Brooklyn, N.Y., Department of Law, Corporation Counsel records
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Abstract
The collection consists of the records of the office of the Corporation Counsel of the City of Brooklyn and, following the 1898 consolidation of the Greater City of New York, the records of the Brooklyn office of the Corporation Counsel of the City of New York. The bulk of the collection comprises legal documents related to complaints filed against the city. The Corporation Counsel was also responsible for overseeing the opening of city streets and the collection includes a series of records related to these matters. On the whole, the collection documents the activities of the Brooklyn Corporation Counsel, as well as the day-to-day legal issues that the citizens of Brooklyn faced in the 19th and early 20th centuries. It also documents the rapid expansion of Brooklyn's infrastructure, especially its streets and water supply. The Brooklyn, N.Y., Department of Law, Corporation Counsel records collection spans the years 1843 to 1920 (bulk dates 1894 to 1905).
Historical note
The charter for the City of Brooklyn that consolidated the Village of Brooklyn with the Town of Brooklyn was approved in 1834. The charter established the city's municipal government which consisted of a mayor and a common council. The common council was granted the power to appoint various positions, including a separate Attorney and Counsel. These positions were typically occupied by a single appointee, except from 1847 to 1850 when they were held by two separate appointees. The 1873 charter of the City of Brooklyn established a single Attorney and Counsel as head of the city's Law Department. The charter specified that the Attorney and Counsel would serve as chief legal advisor for the mayor, the common council, and the various city departments established over the years. The Attorney and Counsel was also charged with managing the proceedings necessary for opening, closing, or otherwise improving city streets. By 1885, the position title was changed from Attorney and Counsel to Corporation Counsel. In 1898, the City of Brooklyn was consolidated into the Greater City of New York. The Brooklyn office of the Corporation Counsel subsequently reported to the Corporation Counsel of the City of New York and was headed by an Assistant Corporation Counsel. The Brooklyn office handled all legal matters that affected the Borough of Brooklyn and Kings County.
Arrangement
The collection is organized in the following series:
Series 1: Case Files, 1849-1920
Series 2: Streets, 1844-1912
Series 3: Correspondence, 1866-1913
Series 4: Property Files, 1851-1918
Series 5: Laws, 1867-1898
Series 6: Miscellaneous, 1843-1915
Scope and Contents
The collection consists of the records of the office of the Corporation Counsel of the City of Brooklyn and, following the 1898 consolidation of the Greater City of New York, the records of the Brooklyn office of the Corporation Counsel of the City of New York. The collection spans the years 1843 to 1920 (bulk dates 1850 to 1905) and measures 113 linear feet. The bulk of the collection comprises legal documents related to complaints filed against the city. Common complaints include personal injury claims, property damage claims (mostly related to the city's sewer system), assessment disputes, and civil service grievances. The Corporation Counsel was also responsible for overseeing the opening of city streets and the collection includes a series of records related to this activity. The collection also includes correspondence with various city departments (Water Supply, Finance, Police, etc.) that sought legal advice.
While the majority of the collection is Brooklyn specific, portions of the collection deal with other nearby areas, especially Queens County and Long Island. Specifically, from 1896 to 1899, there are several complaints related to Long Island City. There are also a number of files related to property acquired by the City of Brooklyn (and later the City of New York) in the Towns of Jamaica and Hempstead on Long Island relating to the expansion of the city's water supply.
On the whole, the collection documents the activities of the Brooklyn Corporation Counsel as well as the day-to-day legal issues that the citizens of Brooklyn faced in the 19th and early 20th centuries. It also documents the rapid expansion of Brooklyn's infrastructure, especially its streets and water supply.
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Conditions Governing Access
Open to researchers without restriction, with the exception of two files related to adoptions.
Conditions Governing Use
Due to the public nature of the records there are no restrictions governing use of the collection, with the exception of photographic materials. Copyright for the photographs will remain in effect for 120 years following the date of creation. All photographs in this collection will enter the public domain by 2035.
Preferred Citation
Identification of item, date (if known); Brooklyn, N.Y., Department of Law, Corporation Counsel records, 2013.015, Box and Folder number; Brooklyn Public Library, Center for Brooklyn History.
Location of Materials
Immediate Source of Acquisition
The source of this collection is unknown. The collection was accessioned in 2013.
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 note
The collection was arranged and described by archivist John Zarrillo, 2013-2014.
Acquisitions and processing intern Deborah Marks assisted in assembling the finding aid.
The collection was originally stored in record cartons loosely organized in rough chronological order. Each box typically contained files dating from a single year (e.g., 1898) or a consecutive range of dates (e.g., 1906-1910). While some records relating to individual case files were grouped together (bound with string), others were separate; material related to the same case was frequently scattered across multiple record cartons.
Folder titles were typically created by the processing archivist as described in the arrangement note for each series. Most records in the collection directly relate to individual cases and are grouped into the Case Files series. Other series were created to reflect the function or form of the records (e.g., correspondence not related to specific cases comprises the Correspondence series and records related to the opening of city streets comprise the Streets series). Date ranges for the collection and each series are derived from the contents of the records.
Some oversized materials within each series have been separated and stored in flat boxes.
Certain fragile materials in the collection have been replaced with photocopies for preservation purposes.
Please note that the following abbreviations are utilized: Ave. for avenue; Blvd. for boulevard; Pl. for place; Rd. for road; St. for street;
Numbered streets are expressed numerically [example: 1st Pl., 7th Ave., 59th St., etc.]
Many street names have changed since the 19th century. These changes are explained in the notes field for each folder when possible. Please note that the streets that run parallel to the East River in Williamsburg (Kent Ave., Wythe Ave., Berry St., etc.) were originally numbered (1st St., 2nd St., 3rd St., etc.).
