With the passage of the Green-Wood Cemetery’s Charter of Incorporation, the cemetery began to take shape. Following the incorporation, Mr. Pierrepont and engineer (and first President of Green-Wood) David Bates Douglass found and appraised 178 acres of land located in the Gowanus Hills section of the City of Brooklyn that overlooked New York Harbor, envisioning adding more tracts of land as it became available and funds existed to buy it (Richman, ed., 2013, page 20). Originally, Mr. Pierrepont wanted to chose land in Upper Manhattan, but this idea was rejected since it was in the path of future developments, instead choosing lands in the hills above Gowanus Bay in Brooklyn near the location of the Battle of Brooklyn, which was the first battle fought after America declared its independence from Great Britain (Richman, ed., 2013, page 42). Initially, the Dutch farmers that owned the land that would become the Green-Wood Cemetery could not understand the grand cemetery that Mr. Pierrepont had in mind of two-hundred acres, previously only knowing of churchyard cemeteries of only and acre or two (Richman, ed., 2013, page 43). Eventually, the farmers were willing to negotiate with Mr. Pierrepont due to the financial panic and real estate crash of 1837, leading to the rapid decrease in real estate values (Richman, ed., 2013, page 43). By the winter of 1838, Major Douglass began to lay out the cemetery, using the principles of a landscape garden in England, with winding roads running through a landscape of rolling hills, groves of trees, ponds, and with views of Manhattan and New York Bay (Richman, ed., 2013, page 43). On December 15, 1838, eight individuals representing The Green-Wood Cemetery Company who were from the City of Brooklyn, took a ferry across the river to Stephen C. Williams’ law offices at 54 Wall Street in order to nominate and elect the officers and form the organizing structure to run the cemetery (Richman, ed., 2013, page 19). Alonzo G. Hammond was elected as Chairman with Henry Evelyn Pierrepont as the secretary to record the Board of Directors’ first minutes (Richman, ed., 2013, page 19). With these developments, the physical shape of Green-Wood was beginning to form.
Item #144: Appraisement of the Cemetery Grounds, September 24, 1838
This document is an appraisal of the value of all the parcels of land that the Green-Wood Cemetery had purchased by September 24, 1838. This was only six months after they were officially incorporated as a cemetery. This appraisal is important because it documents the exact size of the Green-Wood Cemetery only a few months after it was incorporated, shows the value of all the parcels that made up the cemetery’s landmass by 1838. It also reveals who owned all the different parcels before they were bought by the cemetery for burial purposes. The total number of acres also reveals how the cemetery expanded in size during the first six months of its incorporated existence.
This document is an appraisal of the value of all the parcels of land that the Green-Wood Cemetery had purchased by September 24, 1838. This was only six months after they were officially incorporated as a cemetery. This appraisal is important because it documents the exact size of the Green-Wood Cemetery only a few months after it was incorporated, shows the value of all the parcels that made up the cemetery’s landmass by 1838. It also reveals who owned all the different parcels before they were bought by the cemetery for burial purposes. The total number of acres also reveals how the cemetery expanded in size during the first six months of its incorporated existence.
Item #174: Schedule of the Property in the South Ward of Brooklyn, N.Y., that was taken for the Greenwood Cemetery, Along with the Valuation done by D. B. Douglass, Cyrus P. Smith, A. G. Hammond, and H. E. Pierrepont, Acting as Appraisers, September, 24, 1838
This document is a comprehensive list of the land in the South Ward of the City of Brooklyn that the founders of the Green-Wood Cemetery wanted to buy in order to form the cemetery. The list includes the amount of land considered, the values for all this land, as well as mortgages on this land and who owned each tract of land, the names listed are: “Schermerhorn Farm,” “Perry,” “Dean,” “Wyckoff,” “Sackett,” and “Ibbotson.” This document is significant because it not only shows the value of the land that made up the original cemetery, but it also shows who owned it and that a large part of it was a farm for the Schermerhorn family. This is important because it gives an idea of what this area of Brooklyn was like before the founding of the Green-Wood Cemetery. This item is dated September 24, 1838, and shows that the original lands identified for purchase to form the cemetery were bought from farms of some of the most notable families of Brooklyn (Richman, ed., 2013, page 21). The Board of Directors moved quickly to determine lands for purchase: they earmarked a total of 2,145 lots (178 total acres of land) that was appraised for $134,675.00 in value (Richman, 2013, page 21). The average price per acre was $756.60, and the average price for a lot was $62.75 (Cleaveland, 1866, pages 10-11). These prominent families and Dutch farmers that owned this land for a century prior were willing to negotiate for its sale once the financial panic and real estate crash of 1837 decreased land values (Richman, ed., 2013, page 43).
