Archives & Library Special Collections
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Call Number: ARC.212
Extent: 28.0 cubic feet, in 75 boxes: 32 manuscript boxes, 38 flat boxes, and 5 small boxes.
The Plymouth Church of the Pilgrims and Henry Ward Beecher collection traces the career of the Reverend Henry Ward Beecher, the well known 19th century preacher, and the history of Plymouth Congregational Church, of which Beecher was the first pastor. Plymouth Church was a major institution in 19th century Brooklyn, first gaining recognition on national and international levels as Beecher’s pulpit. Beecher was well known for his oratorical ability and for his vocal opposition to slavery and support of the Northern cause during the Civil War. He also spoke out on subjects ranging from women’s suffrage and evolution to organized labor and temperance. Beecher was a popular figure despite controversy that surrounded his activities, including a charge of adultery that resulted in a widely reported trial in 1875.
The collection relates principally to Beecher’s pastorate at Plymouth Church from 1847 until his death in 1887. Other materials, ranging through 1980, concern the church’s other pastors and the history of Plymouth Church itself, which consolidated with the Church of the Pilgrims in 1934. The papers provide insight into the church congregation’s various activities, illustrate the history of Beecher’s influence on his congregation and on 19th century congregationalism, and shed light on both the public and private life of a major American personality of the 19th century.
Names:
- Beecher, Henry Ward, 1813-1887
- Abbott, Lyman, 1835-1922
- Beecher, Henry Ward, 1813-1897
- Beecher, William Constantine, b. 1849
- Durkee, J. Stanley, 1866-1951
- Fifield, Lawrence Wendell, b. 1891
- Hibben, Paxton, 1880-1928
- Hillis, Newell Dwight, 1858-1929
- Hunt, Rose Ward
- Tilton, Elizabeth M. Richards, b. 1834
- Tilton, Theodore, 1835-1907
- Bethel of Plymouth Church (Brooklyn, New York, N.Y.)
- Church of the Pilgrims (Brooklyn, New York, N.Y.). Sunday School
- Church of the Pilgrims (Brooklyn, New York, N.Y.)
- Henry Ward Beecher Literary and Debating Society (Brooklyn, New York, N.Y.)
- Henry Ward Beecher Missionary Circle (Brooklyn, New York, N.Y.)
- Plymouth Church (Brooklyn, New York, N.Y.). Sunday School
- Plymouth Church (Brooklyn, New York, N.Y.)
- Plymouth Church of the Pilgrims (Brooklyn, New York, N.Y.)
- Plymouth Institute (Brooklyn, New York, N.Y.)
- Ellinwood, T. J., 1830-1921
- King, Horatio C., 1837-1918
Places:
- Brooklyn (New York, N.Y.) — Church history
- Brooklyn (New York, N.Y.) — Religious life and customs
- Brooklyn Heights (New York, N.Y.)
- United States — Religion
Subjects:
- Plymouth chimes (Brooklyn, New York, N.Y.)
- Abolitionists — New York (State)
- Adultery — New York (State) — Kings County
- Antislavery movements — United States
- Authors, American
- City clergy — New York (State) — New York
- Clergy as authors
- Congregational churches — New York (State) — Kings County — Clergy
- Congregationalists — New York (State) — Kings County
- Lectures and lecturing — New York (State) — Kings County
- Pews and pew rights
- Reformers — United States
- Religious education of children — New York (State) — Kings County
- Religious institutions — New York (State) — Kings County
- Sunday schools — New York (State) — Kings County
- Trials (Adultery) — New York (State) — Kings County
Types of material:
- Cartes-de-visite (card photographs)
- Church newsletters
- Clippings (information artifacts)
- Correspondence
- Cylinder phonographs (phonographs)
- Photographs
- Picture postcards
- Scrapbooks
- Sermons
- Typescripts
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Call Number: 2005.031
Extent: 3.5 Linear feet, In 3 record cartons and 1 oversize flat box.
This collection holds the records of the Women’s Alliance, an organization operating under the agency of the First Unitarian Church of Brooklyn. The Women’s Alliance began as the Female Samaritan Society in 1838, several years after the Church’s founding. Members of the group took responsibility for all the physical housekeeping of the church, ran the church’s annual fundraising fair, and helped with parish duties such as visiting the sick and cooking for the congregation. After periods of inactivity in the twentieth century, the group was resurrected in 1973 as the Women’s Alliance, a primarily issue-oriented group concerned with social action and women’s rights matters.
