In 1667, this town was known by the name of Breucklen. In the act to
divide the province of New-York into shires and counties, passed Nov. 1,
1683, it is mentioned by the name of Breucklyn. It is also called
Broucklyn in the act to divide the province into shires and counties,
passed, Oct. 1, 1691. The present name Brooklyn, does not appear to have
been generally adopted until after the Revolutionary war.
Heads of Indian arrows, beds of oyster and clam shells denoting the
former residence of the aborigines, are frequently found in different
parts of this town.
Among the most ancient remains are two houses, one owned by the family
of Cortelyou, built in 1699; the other standing on Fulton-street, in the
village of Brooklyn. The last mentioned house was occupied by the
Colonial Legislature as a Sessions house, during the prevalence of the
small-pox in New-York, in 1752; and at this house on the 4th of June,
1752, 2541 Bills of credit issued by this Colony, amounting to £3602,
18, 3, were cancelled by the Colonial Commissioners. This house was also
occupied by Gen. Putnam as his head quarters during the stay of the
American Army, on Long-Island, in 1776. But the oldest house in the town
of Brooklyn is supposed to be the house known as No. 64 Fulton-street,
in the village of Brooklyn, and now owned and occupied by Mr. Jacob
Patchen. Mr. Charles Doughty, who has been dead about 25 years, and was
about 85 years of age when he died, said that this was an old house when
he was a boy. Mrs. Rapalye, the mother of John Rapalye, whose property
in Brooklyn was confiscated during the Revolutionary war, says that this
house was built by a family of the Remsens who came from Holland.