Friday, September 7, 2012
A History of Brooklyn In 20 Objects ("Objects" Being Very Loosely Defined)
Posted by Kristin Iversen on Fri, Sep 7, 2012 at 9:00 AM
Page 2 of 21
20) Wyckoff Farmhouse
We'll start at the very beginning of Brooklyn's history, when it was called Breuckelen by the Dutch as they settled here, on the western tip of Long Island. Several of the original Dutch farmhouses built in neighborhoods like Boswijck (Bushwick) and Gravenzende (Gravesend) still stand, but the Wyckoff Farmhouse is the oldest house still standing. Built in 1652 (before New Amsterdam was even chartered), the Wyckoff Farmhouse was built by Pieter Claesen Wyckoff, who arrived in Breukelen as an "illiterate teenage farm laborer" to become a "successful farmer and magistrate." He and his wife had eleven kids and are thought to have upwards of 50,000 descendants. So, wow. The house is now a museum. Go visit and imagine living their with eleven kids and feel lucky that you manage to get by with only 2 roommates.
The Pieter Claesen Wyckoff House, 5816 Clarendon Road Brooklyn, NY 11203
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About The Author
Kristin Iversen
Kristin Iversen is the Managing Editor at Brooklyn Magazine and the L Magazine. She has been described as "a hipster buzzword made flesh." This seems pretty accurate.
