GENERAL NATHANIEL WOODIIULL TABLET

An Erroneous Inscription

In May, 1916, the General Nathaniel Woodhull Chapter, D. A. R., of Brooklyn erected a tablet which illustrates afresh the need, to which we have called attention many times, for some authoritative control over inscriptions placed upon monuments and tablets. The American Scenic and Historic Preservation Society is ready to verify the accuracy of historical inscriptions when duly submitted, but of course the submissions passed upon in the past have been made voluntarily. When tablets and monuments are to be erected in public streets or places in New York City, they must be approved as to design by the Art Commission of the City, which sometimes recommends changes in the inscriptions to improve their dictum, but the Art Commission does not pretend to verify the accuracy of the historical statements, so far as we are aware. When the memorials are erected in private property, as in cemeteries, churches, or private grounds, even the Art Commission has no jurisdiction.

The inscription on the tablet erected by the General Nathaniel Woodhull Chapter reads as follows (see plate 2):

This Tablet is Placed

Near the Site of the

Necassius DeSille House

Where

GEN. NATHANIEL WOODHULL

Died September 17, 1776

Erected by the

Gen. Nathaniel Woodhull

Chapter

Daughters of the

American Revolution

May 20, 1916.

The tablet was affixed to a monument of rock-faced granite in the old Dutch Cemetery on 16th Avenue between 84th and 85th streets, Brooklyn, and was dedicated with appropriate ceremonies on Saturday, May 20, 1916, at 3 p. m.

The inscription contains two errors, one in the spelling of de Sille's first name and one in the date of Gen. Woodhull's death. The former should be spelled Nicasius and the latter should be September 20.

Nicasius de Sille was Fiscal of New Netherland in Stuyvesant's time and was a conspicuous figure of that period. It was he who picked up the pieces of the letter which the English sent to Stuyvesant in 1664 advising him to surrender and which Stuyvesant tore up. The de Sille house, according to our best information, was built in 1657 and torn down in 1850. It adjoined the original Dutch Reformed Church of New Utrecht which was used by the British as a hospital and riding school during the Revolution. Gen. Woodhull, who died in this house, was wounded and taken prisoner August 28, 1776, the day after the battle of Brooklyn. Prof. Henry P. Johnston's " Campaign of 1776 Around New York "says that he died September 20.

NEW YORK CITY HISTORY

High Price for a Print of Old New York

However backward the State and City of New York may have been in advertising their history to the world, as compared with Massachusetts and Boston on the one side and Pennsylvania and Philadelphia on the other, not to mention other States and cities it is gratifying to note the decided increase of interest in the part which this state and city have played in the history of the country.

One direction in which this increased interest is manifested is that of old books and prints relating to New York. For years past, these have been commanding steadily increasing prices. A tabulation of such prices covering a period of fifty years would form a significant index, not only of the advance in value of these records of the past from the collector's standpoint, but also of the growing popular interest in local history.

Two notable examples in this field have come to notice during the past few months. During the week ending November 18, 1916, at a sale of books, maps, prints and broadsides from the collection of Hon. John D. Crimmins of New York, a copy of Hugh Reinagle's view of Wall Street from Trinity Church in

1824 sold for $3,950. Reinagle was born in Philadelphia, Pa., about 1790 and died of cholera in New Orleans in May, 1834. He was a well-known scene painter in the early part of the 19th century and did work for the old Park Theatre which stood in the present Park Row opposite the Post Office. His painting of Wall Street was bordered with sketches of the buildings in Wall Street and the Heights of Brooklyn. The original has disappeared, but it was lithographed by Peter Maverick. Some years ago Mr. John D. Appleton sold this print to Mr. George D. Smith for $35. Mr. Smith sold it to Mr. Crimmins for $50. Last November, Mr. Smith bought it back for $3,950. By his courtesy we give a reduced copy of it in plate 3. of it in plate 3. Some time ago Mr. Smith paid $2,925 for a view of the City Hall in Wall street by Tiebout. At a sale of prints of old New York collected by Mr. Percy R. Pyne, 2d., at the American Art Galleries on February 6, 1917, Mr. Max Williams paid $1,725 for a copy of the Tiebout view of the City Hall which had been in the Lossing collection. As other examples of prices commanded for prints of old New York, the following, sold the same evening, may be mentioned:

"View of Broadway from Exchange Alley," lithograph by F. Heppenheimer, colored, no other known; purchased by Robert Fridenberg for $1,550.

