Series 3: Brooklyn Real Estate, 1761-1873, inclusive
Extent
Scope and Contents
The bulk of these records relate to Hezekiah Pierrepont's real estate holdings and transactions within the Village and City of Brooklyn, especially Brooklyn Heights. Included are an extensive number of legal documents, such as property conveyances, deeds, wills, indentures, mortgages, and leases. A bound volume of abstracts is in the series. A second set of abstracts are found in a volume originally used for recording bills receivable and payable of an unknown firm for 1788-1789; these bills include transactions with Gouverneur and Robert Morris, among others. There are real estate title searches dated after Hezekiah's death (1838-1854) and so were probably initiated by his son, Henry, as executor of the estate. Related documents include manuscript maps and correspondence. In addition to the Pierreponts, among the surnames appearing frequently in the legal documents are Benson, Brinckerhoff, DeBevoise, Jackson, Packer, Perry, Remsen, Tredwell, Van Wagenen, and Woortman.
The series holds substantial documentation of the Pierrepont House at One Pierrepont Place, particularly invoices for construction labor and material. Documents in the series also refer to agreements concerning the opening (e.g., Remsen) and closing (Moser) of streets, a party wall, and land for the Church of the Pilgrims and other churches.
There are several manuscript maps of the Pierrepont distillery, Pierrepont property in Brooklyn, and the waterfront docks, including Whitehall slip in Manhattan. There is a large sketch of the Pierrepont Stores building.
The series also includes a deed for property in Redfield Township, Oswego County, NY, for Ellen I. Minor (daughter of Hezekiah B. Pierpont). The property was apparently part of Hezekiah Pierpont's estate settlement. It also includes a broadside advertising the sale of "canal lands" in Jefferson County, New York (1823).
Arrangement
The series is only roughly organized, with the various legal documents followed by documents concerning One Pierrepont Place. The date range was determined by observation of the processing archivist and should be taken as circa dates.
Brooklyn Heights property conveyances, 1761-1816, 1823, inclusive
Lease from New York City allowing H.B. Pierrepont a water lot in Brooklyn, 1823, inclusive
Brooklyn property conveyances to H.B. Pierpont estate, 1811-1843, inclusive
Leases, deeds, and mortgages in the Village and City of Brooklyn, 1824-1855, inclusive
Bound volume of abstracts of deeds and mortgages from H.B. Pierpont or executors: indexed alphabetically, 1824-1847, inclusive
Abstracts of deeds from H.B. Pierpont or executors, 1835-1842, inclusive
General
This volume was originally used for recording bills receivable and payable for an unknown firm from 1788-1789; these bills include transactions with Gouverneur and Robert Morris, among others.
Leases, deeds, and mortgages in the Village and City of Brooklyn, including advertisement taken out by H.B. Pierpont announcing impending sale of lots on Brooklyn Heights and map of said lots, 1831-1860, inclusive
Property conveyances in Brooklyn, 1843-1847
Benson-Pierrepont farm: tracing of conveyances, circa 1873, inclusive
Brooklyn estate title searches, tracing conveyances occurring between 1642-1854; includes notes, abstracts and maps, circa 1838-1854, inclusive
H.E. Pierrepont notebook regarding property development of Heights, including maps, sketches, drafts of correspondence, calculations, and miscellaneous notes, 1832, inclusive
Estate of H.B. Pierpont: leases, deeds, mortgages, 1829-1852, inclusive
Estate of H.B. Pierpont: copies and abstracts of deeds, 1852-1856, inclusive
Copy of disputed will of H.B. Pierpont, 1855
Retaining wall along the embankment of the Pierrepont property: sketches, contract, expenses, 1841-1842, inclusive
One Pierrepont Place: building and repair invoices and receipts (6 folders), 1856-1868, inclusive
One Pierrepont Place: accounts, including correspondence from architect Richard Upjohn and Co., 1856-1861, inclusive
Paving of Furman and Pierrepont Streets: correspondence, contract, certification, 1842, 1869, inclusive
Pilgrim Church: correspondence and agreement, circa 1840-1887, inclusive
Ellen I. Minor - Redfield Township, Oswego County deed, 1864, inclusive
Subscription to build Episcopal church on Brooklyn Heights and sale of land, circa 1840, inclusive
Maps, circa 1785-circa 1845, inclusive
General
Includes "maps of distillery used in the suit of Schenck to prove water rights" and other maps of the distillery and Pierrepont property in Brooklyn. Also includes an elevation sketch of Pierrepont Stores and map of the Whitehall slip (Manhattan).
