Lot
Pierre Van Cortlandt Farm
Lot Group
Original Grants and Farms
Property Was Used in 1660 For:
Original Grants and Farms Document(s)
Grant Lot Document(s)
Tax Lot Events
Full Stokes Entry (See images below)
THE PIERRE VAN CORTLANDT FARM Formerly of Col. Abraham de Peyster Block Check List. 456-417-416-427-456.
For some reason, that possibly will never be discovered, bouweries three and four of the Dutch West India Company did not adjoin each other at the road, although they were contiguous "where three wayes meete at the Cartpath within the fFence."
The forty acres along the road which separated the bouweries may have been swampy. "Which sort of land it is well known was not Antiently esteemed worth patenting." — M.C. C.,VI: 200.
This tract was first granted in March, 1647, to three free negroes, in nearly equal farms. The most northerly parcel, patented to Francisco, became the Van Cortlandt farm. The other parcels belong to the De Lancey farm.
Willem Kieft, Director, etc. to Francisco, a free negro.
Ground-brief dated March 25, 1647. — Liber GG: 199 (Albany).
Conveys "Piece of land on the public wagon road, containing 200 by 335 paces; bounded east [west] by the public wagon road; on the north by Gerrit Hendricksen; on the south by Anthony Negro."
Richard Nicolls, Governour, etc., to Francisco, a free negro. Confirmation dated Oct. 19, 1667. — Liber Patents, II: 127 (Albany).
Confirms same tract.
Francisco was still in possession here Jan. 11, 1674/5, when he mortgaged his farm to Asser Levy, for 400 guilders in wampum. — Liber Mtges., (1664-1675), p. 207, in city clerk's office (New York).
No title has been traced into Thomas Eckers, the next owner of the land.
Thomas Eckerse, of the city of New York, vintner, to William Smith, of the same city, merchant. "Deed of Mortgage" dated June i6, 1709; recorded July i, 1709. — Liber Deeds, XXVI: 343 (New York). Consid., £108.
Conveys "All that his certain piece and parcell of ground ... on Manhattan Island . . . at a place called the bowry Lane on the East side of the said Lane containing in breadth upon the said lane or path two hundred paces and in length backwards three hundred and thirty three paces as the same is now within fence be the same more or less; the said piece and parcell of ground is bounded West by the aforesaid lane or highway; North by the land heretofore belonging to Gerrard Hendrickse and South by the land of Anthony Congo, together with a large brick house which was lately erected and built upon the said Ground by the said Thomas Ekerse . . . "
The deed makes provision that the property shall revert to Eckerse upon payment of the sum of £108 to William Smith "for the proper use and benefit of Peter Smith of the Island of St. Thomases, merchant."
The large brick house is shown on the Ratzer Map (PI. 41, Vol. I) and the Taylor-Roberts Plan (PI. 70, Vol. I). It stood at the south-east corner of the Bowery and Houston St.
Thomas Eckers, or Eckerson, was a son of Jan Thomasz, who assumed the surname of Eckerson about 1692. — Purple, Ancient Families of N. Y., 22.
In 1718, the farm was owned by Col. Abraham De Peyster. — • See recitals in deeds of land on the south.
The heirs of Isaac De Peyster conveyed to Pierre van Cortlandt shortly after Oct. I, 1774, when Gerard Bancker surveyed it at their request. He estimated the area as 13 a. 3 r. 35 p. — Bancker Coll. Surveys, N. Y. P. L.
A note on a map of the De Lancey farm, copied by B. F. Stevens from the original in the audit office in London, says: "Pierre van Cortland bought ye estate ... for 1800 P. or thereabouts in ye year 1774. 18 acres at about a hundred pound an acre having a face to ye Bowery lane." There is a copy of this map in N. Y. P. L., MSS. Div.
In August 1780, the farm seems to have been occupied by William Bayard. — See "List of Farms of absentees on the Island," Bancker MSS. notes, N. Y. Hist. Soc.
