush, etc.). The binders are arranged in alphabetical order by these local sewer districts. Binders referring to two districts are placed with the first district appearing alphabetically (e.g., binders referring to both Flatbush and New Lots districts follow the Flatbush only binders). Within each district, the binders are arranged by assessment binder number. (The first 200 or so post-consolidation binders had no reference to a local sewer district; these binders were organized separately by the archivist, in the Transitional sub-series. A few later-dated binders with no referenced district were retained in the Post-consolidation sub-series as "Unspecified.")
The districts appear as follows:
Bay Ridge
Bay Ridge and Flatbush
Bay Ridge, Flatbush, and Prospect Heights
Bedford
Bedford and Williamsburg
Bushwick
Bushwick and Williamsburg
Flatbush
Flatbush and New Lots
Flatbush and Ocean Front
Flatbush and Prospect Heights
Greenpoint
Heights
New Lots
Ocean Front
Prospect Heights
Prospect
Prospect and River Front
Red Hook
River Front
Williamsburg
Unspecified District
In its original state, most of the material was held in hard-cover binders by metal fasteners; in these cases, the material was removed from the binders. The cover of the first 1000 or so original binders included a project description; this was photocopied and included with the retained documents (generally, the retained documents also include a form of this description, but a photocopy was taken in case the cover referenced additional details). Most of the documents refer to the original assessment binder number, but when they did not, the archivist noted the binder number in [brackets] on both the photocopy of the cover and on an internal document before discarding the binder cover.
Approximately 1600 of the original binders recorded on the inside cover the date that the material was "confirmed by the Board of Assessors." In those instances, the archivist transcribed the Board of Assessor confirmation date onto an internal document; this appears in brackets as [CBA] with the transcribed date enclosed.
Generally, all binders were discarded after the documents were removed, the cover photocopied, and the CBA date transcribed. If the inside binder covers contained any notes other than the dates, these were photocopied. (Some binders noted that the information had been included on a wall map. This notation was not photocopied.)
In some instances, documents were bound into their covers. The entire bound matter was retained in these instances. These are foldered together, roughly sequenced with the loose documents. Some thick or multi-volume bound materials were boxed separately well out of sequence.
Regarding the date ranges found in the container list, the researcher should consider all to be circa dates. There are several documents within each binder, often with a range of dates, and the processing archivist used a single representative date for each binder to establish the approximate date range.
Bay Ridge Binders 204 - 365, 1903-1906, inclusive
Bay Ridge Binders 366 - 479, 1906-1908, inclusive
Bay Ridge Binder 416 (3 vols), 1908, inclusive
Bay Ridge Binders 483 - 530, 1908, inclusive
Bay Ridge Binders 531 - 572, 1909, inclusive
Bay Ridge Binders 569 - 650, 1909, inclusive
Bay Ridge Binders 646 - 719, 1909, inclusive
Bay Ridge Binders 480, 680, 768, 8--, 1908-1910, inclusive
Bay Ridge Binders 721 - 862, 1909-1911, inclusive
Bay Ridge Binders 870 - 1034, 1911-1912, inclusive
Bay Ridge Binders 1039 -1290, 1912-1914, inclusive
Bay Ridge Binders 1293 - 2154, 1914-1926, inclusive
Bay Ridge Binders 2400 - 2877, 1928-1947, inclusive
Bay Ridge - Flatbush - Prospect Heights Binder 411 (8 vols in 2 boxes), 1907, inclusive
Bay Ridge - Flatbush - Prospect Heights Binder 411 (8 vols in 2 boxes), 1907, inclusive
