Tom Crimmins Realty Blog

Although there were already settlements in Manhattan by the 1620s, Staaten Eylandt was uncolonized until years later. It took many decades to be colonized because of feuding between settlers and tribes on the island. The disputes between the two were diminished, the Dutch established a colony called Oude Dorp, or Old Town, near South Beach in 1661. Cornelis Melyn was a patron of Staten Island who wanted to insure the island would be in good hands. Melyn had sold his rights to Staten Island to the West India Company for five hundred dollars; grants of the land were handed to.

Stuyvesant's mission was to put the lands in better condition. He did this by having the vacant lots about the fort either built upon or cleared. The hog-pens, which had been in front of the houses, were taken away. All the fences were put in repair, and where weeds had grown rank, they were replaced by gardens. (The History Box).

"Oude Dorp", Old Town

Gov. Peter Stuyvesant permitted the first permanent European settlement. A proclamation was sent to French, Dutch and Belgian families looking for economic opportunity and refuge from execution of religion. The first settlement was located in Oude Dorp, Dutch for “Old Town,” near South Beach. The Huguenots and the Waldenses were the first families that same to live south of the Narrows bridge. It is obvious where the Huguenots had settled; the Waldenses had contributed to the development of Stony Brook (which is now merged into a neighborhood in New Dorp).

In 1664, The British attacked from the sea and force Peter Stuyvesant to surrender. New Amsterdam and Staten Island became part of the English Colony, now called New York.

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