The collection encompasses the period of the resurgence of the Women’s Alliance during the latter half of the twentieth century as a socially conscious and active organization. The inclusive dates span from 1922 to 2004, with bulk dates ranging from 1980 to 1998. The Women’s Alliance records consist primarily of organizational material, including meeting minutes, correspondence, and financial documents. There is also printed matter created or collected by the Women’s Alliance and material related to the causes of concern and group work of the Women’s Alliance. A number of records also reveal the group’s relationships with other female-oriented and religious organizations.
Names:
- First Unitarian Church of Brooklyn (Brooklyn, New York, N.Y.). Women’s Alliance
- Campobasso, Miriam
- Hoogenboom, Olive
- Lazarus, Katherine
- Odessky, Marjory H.
- Sage, Doris
- First Unitarian Church of Brooklyn (Brooklyn, New York, N.Y.). Samaritan Alliance
- First Unitarian Church of Brooklyn (Brooklyn, New York, N.Y.)
- Unitarian Universalist Women’s Federation
Places:
- Brooklyn (New York, N.Y.) — Church history
- Brooklyn (New York, N.Y.) — Religious life and customs
- Brooklyn (New York, N.Y.) — Social life and customs
Subjects:
- Women’s work (Brooklyn, New York, N.Y.)
- Feminism — New York (State) — New York
- Pro-choice movement — New York (State) — New York
- Social action — New York (State) — Kings County — History
- Unitarianism — New York (State) — Kings County — History
- Women and religion — New York (State) — New York
- Women’s rights and spiritualism — New York (State) — New York
Types of material:
- Clippings (information artifacts)
- Correspondence
- Minutes
- Newsletters
- Photographs
- Sermons
View Finding Aid
Call Number: V1986.245
Extent: 0.08 Linear feet, in one folder.
One photograph album, dated circa 1890 to 1939. The album contains 59 items, including photographic prints, illustrations, and picture postcards. Brooklyn images in the collection consist of interior views of two homes on Henry Street in the Brooklyn Heights neighborhood. Also included are photographs and postcards of family voyages to Germany and South Africa, with group portraits, interior views of homes, churches, and cemeteries. Each image is accompanied by a description and identified by location.
Places:
- Brooklyn (New York, N.Y.)
- Brooklyn Heights (New York, N.Y.)
- Germany — Description and travel
- South Africa — Description and travel
Subjects:
- Cemeteries
- Church buildings
- Dwellings
- Voyages and travels
Types of material:
- Group portraits
- Illustrations (layout features)
- Interior views
- Photograph albums
- Photographs
- Picture postcards
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Call Number: 1986.030
Extent: 0.31 Linear feet, in three quarters of one manuscript box.
Although the doctrines of Unitarianism come from 17th century Europe, Unitarianism in America during the 19th century was influenced by several American theologians including Boston based preacher William Ellery Channing (1780-1842). The first Unitarian gathering was held in Brooklyn in 1833. Between 1835 and 1900 numerous Unitarian societies and churches were established in Brooklyn. The Unitarian Churches of Brooklyn collection contains records of five Unitarian churches located in Brooklyn, N.Y. The collection spans the years 1860 to 1958 and includes annual reports, registers, yearbooks, directories, sermons, programs, and various publications.
Names:
- All Souls Universalist Church (Brooklyn, New York, N.Y.)
- First Unitarian Church of Brooklyn (Brooklyn, New York, N.Y.)
- Flatbush Unitarian Church (Brooklyn, New York, N.Y.)
- Second Unitarian Church (Brooklyn, New York, N.Y.)
- Third Unitarian Congregational Society of Brooklyn (Brooklyn, New York, N.Y.)
Places:
- Brooklyn (New York, N.Y.) — Church history
- Brooklyn (New York, N.Y.) — Religious life and customs
- Brooklyn Heights (New York, N.Y.)
- Clinton Hill (New York, N.Y.)
- Cobble Hill (New York, N.Y.)
- Prospect Park South (New York, N.Y.)
- Williamsburg (New York, N.Y.)
Subjects:
- Christian life — New York (State) — Kings County
- Church anniversaries — New York (State) — Kings County
- Church finance — New York (State) — Kings County
- Committees
- Religious institutions — New York (State) — Kings County
- Unitarian Churches — History
- Unitarianism — New York (State) — Kings County — History
Types of material:
- Annual reports
- Church records
- Directories
- Manuals (instructional materials)
- Membership lists
- Programs (documents)
- Publications
- Yearbooks
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Call Number: 1979.007
Extent: 0.1 Linear feet, in one folder
This collection contains the papers of the Stock and Rettberg families who rented a house at 61 Court Street, Brooklyn around 1872. Documents include legal documentation (leases, deeds, bonds, and receipts), the death certificate of Ernst Rettberg, the inventory of the estate of Ernst Rettberg, and a certificate of copyright for Lina Rettberg. The papers span the period 1866 to 1906.
