Bottled Up Brooklyn 1 History Scandals and Controversies

Bottled Up Brooklyn 1 History, Scandals, and Controversies of Distilleries in 19 th Century Brooklyn Alison Seuling Learning Places Spring 2016

2 Livingston’s Distillery ´ Philip Livingston ´ Born January 15, 1716 at Albany, NY ´ Signer of the Declaration of Independence. ´ Yale graduate ´ Gin mill located at the end of what is now known as Joralemon Street. ´ Philip died in York, PA on June 12, 1778, land owned by family. ´ Distillery destroyed by a fire in 1787 during the time of the Revolutionary War. ´ The land was purchased by Hezekiah Pierrepont in 1803. Philip Livingston

3 Hezekiah Pierrepont (1768 – 1838) ´ Born in New Haven, Connecticut ´ Merchant and land developer ´ Known to be the “founder” of Brooklyn Heights ´ Purchased the land once owned by Philip Livingston in 1803, built “Pierrepont’s Anchor Gin Distillery”. ´ Anchor Gin discontinued production in 1819 after competing distillers cut into Pierrepont’s profit; the distillery continued for candle making. ´ Died in 1838, buried at Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn, New York. ´ Green-wood Cemetery does liquor and wine tours today.

4 Pierrepont’s Distillery (1803 -1823) Ø Established by Hezekiah Pierrepont in 1803. Ø Located at end of what is now Joralemon Street. Ø Production of Anchor Gin, becoming wildly popular throughout the state. Ø Anchor Gin discontinued production in 1819 after competing distillers cut into Pierrepont’s profit, but the distillery continued use for candle making. Ø Taken over in 1855 by James Rutherford and William I. Schenck. Pierrepont’s Distillery – according to 1823 survey NYPL Digital Collections

5 Manley & Embury ´ Located at the corners of Tillary and Gold Streets ´ Owned by Augustus Embury and Robert F. Manley; Went into partnership Sept. 1843. ´ Operated for 17 years The Brooklyn Daily Eagle, 22 Apr 1846, Wed, Page 2 ´ 50 men employed ´ Machinery driven by a large steam engine of fifty horse-power, which is supplied by several boilers. ´ Approximately 3, 000 gallons of whiskey produced daily. ´ Two reported deaths of teenaged boys, published by Brooklyn Daily Eagle. The Brooklyn Daily Eagle, 19 Feb 1846, Thu, Page 2

6 Cunningham & Harris Ø Located on Front Street, between Main and Washington Streets, Brooklyn. (DUMBO/Vinegar Hill border) Ø Owned by brother-in-laws George D. Cunningham and William H. Harris. Ø Feb 8, 1845 - Brooklyn Daily Eagle publishes story of boy dying. Ø 1845 - People vs. Cunningham & Harris: Distillery claimed as a public nuisance for pipes and vats running along streets where they hold up traffic during rush hours. Smell of alcohol lurks through neighborhood. Kids hurt themselves on pipe. Distillery loses case. The Brooklyn Daily Eagle, 8 Feb 1845, Sat, Page 2

7 Swill Milk Scandals ´ “Swill” - food for animals in liquid or partial liquid form. ´ 1850 s-1860 s ´ Alcohol distillers produced dairy on the side for extra income. ´ Urbanization in Brooklyn led nursing mothers to accept paid work, which took time away from breastfeeding their babies. Purchased cows milk was thought to make up for the nutrition needed to help the babies grow. ´ Cows were fed leftover barley, grain and mash waste from producing alcohol. Cows became weak and sick; bacteria in their milk. ´ Milk naturally very thin, and of a pale bluish color from disease. ´ Artificially whitened with plaster, chemicals, chalk and eggs to disguise as sellable. ´ Milk fed to infants - up to 8, 000 fatalities a year. ´ Distillers in scandal included Johnson & Lazarus (located on 21 st and Broadway in Manhattan), who owned another distillery in Brooklyn, as well as Schenck and Rutherford Rum Distillery. Sick cow being held up with ropes

8 Swill Milk Scandals Bradish Johnson, owner of largest distillery in Manhattan of this time. Frank Leslie’s Illustrated Newspaper 1858 cover, exposing scandal.

9 Schenck and Rutherford ´ Same location as once Livingston’s and Pierrepont’s distilleries in Brooklyn Heights. ´ 1855 - 1866 ´ James Rutherford and William I. Schenck. ´ Brooklyn’s largest rum distillery at the time. ´ Suspected during the Swill Milk Scandal. ´ Majority of the building was destroyed in a fire, coincidentally as Livingston’s distillery burned down in late 1780 s. ´ Was later rebuilt and purchased by another generation of the Livingston family, as a sugar refinery in 1880.

10 Kings County Distillery ´ 2010 - present ´ 299 Sands Street, Brooklyn Navy Yard ´ Paymaster Building, one of the sites of the Brooklyn Whiskey Wars of the 1860 s. ´ First distillery in New York City since Prohibition ´ First opened as small mill in Williamsburg ´ Handmade moonshine, corn whiskey and bourbon whiskey. ´ Owned and operated by Colin Spoelman and David Haskell. ´ Tours and tastings every Saturday

To further research… 11 - Wallabout Distillery – 1834 – 1851 (? ) - 72 Wallabout Street, Brooklyn - - Ely’s Distillery Dudley and Nathan Ely Near the Navy Yard… were they destroyed in the Whiskey Wars?

12 References ´ Tocque, P. (1851). A Peep at Uncle Sam's Farm, Workshop, Fisheries. Retrieved from https: //play. google. com/books/reader? id=Iz. U 4 JAi. YVw. EC&printsec=frontcover&output=reader&hl=en&pg. =GBS. PA 43 Pages 41 -43, C. H. Pierce and Company. ´ http: //s-media. nyc. gov/agencies/lpc/arch_reports/1126. pdf ´ http: //www. karger. com/Article/PDF/363069 ´ Stiles, Henry Reed (1869). A History of the City of Brooklyn: Including the Old Town and Village of Brooklyn, the Town of Bushwick and the Village and City of Williamsburg. Volume II. Published by subscription, Brooklyn, New York. ´ Milbert, Jacques Gerard, 1828. “Pierpont's Distillery on Long Island, 1828. ” NYPL Digital Gallery: ID 1231041. ´ Spoelman, C. , & Haskell, D. (2016). Dead distillers: A history of the upstarts and outlaws who made American spirits. ´ Brooklyn Daily Eagle ´ https: //vimeo. com/129947457 - Brooklyn Historical Society, 4 major distillers of Brooklyn/NYC. ´ Wikipedia ´ kingscountydistillery. com ´ http: //www. smithsonianmag. com/history/whiskey-wars-left-brooklyn-ruins-180953352/? no-ist ´ Trow New York City Directory, 1845