CORNEL-SCHENCK HOUSE Jamica Avenue near Cleveland Street

The sons of Gelijam Cornehse took the surname of CORNEL which for generations was pronounced CORNEL. Gelijam Cornelise was probably a Huguenot. On 9 August 1658, he procured a plantation in Midwout from STUYVESANT together with his son Pieter GUILLIAMSEN bought a farm there in 1661 . Pieter GUILLIAMSEN was living in Flatbush when he married Margarietje VERSHUR in 1673. He was on that town's assessment rolls of 1675 and 1683, its patent of 1685 and its church book of 1677. 8 October 1686, as Pierre GULLEIUM, he was commissioned a lieutenant in its militia. He made his will 23 May 1689. His son Guilliam (b.23 August 1679 - d. 1 August 1754) married Cornelia VAN NORTWYCK on 4 November 1714. He with his family lived on Cow Lane. Johannes CORNEL, son of Guilliam, was baptized in the Flatbush Church 16 June 1727. He married Maria LOTT of Newtown and lived in Flatbush where all his children were baptized in the Flatbush Church. In 1771, he bought property in New Lots, part of it from Gabriel FURNAM and part from William and John FURNAM. A house was standing on his newly acquired farm at the time of his purchase. Whether he ever went to live in it is not known. In 1781 he gave the farm with its farmstead to his son Isaac CORNEL who was born 30 March 1757. When he enlarged it in 1791, Isaac found an ancient musket and a rapier blade marked "1649" in the walls of the house and cannon balls buried in its yard. Isaac CORNEL married Anna (b. 1751 - d. 1837). He died 30 November 1807 and was buried in the older New Lots Cemetery where his wife was laid after her death. His heirs sold his property to Court VAN BRUNT who conveyed it in 1808 to Judge Teunis SCHENCK who had married Isaac's daughtcr Gertrude (b. 1778 - d. 1860) in 1794 and who had spent his married years in Isaac CORNEL'S home. Judge SCHENCK (b. 15 February 1767 - d. 18 December 1841) was the son of Teunis and Catharine SCHENCK of Bushwick. He played an active part in the life of New Lots. In 1824 he helped build its church by having lumber for it cut on his farm and hauled to its site. His property went to his son, Isaac CORNEL SCHENCK, who was horn in the old house 17 January 17 1802. Prior to his marriage to Catharine, daughter of Peter MESEROLE in 1836, Isaac remodelled the building and Brought it up to date. He made it a large and handsome dwelling place. Like his father he was a man prominent in the affairs of his community. He was treasurer of Kings County, superintendent of the poor and supervisor of New Lots. As school trustee he was most active in building a schoolhouse in 1840 to replace the old one. Isaac CORNELl died in 1885 when his property went to his son John CORNELl SCHENCK (born February, 1837) who was an attorney of New Lots and the County Commissioner of Highways in 1883. He sold his farm with its farmhouse to Brooklyn in 1891 when it bordered on what was called the Jamaica Plank Road (Jamaica Avenue). Later the property formed part of Highland Park. The house was used for a time as a catchall by the parkguards. Now it stands vacant and desolate and will probably be torn down unless some responsible organization takes it under its wing and furnishes it as a museum. Next Chapter..STOOTHOFF HOUSE DUTCH Houses..Index Main Return to TOWN Index Main Return to BROOKLYN Index Main