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The Currier & ives print showing the Brooklyn Bridge with activity on it is dated 1879. However, as you know, the bridge wasn’t opened tothepublic until 1883?
Suzanne Spellen’s Tales of Brooklyn History and Architecture in 2025That’s different—a common error in City records. I was referring to a Brooklyn City Directory—a precursor to a telephone directory listing residents addresses. The 1901 Brooklyn Directory is the earliest showing someone living at my address. Perhaps they moved in in 1900.
Celebrating Christmas in 1899: A Tale of Two BrooklynsOur house, built in 1896, shows the same 1901 date on the tax records. The common 1901 date is a place holder because Victorian records were lost, destroyed, or incorrectly digitized. We got the date of 1896 for our house when our real estate lawyer saw the original deed for our house during the purchase; plus people were living in our house in the 1900 census.
Celebrating Christmas in 1899: A Tale of Two Brooklyns1899 was the year my house was built, although Brooklyn City Directories don’t show anyone living there until 1901.
Celebrating Christmas in 1899: A Tale of Two Brooklyns