1794, Sept. 3, the farm was surveyed and staked off into lots for Col. William Smith. Map in Bancker Coll., N. Y. P. L.
For some reason, that possibly will never be discovered, bouweries three and four of the Dutch West India Company did not adjoin each other at the road, although they were contiguous "where three wayes meete at the Cartpath within the fFence."
The forty acres along the road which separated the bouweries may have been swampy. "Which sort of land it is well known was not Antiently esteemed worth patenting." — M.C. C.,VI: 200.
This tract was first granted in March, 1647, to three free negroes, in nearly equal farms. The most northerly parcel, patented to Francisco, became the Van Cortlandt farm. The other parcels belong to the De Lancey farm.
Willem Kieft, Director, etc. to Francisco, a free negro.
Ground-brief dated March 25, 1647. — Liber GG: 199 (Albany).
Conveys "Piece of land on the public wagon road, containing 200 by 335 paces; bounded east [west] by the public wagon road; on the north by Gerrit Hendricksen; on the south by Anthony Negro."
Richard Nicolls, Governour, etc., to Francisco, a free negro. Confirmation dated Oct. 19, 1667. — Liber Patents, II: 127 (Albany).
Confirms same tract.
Francisco was still in possession here Jan. 11, 1674/5, when he mortgaged his farm to Asser Levy, for 400 guilders in wampum. — Liber Mtges., (1664-1675), p. 207, in city clerk's office (New York).
No title has been traced into Thomas Eckers, the next owner of the land.
Thomas Eckerse, of the city of New York, vintner, to William Smith, of the same city, merchant. "Deed of Mortgage" dated June i6, 1709; recorded July i, 1709. — Liber Deeds, XXVI: 343 (New York). Consid., £108.
Conveys "All that his certain piece and parcell of ground ... on Manhattan Island . . . at a place called the bowry Lane on the East side of the said Lane containing in breadth upon the said lane or path two hundred paces and in length backwards three hundred and thirty three paces as the same is now within fence be the same more or less; the said piece and parcell of ground is bounded West by the aforesaid lane or highway; North by the land heretofore belonging to Gerrard Hendrickse and South by the land of Anthony Congo, together with a large brick house which was lately erected and built upon the said Ground by the said Thomas Ekerse . . . "
The deed makes provision that the property shall revert to Eckerse upon payment of the sum of £108 to William Smith "for the proper use and benefit of Peter Smith of the Island of St. Thomases, merchant."
The large brick house is shown on the Ratzer Map (PI. 41, Vol. I) and the Taylor-Roberts Plan (PI. 70, Vol. I). It stood at the south-east corner of the Bowery and Houston St.
Thomas Eckers, or Eckerson, was a son of Jan Thomasz, who assumed the surname of Eckerson about 1692. — Purple, Ancient Families of N. Y., 22.
In 1718, the farm was owned by Col. Abraham De Peyster. — • See recitals in deeds of land on the south.
The heirs of Isaac De Peyster conveyed to Pierre van Cortlandt shortly after Oct. I, 1774, when Gerard Bancker surveyed it at their request. He estimated the area as 13 a. 3 r. 35 p. — Bancker Coll. Surveys, N. Y. P. L.
A note on a map of the De Lancey farm, copied by B. F. Stevens from the original in the audit office in London, says: "Pierre van Cortland bought ye estate ... for 1800 P. or thereabouts in ye year 1774. 18 acres at about a hundred pound an acre having a face to ye Bowery lane." There is a copy of this map in N. Y. P. L., MSS. Div.
In August 1780, the farm seems to have been occupied by William Bayard. — See "List of Farms of absentees on the Island," Bancker MSS. notes, N. Y. Hist. Soc.
1794, Sept. 3, the farm was surveyed and staked off into lots for Col. William Smith. Map in Bancker Coll., N. Y. P. L.
