Land Conveyances
Grantor: Who Sells
Grantee: Who buys
The location is owned by Evan M. Johnson on 1823. Below conveyance shows Evan M. Johnson and his family members selling and buying, and there 4 copies of this document. I guess the reason sellers and buyers family members states the legacy for future death issues. Briefly registering the land for each family member.
The next conveyance that I am psoting shows that Grantor as Evan M. Johnson selling the propperty to Grantee Walter Whitman with his wife Louisa (Parents of Walt Whitman) on 12/24/1824
Both pictures are the same, I guess the top one looks better. Writings are almost dissapperinng due to all these years. At the bottom part of the information, we can see a little drawing map which shows the exact location being sold with block number.
This one below shows that Grantor as Walter Whitman selling property back to Evan M. Johnson on 01/23/ 1826. I am aware that is difficult to read, however thats all I can do. I barely read it while holding in my nads.
On following land conveyances same location is being purchased by Episcopal Church and Banks.
Jul/20/1832 first sale to church
Feb 2nd/ 1857 Second sale to church
Above documents shows that Evan M. Johnson and Maria (wife) sells the properties ( two buildings next to each other) St John’s Church on Jul/20/ 1832 and Feb 2nd/ 1857.
I have found the history of St. John’s church in their website as I qouted below;
“Established on September 29, 1834, St. John’s Episcopal Church has been a witness to and celebration of the Catholic tradition of Anglicanism, clearly expressed in its worship and spirituality. The outward and visible effect has been seen in its commitment to its community and the needs of all whom cross its threshold..
The church was originally established to serve the increasing Episcopalian members of the garrison at Fort Hamilton Army Base and of the surrounding community. Known as the “Church of the Generals”, St. John’s has been a house of worship for a large number of officers who led American forces in every conflict since the Mexican War. Among those who attended services there were General Robert E. Lee, a Vestryman from 1842 to 1844 and General Thomas J. (Stonewall) Jackson, who was baptized there in 1849.
Over the past 170 years, St. John’s has provided much needed respite to all in the community, military and civilian. For the past 29 years St. John’s has responded to the needs of the elderly and the homebound by sponsoring a Senior Center and community nutrition program through the New York
City Department of Aging. Nearly 100,000 meals are served annually. In all that we do, it is our mission to proclaim and live the truth in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” (http://www.saintjohns1834.org/hist.html)
The below land conveyances shows that in same year 1857 ( can’t be sure) First church building (the corner) is being sold to Brooklyn Savings Bank, also unfortunately I cant really read the grantor( seems like Trinity Church, city of New York).
” 1827 – Established in 1827 the Brooklyn Savings Bank is the oldest savings bank on Long Island. In addition to the main banking floors, the new office has a subway banking area in the Borough Hall Station. The building is of white Vermont marble and was designed by …The new main office building of the Brooklyn Savings Bank, at the corner of Fulton and Montague Streets in the Brooklyn Civic Center, has been opened. Established in 1827 the Brooklyn Savings Bank is the oldest savings bank on Long Island. In addition to the main banking floors, the new office has a subway banking area in the Borough Hall Station. The building is of white Vermont marble and was designed by Chapman, Evans Delehanty. ” (May 5, 1963, Sunday, The New York Times)
The following land conveyance shows that grantor Bowery Savings bank and grantee Evan M. Johnson on July 11th/1859. This property located south of the Whitman’s house location.
Bowery Savings Bank
“Opened in 1834 on the Bowery in NYC. By 1980 it had over 35 branches located in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, Nassau and Suffolk counties. When bank deregulation was enacted the bank began to suffer losses as a result of rising saving account interest rates. By 1982 the Bowery was running out of cash; in 1985 the FDIC arranged for the bank to be sold to Richard Ravitch and others. It was sold for $100 million and allowed to maintain a capital deficit of $220 million rather than pay out on the $5 billion in deposits. In 1992 it was sold to H. F. Ahmanson & Co for $200 million. The name was changed by 1993 to Home Savings of America. In 1995 H.F.Ahmanson sold their New York operations to Greenpoint Savings Bank. By 2004 Greenpoint had been sold to North Fork Bank. In 2007 North Fork was sold to Capital One Bank.” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bowery_Savings_Bank)
Final land conveyance shows the St Johns Church as grantor and Edgar M Cullen as grantee on 1869.
Edgar M. Cullen
image source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/library_of_congress/4138870042/
“Former Chief Judge Edgar M. Cullen of the Court of Appeals and for more than thirty years a Supreme Court Justice in Brooklyn, died yesterday at his home, 144 Willow Street, Brooklyn. He had been in failing health for some time and about three weeks ago he suffered a stroke of apoplexy, from which ne did not recover.
Judge Cullen retired from ‘the bench in 1014 because of the age limit, and he afterward became a member of the lay/ firm of Cullen & Dykrrian, with offices , at 117 Montague Street, Brooklyn. It] was while he was on the Supreme Court; Bench that Justice Cullen issued the i injunction against John Y. McKane, the “Czar of Coney Island,” and his, followers, ordering them to desist from ! interfering with the watchers at the polls in 1893. When this injunction was i served on McKane the latter replied, , “Injunctions don’t go here/* McKane; went to Sing Sing Prison later and the subsequent reform cleaned politics up in the Borough of Gravesend.
Another famous case in which he was concerned was the impeachement of Governor William Suizer in 1913. Judge Cullen presided at the impeachment trial which resulted in the ousting of Suizer, Justice Cullen was one of the four out of nine who voted in tne negative.
Justice Cullen was born’ in Brooklyn in December, 1843. He attended Kinder-hook College, and was graduated from Columbia College in 1860. He was studying in the Rensselaer Polytechnic institute when the storm of Civil War broke, and he enlisted at once. He was commissioned a Lieutenant In the Kirst United States Infantry and he served with the regular army until 1862, when, although only 19 years old, he was made Colonel, commanding the Sixty-ninth New York Volunteer Infantry, and before ho was 21 years old he commanded a full brigade in action.
Forced out of the war by a wound, Justice Cullen returned to the study of engineering, but gave that up to enter law. He was active in Democratic politics, and from 1872 to 1875 he served as ah Assistant District Attorney in Kings Countv. in 1876 he was Engineer in Chief on the staff of Governor Tiiden.
In 1880 he was elected to tne Supreme Court, and was re-elcted in 1894. He was appointed to the Court of Appeals bv Governor Roosevelt in 1900, and appointed Chief Justice of that court by Governor Odell to succeed Alton B. Parker, who resigned to run for “President.
Judge Cullen was unmarried. Four sisters, the Misses Margaret, Charlotteand Elizabeth Cullen of Brooklyn and Countess Caroline do Valle of Madrid, survive him.”
Published: May 24, 1922
Copyright © The New York Times
