A Toast to the Original Livingstons
Recently we got curious about the origins of our street and building’s name, and as with many things the magic of the internet shed some interesting light.
Turns out, the Livingston family lived in Brooklyn in the 1700s, and ran the original Brooklyn brewery—a large, successful distillery overlooking the harbor. The distillery was one part of the the Philip Livingston estate, which ran roughly from 110 Livingston all the way down to the water, between Joralemon and State.
A detailed map drawn in 1766 actually shows the Livingston estate and distillery clearly labeled, and (for all you lawyers out there) suggests that Philip Livingston was a member of the bar:
The road shown above leading down to the distillery is today Joralemon Street, and the southern one leading to the harbor probably corresponds to present-day Atlantic Avenue. The diagonal street in the lower right hand corner is Red Hook Lane (still surviving in part between Fulton and Livingston Streets). Given this, 110 Livingston would be located in the lower right hand corner, roughly where Red Hook Lane meets the edge of the map.
The Livingstons did more than just brew–Philip Livingston was one of the four New York signatories to the Declaration of Independence, and helped found King’s College (now Columbia) in 1754. Robert R. Livingston attended King’s College, helped write the Declaration, and administered the oath of office to George Washington. Robert went on to secure the famous 1807 ferry monopoly with Robert Fulton which also put Fulton’s name on the Brooklyn map.
This accomplished family had its mansion on a rocky outcrop above its distillery, just across Joralemon Street (above center), according to a key for the above map. The key (written in the 1800s) goes on gives us a very picturesque description of the area at that time:
The Heights then presented the appearance of a rough and bold promontory; no docks, wharves or store-houses lined the shore: but a sandy beach, from which arose a promontory of rocky cliffs, as unlike the present aspect of the locality, as can well be imagined. The cliffs were covered with a fine growth of cedar trees, which gave to the place a remarkably picturesque appearance, when seen from the New York side.
Even then Brooklyn Heights was tony. See below for the disputed demise of the Livingston distillery.
One source claims that the distillery burned down during the Revolutionary War, but other sources claim more credibly that it kept operating, providing 20 barrels of beer a day to British soldiers in the hospital, “which was greatly appreciated,” and afterward being converted into a sugar warehouse.
In the early 1800s the distillery was bought by another familiar Heights name, a Mr. Pierrepont, who made his fortune selling gin. Regardless, at some point the distillery met a fiery demise, and housing was built on the site–practically right on top of the present-day One Brooklyn Bridge Park.
If you’re interested we’d highly recommend checking out the full 1766 map, highlights include the original town labeled “Brookland Parish,” a wild and untamed Gowanus Canal which takes up almost half the borough with swampland, and Wallabout Bay, now the Brooklyn Navy Yard. Or see an 1846 description of old Brooklyn farmlands.
- Origins of Brooklyn Street Names (brooklyn.com)
- Bios of Philip Livingston and Robert R. Livingston (Wikipedia)
- Brooklyn’s present day breweries: Six Point Craft Ales, Brooklyn Brewery