Bay Ridge - Flatbush Binders 362 - 1019, 1906-1912, inclusive
Bedford Binders 268 - 2549, 1904-1930, inclusive
Bedford - Williamsburg Binders 582 - 648, 1909-1910, inclusive
Bushwick Binders 195 - 360, 1903-1906, inclusive
Bushwick Binders 361 - 456, 1906-1908, inclusive
Bushwick Binders 457 - 797, 1908-1910, inclusive
Bushwick Binders 801 - 1208, 1910-1913, inclusive
Bushwick Binders 649, 900, 1063, 1909-1912, inclusive
Bushwick - Williamsburg Binder 787 - 1232, 1910-1914, inclusive
Flatbush Binders 203 - 285, 1903-1905, inclusive
Flatbush Binders 287 - 406, 1905-1908, inclusive
Flatbush Binders 414, 481, 506, 1908, inclusive
Flatbush Binders 462 - 609, 1908-1909, inclusive
Flatbush Binders 616 - 746, 1909, inclusive
Flatbush Binders 748 - 840, 1909-1910, inclusive
Flatbush Binders 507, 532, 573, 606, 608, 842, 1908-1910, inclusive
Flatbush Binders 846 - 922, 1910-1911, inclusive
Flatbush Binders 923 - 1025, 1911-1912, inclusive
Flatbush Binders 1027 - 1139, 1912, inclusive
Flatbush Binders 851, 1086, 1175, 1176, 1180, 1194, 1911-1913, inclusive
Flatbush Binders 1136 - 1237, 1912-1913, inclusive
Flatbush Binders 1240 - 1316, 1912-1914, inclusive
Flatbush Binders 1323 - 1438, 1914-1915, inclusive
Flatbush Binders 1222, 1288, 1349, 1456 (1 vol of 4), 1913-1915, inclusive
Flatbush Binder 1456 (3 vols of 4), 1915, inclusive
Flatbush Binders 1179, 1377 (2 vols), 1913-1914, inclusive
Flatbush Binders 1439 - 1560, 1915-1917, inclusive
Flatbush Binders 1561 - 1658, 1917-1921, inclusive
Flatbush Binders 1659 - 2045, 1921-1925, inclusive
Flatbush Binders 2047 - 2293, 1925-1928, inclusive
Flatbush Binders 2294 - 3544, 1928-1930, inclusive
Flatbush Binders 2545 - 2958, 1930-1951, inclusive
Flatbush - New Lots Binders 1405, 1407, 2784, 1915, 1937, inclusive
Flatbush - Ocean Front Binders 2075 - 2389, 1926-1928, inclusive
Flatbush - Ocean Front Binders 2473 - 2878, 1929-1947, inclusive
Flatbush - Prospect Heights, 1906-1914, inclusive
Greenpoint Binders 1950 - 2669, 1924-1931, inclusive
Greenpoint Binder 2024, 1926, inclusive
Heights Binders 252 - 1668, 1904-1922, inclusive
New Lots Binders 676 - 1008, 1909-1911, inclusive
New Lots Binders 1071, 1252 (2 vols), 1912-1914, inclusive
New Lots Binders 1045 - 1410, 1912-1915, inclusive
New Lots Binders 1411 - 2168, 1915-1927, inclusive
New Lots Binders 2172 - 2715, 1927-1932, inclusive
Ocean Front Binders 1926 - 2005, 1924-1925, inclusive
Ocean Front Binders 2006 - 2077, 1925-1926, inclusive
Ocean Front Binders 2078 - 2147, 1926, inclusive
Ocean Front Binders 2149 - 2217, 1926-1927, inclusive
Ocean Front Binders 2218 - 2326, 1927-1928, inclusive
Ocean Front Binders 2328 - 2411, 1928-1929, inclusive
Ocean Front Binders 2406 (4 folders), 2413 - 2444, 1929, inclusive
Ocean Front Binders 2446 - 2520, 1929, inclusive
Ocean Front Binders 2522 - 2607, 1929-1931, inclusive
Ocean Front Binders 2609 - 2680, 1931-1932, inclusive
Ocean Front Binders 2682 - 2735, 1932-1935, inclusive
Ocean Front Binders 2745, 2759, 1935, inclusive
Ocean Front Binder 2785 (1 vol of incomplete set), 1937, inclusive
Ocean Front Binder 2786 (5 vols in 2 boxes), 1937, inclusive
Ocean Front Binder 2786 (5 vols in 2 boxes), 1937, inclusive
Ocean Front Binders 2742 - 2787, 1935-1938, inclusive
Ocean Front Binders 2788 - 2841, 1938-1942, inclusive
Ocean Front Binders 2842 - 2890, 1942-1948, inclusive
Ocean Front Binders 2891 - 2935, 1948-1950, inclusive
Ocean Front Binders 2936 - 2967, 2977, 1950-1952, inclusive
General
Binder 2977 includes a map of the Coney Island area.
Ocean Front Binders 2968 - 3063, 1951-1955, inclusive
Ocean Front - Brooklyn Binders 3021 - 3057, 1954-1955, inclusive
General
The "Brooklyn District" documents in this folder relate to those in Sub-series 4.
