Transcript
October 4th 1821
“Thursday a very fine day in the afternoon took a walk to Flatbush pleased to see the stone fences put up along the road by the toll gate, they are a very great improvement in the looks of a farm…” “On descending the hill towards Flatbush, you can just perceive the little “Valley Tavern” peeping through the trees, with its blue smoke curling in the air-passed that-then the road wound through a forest, which has a very picturesque appearance-arrived at Flatbush- a pleasant neat town, no great variety of scenery- a very level piece of land-it has a one Dutch reformed church- the inhabitants are mostly Dutch Trout to the County Goal on some business-it is an old wooden building, though I believe a pretty secure one…” |
A Walk Through the Eyes of a Historian
Taking a walk from Brooklyn Heights to Flatbush today would seem absurd. It is not something one would do in this day in age. However, the Flatbush during Gabriel Furman’s time is much different from the Flatbush we have grown to love today. Gabriel Furman was a focused historian. He took many walks. His many walks could have been by choice but I believe it was due to the lack of transportation options during his time. Travel time during the 1800’s would take half the day. During his walks he took very detailed notes. He took note of his surroundings. In his journal he describes the scenery of the town. He also writes about his concerns, thoughts, likes, and dislikes. To enter the town of Flatbush there was a toll gate. The toll gate is believed to have been stationed at today’s Hanson place and Flatbush Avenue. After, the major changes to the road to Flatbush town, Furman takes a walk from Brooklyn to Flatbush town. On his much notated walk, Furman was pleased to see such big improvement. Before Flatbush was nicely paved, it was all farmland. Originally a branch road, the road to Flatbush from Brooklyn led to the Reform Church. The Reform Church was built in the 1600's and still remains there today. The Reform Church is located at the corner of Flatbush and Church Avenues.
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Image above: “Notes and Memoranda,” 1815-1823, Volume 2, Page 320, Gabriel Furman Papers, ARC.190, Box 1, Folder 1; Brooklyn Historical Society