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Clifford Ball photographs of the Pieter Claesen Wyckoff House and the Wyckoff-Bennett Homestead

Call Number

V1991.069

Date

1982, inclusive

Creator

Ball, Clifford (Role: Photographer)

Extent

0.08 Linear Feet
49 items housed in two folders.

Language of Materials

English .

Abstract

The Clifford Ball photographs of the Pieter Claesen Wyckoff House and the Wyckoff-Bennett Homestead consist of 48 color photographic prints and one black-and-white copy print of an illustration documenting historic Dutch Colonial style houses in Brooklyn. The photographs were taken by Clifford Ball from March 1982 to 1983.

Historical note

The Pieter Claesen Wyckoff House is the oldest building in New York State and was New York City's first building to be protected and landmarked by the Landmark Preservation Commission in 1965. The oldest portion of the house was built circa 1652, while additions to the house were completed by circa 1740. The last major renovations to the house prior to its restoration in 1982 occurred in 1819. Pieter Claesen Wyckoff immigrated to New Amsterdam (now New York City) in 1637, and began living in the house circa 1652. His descendants occupied the house until 1901 when the house was sold outside the Wyckoff family. In 1963, the Wyckoff Association, formed in 1937 by Wyckoff descendants, purchased the house and in 1969 the Wyckoff House Foundation donated the house to the City of New York. The Foundation offered to run the house as a museum if the City would restore it. In 1982, the $900,000 restoration was completed. The house now serves as a museum documenting New York's Dutch history. As of 2011, the house is owned by the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation and the museum is operated by the Wyckoff House & Association. The Pieter Claesen Wyckoff House (now called the Wyckoff Farmhouse Museum) is located in M. Fidler-Wyckoff House Park in the East Flatbush neighborhood of Brooklyn.

The Wyckoff-Bennett Homestead was built circa 1766 and was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1976. As of 2011, the Dutch Colonial style house remains a private residence, as it has since its construction. Over the years, the house has been owned and occupied by only a few families including the Wyckoff family, from 1776 to 1835; the Bennett family from 1835 to 1983; and the Mont family, from 1983 to the present. The homestead is located 1669 East 22nd Street, near Avenue P, in the Midwood neighborhood of Brooklyn.

Sources:

  1. New York City Department of Parks & Recreation. "M Fidler-Wyckoff House Park: Pieter Claesen Wyckoff House Museum." Accessed October 19, 2011. http://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/fidlerwyckoffpark/highlights/19365

Scope and Contents

The Clifford Ball photographs of the Pieter Claesen Wyckoff House and the Wyckoff-Bennett Homestead consist of 48 color photographic prints and one black-and-white copy print of an illustration documenting historic Dutch Colonial style houses in Brooklyn. The photographs were taken by Clifford Ball from March 1982 to 1983. The photographs showing the Pieter Claesen Wyckoff House include exterior and interior views of the house while undergoing restoration in 1982, and exterior views of the house post-restoration in 1983. The photographs showing the Wyckoff-Bennett Homestead consist of exterior views of the house taken from the street in 1982. There is also one photograph of an unidentified Dutch Colonial style house that was located at East 36th Street and Fillmore Avenue in the Marine Park neighborhood of Brooklyn.

Conditions Governing Access

Open to researchers without restriction.

Conditions Governing Use

Copyright for unpublished works is protected until 70 years after the death of the creator. For information on securing rights to publish or reproduce, please see the Brooklyn Historical Society Reproduction Rights Policy.

Preferred Citation

Identification of item, date (if known); Clifford Ball photographs of the Pieter Claesen Wyckoff House and the Wyckoff-Bennett Homestead, V1991.069, Box number, Object ID number; Brooklyn Historical Society.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Gift of Clifford Ball, 1982.

Related Materials

The Brooklyn Historical Society holds additional library, manuscript, and photograph collections pertaining to Dutch Colonial style houses in Brooklyn. Please consult with library staff for more information.

Other Finding Aids

Item level description and digital versions of images from the collection are available for searching via the image database in the library. Please consult library staff for more information.

Collection processed by

Patricia Glowinski

About this Guide

This finding aid was produced using ArchivesSpace on 2023-08-21 11:10:29 +0000.
Using Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language: English.

Processing Information

Fully processed to the item level.

Repository

Brooklyn Historical Society

Container

Box: Prints by Accession 57 (Material Type: Graphic Materials)

This finding aid does not include an online listing of contents.

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Center for Brooklyn History
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