This document is a comprehensive list of the land in the South Ward of the City of Brooklyn that the founders of the Green-Wood Cemetery wanted to buy in order to form the cemetery. The list includes the amount of land considered, the values for all this land, as well as mortgages on this land and who owned each tract of land, the names listed are: “Schermerhorn Farm,” “Perry,” “Dean,” “Wyckoff,” “Sackett,” and “Ibbotson.” This document is significant because it not only shows the value of the land that made up the original cemetery, but it also shows who owned it and that a large part of it was a farm for the Schermerhorn family. This is important because it gives an idea of what this area of Brooklyn was like before the founding of the Green-Wood Cemetery. This item is dated September 24, 1838, and shows that the original lands identified for purchase to form the cemetery were bought from farms of some of the most notable families of Brooklyn (Richman, ed., 2013, page 21). The Board of Directors moved quickly to determine lands for purchase: they earmarked a total of 2,145 lots (178 total acres of land) that was appraised for $134,675.00 in value (Richman, 2013, page 21). The average price per acre was $756.60, and the average price for a lot was $62.75 (Cleaveland, 1866, pages 10-11). These prominent families and Dutch farmers that owned this land for a century prior were willing to negotiate for its sale once the financial panic and real estate crash of 1837 decreased land values (Richman, ed., 2013, page 43).
Item #3: “Handwritten Copy of a Notice from the Commissioners of the Green-Wood Cemetery Corporation published on the 18th, 22nd, and 25th of October 1838 by Edwin B. Spooner, printer and proprietor of the Long Island Star”
With the passage of their Charter of Incorporation, the Green-Wood Cemetery wasted no time in the effort to sell the cemetery stock. This notice states that on October 18, 1838, the Commissioners of the Green-Wood Cemetery Corporation announced that the books for subscriptions to stock in the corporation will be opened on Saturday, November 3, 1838 for subscribers. This document is important since it documents the first time it was announced that Green-Wood Cemetery was opening its books for subscribers to buy stock in the corporation to purchase burial lots. At this meeting, 3,000 shares of cemetery company stock were apportioned by the commissioners of the Green-Wood Cemetery Company (Cleaveland, 1866, page 16). The Green-Wood Cemetery was now open for business.
With the passage of their Charter of Incorporation, the Green-Wood Cemetery wasted no time in the effort to sell the cemetery stock. This notice states that on October 18, 1838, the Commissioners of the Green-Wood Cemetery Corporation announced that the books for subscriptions to stock in the corporation will be opened on Saturday, November 3, 1838 for subscribers. This document is important since it documents the first time it was announced that Green-Wood Cemetery was opening its books for subscribers to buy stock in the corporation to purchase burial lots. At this meeting, 3,000 shares of cemetery company stock were apportioned by the commissioners of the Green-Wood Cemetery Company (Cleaveland, 1866, page 16). The Green-Wood Cemetery was now open for business.
Typed transcription of Item #3 (the transcription is of the second page because it is handwritten):
Notice.