Prospect Heights Binders 227 - 584, 1903-1908, inclusive
Prospect Heights Binders 600 - 1564, 1909-1918, inclusive
Prospect Binders 1972 - 2756, 1924-1925, inclusive
Prospect - River Front Binder 2319, 1953, inclusive
Red Hook Binders 224 - 707, 1903-1909, inclusive
River Front Binder 2990, 1953, inclusive
Williamsburg Binders 298 - 482, 1905-1908, inclusive
Williamsburg Binder 7--, 1910, inclusive
Williamsburg Binders 562 - 1503, 1909-1916, inclusive
Williamsburg Binders 1578 - 2011, 1918-1925, inclusive
Unspecified District Binders 677 - 2853, 1909-1944, inclusive
Sub-series 4: Brooklyn District, circa 1943-circa 1962, inclusive
Extent
Scope and Contents
In the 1940s, a new local district appears in the collection, referred to as the "Brooklyn District" or as simply "Brooklyn." At some point in time, all assessment binders begin to refer only to Brooklyn and not to the other district names found in the Post-Consolidation Sub-series. These mid-twentieth century binders referring only to Brooklyn comprise this Sub-series.
Arrangement
The sub-series is arranged in assessment binder number order. One folder in the Post-Consolidation Sub-series includes some documents relevant to Brooklyn District (see folder titled "Ocean Front - Brooklyn Binders 3021 - 3057" in Box 99).
Regarding the date ranges found in the container list, the researcher should consider all to be circa dates. There are several documents within each binder, often with a range of dates, and the processing archivist used a single representative date for each binder to establish the approximate date range.
Binders 2843 - 2909, 1943-1948
Binder Number Unknown (Contract number 3614), 1949, inclusive
Binder 2929 (2 folders of 3), 1950, inclusive
Binder 2929 (1 folder of 3), 1950, inclusive
Binders 2931 - 3019, 1950-1954, inclusive
Binders 3009 - 3070, 1953-1956, inclusive
Binders 3071 - 3120, 1956-1959, inclusive
Binders 3121 - 3172, 1959-1961, inclusive
Binders 3173 - 3206, 1961-1962, inclusive
Sub-series 5: Queens County, 1912-1927, inclusive
Extent
Scope and Contents
This sub-series includes a small number of assessment binders related to projects in Queens County, including Newtown.
Arrangement
The series is arranged in chronological order.
Assessment binders, 1912-1922, inclusive
Assessment binders, 1923-1927, inclusive
Series 2: Division of Survey and Design Worksheets, circa 1936-circa 1959, inclusive
Extent
Scope and Contents
The series includes worksheets that appear to be block and lot lists preliminary to those used in the assessment binders (series 1, sub-series 3). The worksheets refer to contract number, not assessment binder number. They appear to relate principally to contracts numbered in the 3400-3900 range only. Some of the worksheets concern private sewer contracts. Most of the worksheets have limited information.
Arrangement
The worksheets were found in a largely disorganized state, though most pages of multi-page woksheets seem to have stayed together. Some effort was made during processing to bring related pages together, but there can be no assurance that this was accomplished.
Worksheets, circa 1936-circa 1959, inclusive
Worksheets, circa 1936-circa 1959, inclusive
Worksheets, circa 1936-circa 1959, inclusive
Worksheets, circa 1936-circa 1959, inclusive
Worksheets, circa 1936-circa 1959, inclusive
Series 3: Contract Administration Logsheets, circa 1920-1960, inclusive
Extent
Scope and Contents
The series includes several volumes of logsheets in a standard, pre-preprinted form used for recording key dates in the administration of a project (e.g., district resolution passed, approvals received, prints made, property owner lists prepared, etc.). The assessment binder number (see series 1, sub-series 3) to which the contract relates is also recorded. Summary logs are included in the material. One of the volumes relates to private sewer work. There are sizable gaps in the earliest records in the series, and it appears that the earliest forms relate to contract number circa 2100. The series runs through contract 3969. The related assessment binders appear to run circa 1603 to 3157, but there is not a direct correlation in sequence between the contract numbers and the assessment binder numbers.
The series also includes a "scrapbook" of clippings of published requests for project bids, with annotations, 1923-1932, a log recording the removal and return of project records from the files, 1929-1946, a list of quarterly reports (1933-1940), and lists related to contracts for the Sheepshead Bay area.
Arrangement
The series is arranged in chronological order and by the form and subject matter of the document.
Contracts circa 2076-2708 (assessments circa 1603-2087), circa 1920-1925, inclusive
Contracts circa 2709-3064 (assessments circa 2068-2411), 1926-1929, inclusive
Contracts circa 3065-3300 (assessments circa 2421-2617), 1929-1931, inclusive
Contracts circa 3301-3651 (assessments circa 2823-2929), 1931-1950, inclusive
Contracts circa 3651-3773 (assessments circa 2908-3008), 1948-1953, inclusive
Contracts circa 3774-3969 (assessments circa 3124-3157), 1959-1960, inclusive
Private Sewer Contracts 541-785, 1936-1960, inclusive
Document Use Log, 1929-1946, inclusive
Project Bid Requests, 1923-1932, inclusive
Quarterly Reports; Sheepshead Bay Area Sewer Contract Lists, circa 1933-circa 1940, inclusive
General
The documents in this folder are brittle and crumbling apart. They should be used only with archival supervision.
