SCHENCK - WYCKOFF HOUSE



1325 Flushing Avenue

	In the Museum of the City of New York is a tombstone on which is cut 
"Johannis SCHENCK, ye first of the Family dept this Life Febry ye 5, 1748 Agd 92."

	Johannis SCHENCK was born in the Netherlands 19 September 1656, married Maria 
Magdalene de HAES of Middleburg, Zeeland, and emigrated with her in 1683 to New York 
where they joined the Dutch church and where he was called Mynheer. After two years 
residence there, the SCHENCKs moved to Kingston.

	In 1691, they were living in Flatbush where he was town clerk and later schoolmaster. .

	On 17 September 1711, he bought a large plantation with a mill on it on the dispured 
land of Bushwick from Tunis and Mary TITUS. The mill, which he ran, was long known as 
SCHENCK'S mill. 
He was supervisor of Bushwick in 1719. 
His children were :
Susanne, 
Johannes (b.30 April 1691 - d.1 April 1729), 
Peter, 
Margrietie and Cornelia.

	Johannes and his family lived with the older SCHENCKS in the old TITUS house which has 
long since disappeared, but for Peter was built the small house that is now the west wing 
of the SCHENCK-WYCKOFF house. It was erected probably about the time of Peter's marriage 
to Elizabeth which was prior to 29 August 1721.

	In 1724, Peter SCHENCK bought the piece of land "40 ft. square at ye head of ye kill 
adjoining land of said Peter SCHENCK" for a cemetery. It lay behind his house and in it the 
Johannis SCHENCK tombstone originally stood.

	Peter signed himself Peter SCHANCK. He and Elizabeth belonged to the Dutch Reformed 
Church of Newtown. He died prior to 12 December 1728. His son Teunis (b.1723 - d.31 July 1806) 
inherited his house and farm.

	Teunis married Catharine, daughter of his uncle Johannes SCHENCK, 16 September 1749. 
He had a son Isaac (b.1765 - d.10 June 1844) who married Maria RAPALJE and a son 
Teunis (b.15 February 1767 - d.28 December 1842) who married Gerrrude CORNELL of New Lots. 
About 1765, Teunis SCHENCK Sr. sold his house with his farm of 200 acres (which was 
bounded approximately by what is now Flushing Avenue, Myrtle Avenue, St. Nicholas Avenue 
and Cypress Avenue) to Nicholas WYCKOFF of Flatlands.

	After Nicholas WYCKOFF (b.23 March 1743 - d.29 May 1813) married Antie RAPALYE on 
23 May 1767, they went to live in the old SCHENCK house in Bushwick and there their son 
Peter was born 13 March 1768.

	At the outbreak of the Revolution, Nicholas joined the Kings County Militia. He was 
absent on vedette duty on 27 August 1776 when the British and Hessians swarmed over the 
county raiding houses and farms. They stole his cows and a Hessian officer made his quarters 
in the WYCKOFF home. When Antie complained that she had no milk for her children, this officer 
went to Newtown where the stolen cattle had been driven, found all the WYCKOFF cows save one 
which had been slaughtered and returned them to Antie.

	After the battle, Nicholas went home to his family and continued to live in the little 
old house until some time after the birth of his son, Nicholas N. on 14 October 1781 when 
he moved to another Bushwick dwelling.

	A few years after the end of the war, he built a large comfortable house against his 
smaller one, which he then used for the kitchen wing. Both are shown above and below.
He erected a barn with 1788 cut in the oak beam over the entrance door.

	Then he and his family moved into their new home. There he was able to entertain his 
friends with great hospitality for he was very prosperous.

	After his death, his property went to his son Peter who married Gertrude, daughter of 
Captain Lambert SUYDAM of Bedford, 2 December 1790. Peter died 20 September 1842, leaving 
his house: and farm to his son Nicholas who was born 30 October 1799.

	Nicholas, too, was a farmer. He also took much interest in civic affairs. He was president 
of the First National Bank of Brooklyn and its director for twenty-one years. As one of the 
commissioners, he helped to organize the Ridgewood water system.

	On 20 December 1826, he married Sarah Ann JOHNSON. He died 24 June 1883, leaving his home 
to his son Peter (b.27 February 1828 - d.9 February 1910) who married Catharine Maria RAPALJE 
2 January 1851 and had only one child, Sarah Maria, who married Milford B. STREETER and inherited 
all of her father's property.

	Sarah Ann JOHNSON, wife of Nicholas WYCKOFF, was the daughter of General Jeremiah JOHNSON, 
Brooklyn's first mayor and one of its foremost citizens. He was born on his father's farm at the
Wallabout on 23 January 1766, married Abigail REMSEN, 10 November 1787 and after her death 
Sarah RAPELJE in 1791. He died in 1851. His father was Barnt or Barnet JOHNSON who was born 
2 April 1740, married Anna REMSEN of Newtown 8 September 1746 and died 6 November 1782.

	Barnet JOHNSON was the son of Jan JANSEN (JOHNSON) of Jamaica who married Catelina MARTENSE 
SCHENCK 23 September 1732.

	Jan JANSEN'S parents were Barant JANSE, a farmer of Gravesend who was baptized 18 December 1681 
and Maria, daughter of Nicholas STILLWELL Jr.

	Barent JANSE was the son of Jan Barentse Van DRIEST who emigrated from Sutphen, Gelderland, 
in the Netherlands in 1658. He bought land in Gravesend 26 June 1666, but was living in Flatlands 
from 1672 to 1674. On 18 May 1679, he married Jannetie. daughter of Willem JANSEN Van BARKELOO. 
They went to live in Gravesend where he was on its assessment roll of 1685, and where he worked 
as a carpenter. He died prior to 1697. He signed his name Jan BARENSE and some of his descendants 
took the surname of JOHNSON.


Next Chapter.. COVERT HOUSE
DUTCH Houses..Index Main
Return to TOWN Index Main
Return to BROOKLYN Index Main