The undersigned Commissioners, appointed under an Act of the Legislature of the State of New York, entitled “An Act to incorporate the Green-Wood Cemetery” passed April 18, 1838, hereby give notice that the Books for receiving subscriptions to the capital stock of said corporation, will be opened on Saturday, 3rd November next from 10 o’clock A.M. to 2 o’clock P.M. at the office of Messrs. LeRoy & Perry, No. 1 Hannover Street in the City of New York, and also at the office of the South Ferry Company, at the foot of Atlantic Street in the City of Brooklyn. Capital stock of $300,000 divided into shares of $100 each. Ten percent upon the amount subscribed will be required to be paid at the time of subscription.
Charles King] a committee
D. B. Douglass] on behalf
Russell Stebbins] of the
Joseph A. Perry] commissioners
Henry E. Pierrepont]
Pliny Freeman]
Brooklyn Oct 18.
Notice.
The undersigned Commissioners, appointed under an Act of the Legislature of the State of New York, entitled “An Act to incorporate the Green-Wood Cemetery” passed April 18, 1838, hereby give notice that the Books for receiving subscriptions to the capital stock of said corporation, will be opened on Saturday, 3rd November next from 10 o’clock A.M. to 2 o’clock P.M. at the office of Messrs. LeRoy & Perry, No. 1 Hannover Street in the City of New York, and also at the office of the South Ferry Company, at the foot of Atlantic Street in the City of Brooklyn. Capital stock of $300,000 divided into shares of $100 each. Ten percent upon the amount subscribed will be required to be paid at the time of subscription.
Charles King] a committee
D. B. Douglass] on behalf
Russell Stebbins] of the
Joseph A. Perry] commissioners
Henry E. Pierrepont]
Pliny Freeman]
Brooklyn Oct 18.
Item #248: Notebook: Executive Committee Minutes of Meetings from November 3, 1838 to November 1, 1839
Shown here is the first entry in the Green-Wood Cemetery Executive Committee Minutes of Meetings Notebook. In this notebook, all the minutes of the first meetings of the Green-Wood Cemetery Corporation are recorded from its two founding years: 1838 and 1839. These minutes reveal the monthly decisions of the company during its first years, including during the first meeting, where they decided to nominate candidates for President and officers for the company. This notebook is significant because it reveals what the decisions were of the Board of Directors of the Green-Wood Cemetery and how they conducted business during the first years of the cemetery’s incorporation and operation. This includes the first official meeting of the members of the Green-Wood Cemetery Company on December 15, 1838 (Richman, ed., 2013, pages 18-19). These “civic-minded” men, from the City of Brooklyn took the ferry across the East River to where the law office of Stephen C. Williams was located at 54 Wall Street, and gathered to both nominate and elect the first officers of the Company, and to create a structure to organize the Company (Richman, ed., 2013, page 19). At this meeting, they asked Alonzo G. Hammond to be the Company’s Chairman, and appointed Henry E. Pierrepont to serve as the Company’s first “recording secretary” (Richman, ed., 2013, page 19). In addition, a committee of Messrs. Douglass, Howland, and Pierrepont, was created to nominate potential officers for the Company, to report changes to the cemetery’s charter, and to negotiate with landowners to get their terms for land sales to the cemetery (Cleaveland, 1866, page 17). These first minutes that Mr. Pierrepont recorded gives an insight into the thoughts of the Board of Directors of the Green-Wood Cemetery Company when it was first founded (Richman, ed., 2013, page 19).