Names:
- Rettberg family
- Stock family
Places:
- Brooklyn (New York, N.Y.)
Subjects:
- Families — New York (State) — Kings County
Types of material:
- Bonds (legal records)
- Death certificates
- Deeds
- Estate inventories.
- Leases
- Receipts (financial records)
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Call Number: V1978.024
Extent: 0.03 Linear feet, 7 items in one folder.
The Stereoscope views of Brooklyn collection is comprised of seven black-and-white stereographs documenting the built environment in Brooklyn, as well as several interior views of a home, circa 1865 to 1915. The collection includes two interior views of a home in the Brooklyn Heights neighborhood, located at 136 Joralemon Street. Also included is a view of Pierrepont Street in Brooklyn Heights, a view of the statue of Henry Ward Beecher located in Borough Hall Park, a view of a drinking fountain in Prospect Park, an aerial view taken from the top of the 22-story World Building in Brooklyn looking down the Brooklyn Bridge across the East River at the cityscape of Manhattan, and a view looking down the length of the Iron Pier at Coney Island.
Places:
- Brooklyn (New York, N.Y.)
- Brooklyn (New York, N.Y.) — Buildings, structures, etc. — Pictorial works
- Brooklyn Bridge (New York, N.Y.) — Pictorial works
- Brooklyn Heights (New York, N.Y.)
- Coney Island (New York, N.Y.)
Subjects:
- Aerial photographs
- Dwellings — New York (State) — Kings County
Types of material:
- Exterior views
- Interior views
- Photographs
- Stereographs
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Call Number: V1981.287
Extent: 0.01 Linear feet, in one folder.
Two copy prints, circa 1909, showing the the front porch of 113 Clinton Street in Brooklyn Heights, home of Dr. John J. Lynch and Jane Francis Lynch, and a portrait of Francis Jane Lynch.
Names:
Places:
- Brooklyn (New York, N.Y.)
- Brooklyn Heights (New York, N.Y.)
Subjects:
- Dwellings — New York (State) — Kings County
Types of material:
View Finding Aid
Call Number: V1974.040
Extent: 0.2 Linear feet, in one manuscript box.
The Brooklyn Academy of Photography Blizzard of 1888 photograph album dates from 1888 and contains 168 photographs. The album documents the effects of the blizzard in Brooklyn and Manhattan, showing street scenes, snow removal efforts, and different modes of transit hampered by the snowfall. Brooklyn neighborhoods represented in the collection include Downtown Brooklyn, Brooklyn Heights, Boerum Hill, Park Slope, Fort Greene, Bedford-Stuyvesant, and Williamsburg. The collection also contains images of Prospect Park, Fort Greene Park, the East River, and the Brooklyn terminal of the Wall Street ferry; Manhattan locations include Wall Street and Lower Manhattan. In addition to images of row houses, churches, and businesses buried in the snow, photographs in the collection also depict groups of laborers working to remove snowbanks, as well as horse-drawn streetcars and sleighs on Brooklyn streets.
All photographs in the album were taken by members of the Brooklyn Academy of Photography, though no individual photographers are identified. Some photographs in this collection are possibly the work of academy member Adrian Vanderveer Martense, as similar or identical images of the blizzard are also found in the Adrian Vanderveer Martense collection (ARC.191).
Names:
- Brooklyn Academy of Photography
Places:
- Bedford-Stuyvesant (New York, N.Y.)
- Boerum Hill (New York, N.Y.)
- Brooklyn Heights (New York, N.Y.)
- Downtown Brooklyn (New York, N.Y.)
- East River (N.Y.)
- Fort Greene (New York, N.Y.)
- Manhattan (New York, N.Y.)
- Park Slope (New York, N.Y.)
- Prospect Park (New York, N.Y.)
- Wall Street (New York, N.Y.)
- Williamsburg (New York, N.Y.)
Subjects:
- Blizzards — Atlantic States
- Church buildings — New York (State) — Kings County
- Local transit — New York (State) — Kings County
- Row houses — New York (State) — Kings County
- Snow removal — New York (State) — Kings County
- Street photography — New York (State) — Kings County
Types of material:
- Photograph albums
- Photographs
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Call Number: V1986.009
Extent: 0.1 Linear feet, in one folder.