"Broadway, West Side, from Fulton to Cortlandt Street," lithograph, by W. Stephenson, colored; purchased by M. Knoedler for $575.

"St. Paul's Church and the Broadway Stages," lithograph, by H. Reinagle, about 1830, colored; purchased by Max Williams for $1,450.

"Broadway from Canal to Grand Street, West Side," lithograph, by J. Bien, 1856, colored, one other copy known; purchased by M. Knoedler for $1,000.

"Ruins of Trinity Church, 1776," lithograph by J. Evers from a sketch by Thomas Barrow, one of the Vestry of the church, no other copy known; purchased by Robert Fridenberg for $550.

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City Hall, 1826," aquatint by I. Hill after W. G. Wall, colored; purchased by Max Williams for $1,350.

"Courtlandt Street, 1856," from Broadway to Greenwich Street, south side, before Church Street was opened, lithograph by F. Heppenheimer; purchased by Robert Fridenberg for $575.

"Fifth Avenue Hotel," lithograph by J. H. Bufford, one other copy known; purchased by Robert Fridenberg for $500.

"Lord & Taylor, Dry Goods," Broadway, corner of Grand Street, 1860, one other copy known; purchased by Robert Fridenberg for $600.

The highest price ever paid for a view of old New York is said to have been something less than $20,000, which was given a few years ago by Mr. Arnold for the "Burgis view" (1717).

CALENDAR DATES IN NEW YORK HISTORY

A Reuter dispatch from Constantinople dated January 30, 1917, announcing that the Turkish Government has decided to adopt the Gregorian calendar instead of the Mohammedan, recalls by suggestion the tardiness of England in adopting the Gregorian system, and the confusion of calendar dates in the history of New York. Although the reformed calendar was promulgated by Gregory in 1582, it was not until 1752 that it was adopted by England. By that time, the discrepancy between the true calendar and the old style of reckoning, which in 1582 amounted to 10 days, had increased to 11 days, so that September 3, 1752, was changed to September 14.

Meanwhile, the other three European countries which contributed so largely to the making of American history-Spain, France and Holland had adopted the Gregorian system in 1582 and eliminated the surplus ten days. At the time of Hudson's voyage in 1609, therefore, there was a difference of ten days between the English and the Dutch styles of reckoning which must be borne in mind by everyone having to deal with dates in early New York history. It is a curious fact that when Hudson, who was an Englishman, began his famous voyage of 1609 under Dutch auspices, he began his journal-or, more strictly speaking, Juet began his journal in the Old Style; but soon after he started, he realized that he was in the employ of a people who used the new style, and adopted the latter. (See pp. 290, 291, 308, 309, of our Fifteenth Annual Report, 1910.) After May 5, 1609, Juet's journal is in the New Style.

The Dutch dates in the records of New Netherland may therefore generally be accepted as in the New Style, while the English dates prior to September, 1752, were Old Style.

This confusion is increased with the incautious by the further fact that in England, prior to the calendar reform, it had been the practice to begin the year on the Feast of the Annunciation, the 25th of March, so that with dates from January 1 to March 24, inclusive, there was also an apparent difference of a year in the number of the year. Thus George Washington was born

February 22, 1732, New Style,

but

February 11, 1781, Old Style.

Perplexing as this change of dates is to modern students, it appears not to have been an altogether simple matter in the days when the two styles were running side by side. In Appendix D of this Report we give an illustration of an apparent discrepancy of a year in the title page of a pamphlet printed in 1706 and containing a sermon by the first Presbyterian minister in New York City, Rev. Francis Mackemie. If we have occasion to regret the tardiness of the English in adopting the Gregorian calendar, we may be thankful that they were not as slow as the Turks who have adopted it in 1917.

THE OLD COLONNADE OF LAFAYETTE PLACE

In November, 1916, announcement was made that the old house formerly designated as No. 43 Lafayette Place was about to be demolished. The report proved to be unfounded, as the house is being remodeled inside for an apartment house; but it sufficed to attract attention to an interesting landmark. (See plate 16.) Since the opening of a street connecting Lafayette Place with Elm Street and the renaming of the whole as Lafayette Street, a few years ago, this site has been designated as No. 430 Lafayette Street. It is on the west side of the street, just south of Astor Place and diagonally opposite the vacant building formerly occupied by the Astor Library. The house in question was interesting for the reason, among others, that President John Tyler ate his wedding breakfast in it. From the New York Times of November 5, 1916, we gather the substance of the following paragraphs.

The house is one of twelve in a row called Colonnade Row, from the row of tall marble columns with Corinthian capitals