Series 4: Project Work Logs and Journals, circa 1909-circa 1940, inclusive
Extent
Scope and Contents
This series includes various types of logs and journals concerning the work performed on projects and the work roles of project participants. The principal documents in the series include: a 4 volume "diary" of daily work performed on contract 1924 in 1915-16 (Tompkins Ave from Greene Ave to Fulton St, etc.) performed by the Litchfield Construction Company, and a 2 volume "Force Acct Book" concerning contract 882 (1909-12) performed by the J.J. Creem(?) Company at East 95th St., between East New York Ave. and Hegaman Ave, etc. The series also includes a notebook referring to various projects (circa 1916-1920s), and logs of work assignments (circa 1930s-1940).
Arrangement
The series is arranged in chronological order and by subject of the documents.
Work Logs and Journals, circa 1909-circa 1940, inclusive
Work Logs and Journals, circa 1909-circa 1940, inclusive
Series 5: Land Valuation Assessments, 1932-1938, 1951, inclusive
Extent
Scope and Contents
The series includes correspondence, maps, blueprints, computations, and other documents related to the design engineer's determination of the assessed valuation of land within a project area.
Arrangement
The series is arranged in order of a code found on the correspondence, which runs in roughly chronological order. Codes found in the series range from 8601 to 8759.
Assessments, 1932-1938, 1951, inclusive
Series 6: Blueprints, circa 1897-circa 1935, inclusive; 1914-1927, bulk
Extent
Scope and Contents
The series includes blueprints for tunnels, regulators, sewer and manhole placement on streets and at railroad crossings, technical details of sewers, and other related matter. Much of the material is labeled as being either a superseded plan or as a plan having no special structure. Some specific structures included are plans for a "biological plant" in the 26th Ward and a 1907 tunnel for improving the sanitary conditions of the Gowanus Canal.
The plans are printed on cloth, folded, with pencilled descriptions on the backing.
Arrangement
The series was minimally processed and there is no order to the material.
Blueprints, circa 1897-circa 1935, inclusive
Blueprints, circa 1897-circa 1935, inclusive
Series 7: Field Books - Special Sewer Structures, circa 1929, inclusive
Extent
Scope and Contents
The series includes a set of booklets with field notes and drawings concerning special sewer structures.
Arrangement
The series is ordered according to the numbers on the booklets (1-30, except for 27, which is missing), preceded by two unnumbered booklets (an index and a table of inspections).
Field Books, circa 1929, inclusive
Series 8: Tests and Computations, 1906-1910, circa 1930s, inclusive
Extent
Scope and Contents
The series includes several bound volumes of results of tests of construction materials and of construction-related computations, circa 1906-1910. One folder, possibly circa 1930s, includes various lists of information, including locations of overflow manholes, drop manholes, and "unusual and extraordinary types of sewer construction," and other items.
Arrangement
The series is arranged chronologically and by subject of document.
Tests and Computations, 1906-1910, circa 1930s, inclusive
Series 9: Excavation Notices, 1986-1988, inclusive; 1988, bulk
Extent
Scope and Contents
This series includes "Notices of Excavation and/or Demolition" filed under Rule 53 of the Industrial Code. The bulk of the series includes forms from 1988, with some from 1987 and a very few items from 1986. The notices follow a standard form and include information about the excavator and the location (e.g., address) and brief description of the work to be done.
Arrangement
The series is in chronological order by year. Within years, there is no order.
Notices, 1986-1988, inclusive
Series 10: Miscellaneous, 1853-circa 1954, inclusive
Extent
Scope and Contents
This series includes a variety of a small number of documents that did not fit well within the other series of the collection. The series includes two contracts from the 1850s for sewerage work (one in Navy St. from DeKalb to Flatbush Ave. and the other concerning sewers in District 6 commencing at North Second St.), a draft contract, 1902 correspondence concerning a troublesome employee, addenda to specifications for a pumping station at Avenue V, and an advertising piece for Andrews Pressure Water Supply. A large number of blank forms were found with the original collection. The bulk of these were discarded, but a sample was retained in this series (blanks of the oversize forms used by the Division of Survey and Design as worksheets are found in that series).
Arrangement
The series includes various items that did not fit within the scope of the other series. There is no order to their presentation.