Shown here is the first entry in the Green-Wood Cemetery Executive Committee Minutes of Meetings Notebook. In this notebook, all the minutes of the first meetings of the Green-Wood Cemetery Corporation are recorded from its two founding years: 1838 and 1839. These minutes reveal the monthly decisions of the company during its first years, including during the first meeting, where they decided to nominate candidates for President and officers for the company. This notebook is significant because it reveals what the decisions were of the Board of Directors of the Green-Wood Cemetery and how they conducted business during the first years of the cemetery’s incorporation and operation. This includes the first official meeting of the members of the Green-Wood Cemetery Company on December 15, 1838 (Richman, ed., 2013, pages 18-19). These “civic-minded” men, from the City of Brooklyn took the ferry across the East River to where the law office of Stephen C. Williams was located at 54 Wall Street, and gathered to both nominate and elect the first officers of the Company, and to create a structure to organize the Company (Richman, ed., 2013, page 19). At this meeting, they asked Alonzo G. Hammond to be the Company’s Chairman, and appointed Henry E. Pierrepont to serve as the Company’s first “recording secretary” (Richman, ed., 2013, page 19). In addition, a committee of Messrs. Douglass, Howland, and Pierrepont, was created to nominate potential officers for the Company, to report changes to the cemetery’s charter, and to negotiate with landowners to get their terms for land sales to the cemetery (Cleaveland, 1866, page 17). These first minutes that Mr. Pierrepont recorded gives an insight into the thoughts of the Board of Directors of the Green-Wood Cemetery Company when it was first founded (Richman, ed., 2013, page 19).
Typed transcriptions of sections of Item #248 (Minutes from the first two entries: December 15, 1838, and December 20, 1838):
At a meeting of the Directors of the Greenwood Cemetery company the 15th Dec. 1838 at the office of D. C. Williams Esq. 54 Wall Street, were present Messrs. Robert Ray, J. R. LeRoy, Russell Stebbins, A. G. Hammond, D. B. Douglass, Pliny Freeman, J. A. Perry, & H. E. Pierrepont.
A. G. Hammond Esq. was called to the chair and H. E. Pierrepont appointed secretary.
Resolved That a Committee of two persons be appointed to nominate candidates for President and other Officers to the next meeting.
Messrs. J. A. Perry & Pliny Freeman were appointed said Committee.
Resolved That a committee of three persons be appointed to open a negotiation with the proprietors of the Land in the 8th Ward of the City of Brooklyn (between 18th & 34th Streets, easterly of 3rd Avenue) in or such part thereof as may be sufficient for the objects of this association the most advantageous terms upon which the same can be purchased, and report to this Board with all convenient speed. Also that said committee have power to add to their number.
Messrs. Douglass, Pierrepont, & George S. Howland were appointed said committee.
Resolved That it be referred to the same committee to consider and report, whether there are any, and if any, what alterations or amendments requisite or expedient to be made in the present Charter of the Corporation, and that they be requested to communicate to this Board any information or suggestions that they may deem useful or proper for its present or future government.
Resolved That this committee be authorized to make the requisite notices in the public papers for such alterations in the Charter.
Resolved That this meeting now adjourn to meet again when notified by said committee that they are ready to report.
Chairman
H. E. Pierrepont secr[etar]y.
20th Dec. 1838.
At an adjourned meeting of the Directors, at the office of Messrs. LeRoy & Perry were present Messrs. A. G. Hammond, R. Ray, J. R. LeRoy, D. B. Douglass, J. A. Perry, P. Freeman, Russell Stebbins, & H. E. Pierrepont. The minutes of last meeting were read and approved.
Major Douglass from the Committee on the purchase of Lands and alterations in the Act of Incorporation made the following
Report
What the Committee, in pursuance of the instructions communicated to them at the last meeting of the Board have been engaged in negotiating the purchase of Land, within the District specified in the resolution of the Common Council of the City of Brooklyn—that is to say on the high ground at Gowanus that is part of the rear of the Wyckoff, the Ibbotson, the Dean, the Sackett, the Schermerhorn, and the Bergen farms, and from the progress they have made in this part of their duty, they are assured that a platt of from 150 to 200 acres of Land may be obtained, in a situation eminently favorable to the object in view, for an average not exceeding seven hundred Dollars per acre.
In pursuing this division of their inquiries however, the Committee were most at the very threshold, by a question of great importance as touching one of the Charter provisions of the Company, and which it was also their duty to discuss under the second head of their Instructions. The principle upon which the purchase had been spoken of heretofore, was, that the owners should take their respective proportions of value in stock of the association, - but it was found in negotiating that several of the proprietors unaccustomed to undertakings of this kind, and totally unacquainted with Stock operations, were more disposed to take the Bonds of the Company even without personal security, than to become participators in a joint stock of any kind. Some of the large proprietors did indeed entertain a different view (and as the committee think with good reason) offering at the same time however, with great liberality to conceed their interests in this respect if necessary for the success of the undertaking.