One volume, circa 1893, containing 68 prints and illustrations of houses constructed by Harvey Murdock. Images in the collection show exterior and interior views of homes, as well as illustrations of homes under construction. Houses shown in this collection are located in the Brooklyn neighborhoods of Park Slope, Brooklyn Heights, and Bedford-Stuyvesant, as well as Manhattan. An index at the beginning of the volume identifies architects, homeowners, and the width of the home’s entrance. Each house is identified by street name, and the images are arranged by neighborhood.
Harvey Murdock was a New York City-based builder and contractor who worked during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. In addition to residences, Murdock supervised construction of hotels, apartment houses, business buildings, club houses, and country homes. He worked at 140 Nassau Street in Manhattan and lived on Montgomery Place in the Park Slope neighborhood of Brooklyn.
Names:
Places:
- Bedford-Stuyvesant (New York, N.Y.)
- Brooklyn (New York, N.Y.)
- Brooklyn Heights (New York, N.Y.)
- Manhattan (New York, N.Y.)
- Park Slope (New York, N.Y.)
Subjects:
- Architecture, Domestic — New York (State) — New York
- Dwellings — New York (State) — New York
Types of material:
- Black-and-white prints (prints on paper)
- Illustrations (layout features)
- Interior views
- Volumes (documents by form)
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Call Number: 1995.002
Extent: 3.0 Linear feet, in three record cartons.
Louisa Merritt Field Stabler (1826-1914) lived with her husband and children in Brooklyn Heights at 135 Willow Street. The Stablers’ children included a daughter, Louise Merritt (1868-1954), and a son, Edward. Louise Merritt Stabler was a member of the first graduating class of Barnard College in 1893. She later became active in the suffrage movement, and was married to zoologist George Howard Parker (1864-1955), a professor at Harvard College. The Louisa Merritt Field Stabler family papers chiefly consist of personal correspondence from Louisa Merritt Field Stabler to her daughter, Louise Merritt Stabler Parker. Some correspondence is also between various members of the Stabler and Parker families. The collection also includes notebooks, a copy of Louisa Merritt Field Stabler’s will, various newspaper clippings, and ephemera.
Louisa Merritt Field Stabler (1826-1914) lived with her husband and children in Brooklyn Heights at 135 Willow Street. Her husband, Edward Hartshorne Stabler (1813-1877), was a drug broker with an office at 44 Cedar Street in New York City. His commercial specialty was opium, at that time an import from Asia. He was originally from Baltimore and after his move to Brooklyn, his business never recovered. The Stablers’ children included a daughter, Louise Merritt (1868-1954), and a son, Edward. The Stablers were Quakers with strong ties to the Brooklyn Meeting House and Mission, the Young Friends Society, and the Friends Seminary. The Stabler family was also highly involved with education on all levels, from local kindergartens to universities. The family had connections to Columbia College, and contributed financial support to the establishment of Barnard College, at the time one of the few institutions in the country to offer a college education to women.
The Stablers’ daughter, Louise Merritt Stabler, graduated from Brooklyn Heights Seminary in 1886 and taught there before attending Barnard College. She was a member of the first graduating class of Barnard College in 1893. She later became active in the suffrage movement, and was involved with the League of Women Voters and the American Civil Liberties Union. In 1894, she married zoologist George Howard Parker (1864-1955), a professor at Harvard College and a member of the American Physiological Society. The Parkers lived in North Cambridge, MA at 6 Avon Place.
Names:
- Stabler, Louisa M., 1826-1914
- Parker, George Howard, 1864-1955
- Parker, Louise M., 1868-1954
- Stabler family
- Stabler, Edward H., 1813-1877
- Barnard College
Places:
- Brooklyn (New York, N.Y.) — Social conditions
- Brooklyn (New York, N.Y.) — Social life and customs
- Brooklyn Heights (New York, N.Y.)
- Port Chester (N.Y.)
- Westchester County (N.Y.)
Subjects:
- Families — New York (State) — Kings County
- Housekeeping
- Quakers — New York (State) — Kings County
- Women — Education (Higher) — New York (State) — New York
- Women — Suffrage
- Women — New York (State) — Kings County
- Women — United States — Social conditions
- Women’s colleges — New York (State) — New York
Types of material:
- Correspondence
- Family papers
- Memorabilia
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