Under these circumstances it became a question of whether it would not be practicable and in that case preferable to purchase the entire property with the Bonds of the Company, and hold it in trust for the object proposed with them to make it a joint stock concern. By some of the Committee who had been very early engaged in prosecuting the main object, it was recollected that the idea of a general trust was the first entertained, and that the joint stock principle was only adopted in the drawing up of the Charter, because it was supposed that the sum could not be conveniently attained in any other way. It now appeared however that this opinion was probably erroneous, and if so, there could be no doubt, in the judgment of the Committee, that in all other respects the plan of proceedings as a General Trust was greatly preferable to that of a joint stock. The mixed and sometimes conflicting interests of Lotholders and Stockholders would thus be entirely done away—the general management and holder of the premises more simplified, and above all the confidence and patronage of the public much more likely to be conceeded to an institution from which even the appearance of private profit was entirely excluded.
It would be needless to detail in this report all the advantages which in the view of the Committee, would be likely to result from the change—they will readily suggest themselves to the intelligence & philanthropy of the Board, and it will be sufficient to add that the Committee are unanimous and unhesitatingly in Recommending the following Resolutions for their adoption.
Resolved That with a view to carry more fully into effect the object contemplated in the Charter of the Company, and to meet upon a liberal scale, the just expectations of the public therein, it is deemed expedient to change the principle of the association from a joint stock to a general trust, and that the Legislature be petitioned accordingly to constitute the Board of Directors a board of Trustees with powers as a Body Corporate to do all acts necessary for the due & proper administration of the interests concerned.
The report & resolution were upon motion adopted.
It was also Resolved That the Committee on Land be authorized in behalf of this Corporation to conclude the purchase of the land referred to in their report, and to employ one or more counsel at their discretion, to investigate the Titles and receive the Title Deeds, conveying the same to this corporation with such conditions for removing the encumbrances thereupon as they may deem necessary to secure such removal, and give full indemnity to the Corporation in relation thereunto.
It was also Resolved That the same Committee be authorized to confer with the various religious corporations and societies of the Cities of New York and Brooklyn upon the subject of apportioning part of the Cemetery grounds to their use.
The meeting then adjourned H. E. Pierrepont Sec[retar]y.
At a meeting of the Directors of the Greenwood Cemetery company the 15th Dec. 1838 at the office of D. C. Williams Esq. 54 Wall Street, were present Messrs. Robert Ray, J. R. LeRoy, Russell Stebbins, A. G. Hammond, D. B. Douglass, Pliny Freeman, J. A. Perry, & H. E. Pierrepont.
A. G. Hammond Esq. was called to the chair and H. E. Pierrepont appointed secretary.
Resolved That a Committee of two persons be appointed to nominate candidates for President and other Officers to the next meeting.
Messrs. J. A. Perry & Pliny Freeman were appointed said Committee.
Resolved That a committee of three persons be appointed to open a negotiation with the proprietors of the Land in the 8th Ward of the City of Brooklyn (between 18th & 34th Streets, easterly of 3rd Avenue) in or such part thereof as may be sufficient for the objects of this association the most advantageous terms upon which the same can be purchased, and report to this Board with all convenient speed. Also that said committee have power to add to their number.
Messrs. Douglass, Pierrepont, & George S. Howland were appointed said committee.
Resolved That it be referred to the same committee to consider and report, whether there are any, and if any, what alterations or amendments requisite or expedient to be made in the present Charter of the Corporation, and that they be requested to communicate to this Board any information or suggestions that they may deem useful or proper for its present or future government.
Resolved That this committee be authorized to make the requisite notices in the public papers for such alterations in the Charter.
Resolved That this meeting now adjourn to meet again when notified by said committee that they are ready to report.
Chairman
H. E. Pierrepont secr[etar]y.
20th Dec. 1838.
At an adjourned meeting of the Directors, at the office of Messrs. LeRoy & Perry were present Messrs. A. G. Hammond, R. Ray, J. R. LeRoy, D. B. Douglass, J. A. Perry, P. Freeman, Russell Stebbins, & H. E. Pierrepont. The minutes of last meeting were read and approved.
Major Douglass from the Committee on the purchase of Lands and alterations in the Act of Incorporation made the following
Report
What the Committee, in pursuance of the instructions communicated to them at the last meeting of the Board have been engaged in negotiating the purchase of Land, within the District specified in the resolution of the Common Council of the City of Brooklyn—that is to say on the high ground at Gowanus that is part of the rear of the Wyckoff, the Ibbotson, the Dean, the Sackett, the Schermerhorn, and the Bergen farms, and from the progress they have made in this part of their duty, they are assured that a platt of from 150 to 200 acres of Land may be obtained, in a situation eminently favorable to the object in view, for an average not exceeding seven hundred Dollars per acre.
In pursuing this division of their inquiries however, the Committee were most at the very threshold, by a question of great importance as touching one of the Charter provisions of the Company, and which it was also their duty to discuss under the second head of their Instructions. The principle upon which the purchase had been spoken of heretofore, was, that the owners should take their respective proportions of value in stock of the association, - but it was found in negotiating that several of the proprietors unaccustomed to undertakings of this kind, and totally unacquainted with Stock operations, were more disposed to take the Bonds of the Company even without personal security, than to become participators in a joint stock of any kind. Some of the large proprietors did indeed entertain a different view (and as the committee think with good reason) offering at the same time however, with great liberality to conceed their interests in this respect if necessary for the success of the undertaking.
Under these circumstances it became a question of whether it would not be practicable and in that case preferable to purchase the entire property with the Bonds of the Company, and hold it in trust for the object proposed with them to make it a joint stock concern. By some of the Committee who had been very early engaged in prosecuting the main object, it was recollected that the idea of a general trust was the first entertained, and that the joint stock principle was only adopted in the drawing up of the Charter, because it was supposed that the sum could not be conveniently attained in any other way. It now appeared however that this opinion was probably erroneous, and if so, there could be no doubt, in the judgment of the Committee, that in all other respects the plan of proceedings as a General Trust was greatly preferable to that of a joint stock. The mixed and sometimes conflicting interests of Lotholders and Stockholders would thus be entirely done away—the general management and holder of the premises more simplified, and above all the confidence and patronage of the public much more likely to be conceeded to an institution from which even the appearance of private profit was entirely excluded.
It would be needless to detail in this report all the advantages which in the view of the Committee, would be likely to result from the change—they will readily suggest themselves to the intelligence & philanthropy of the Board, and it will be sufficient to add that the Committee are unanimous and unhesitatingly in Recommending the following Resolutions for their adoption.
Resolved That with a view to carry more fully into effect the object contemplated in the Charter of the Company, and to meet upon a liberal scale, the just expectations of the public therein, it is deemed expedient to change the principle of the association from a joint stock to a general trust, and that the Legislature be petitioned accordingly to constitute the Board of Directors a board of Trustees with powers as a Body Corporate to do all acts necessary for the due & proper administration of the interests concerned.
The report & resolution were upon motion adopted.
It was also Resolved That the Committee on Land be authorized in behalf of this Corporation to conclude the purchase of the land referred to in their report, and to employ one or more counsel at their discretion, to investigate the Titles and receive the Title Deeds, conveying the same to this corporation with such conditions for removing the encumbrances thereupon as they may deem necessary to secure such removal, and give full indemnity to the Corporation in relation thereunto.
It was also Resolved That the same Committee be authorized to confer with the various religious corporations and societies of the Cities of New York and Brooklyn upon the subject of apportioning part of the Cemetery grounds to their use.
The meeting then adjourned H. E. Pierrepont Sec[retar]y.