Knowing the local neighborhood historian, a gentleman by the name of Morgan Munsey, aka Amzi Hill in the brownstoner blogosphere, can pay dividends. Just when we thought we were beginning to understand the lay of the land in Bed-Stuy, after a brief conversation with Morgan we began to feel the tectonic plates shift beneath our feet. It is truly a transformative experience to see the world through his eyes and catch a glimpse of the treasure trove of history/herstory that he has become.
Speaking with Morgan we learned that our house was owned by a gentleman by the name of Welcome Smith Jarvis Esq. who apparently died on September 8th of 1898 at the age of 43 from intestinal troubles. A not uncommon tradition during the time, the funeral and presumably a wake was held in the parlor where Welcome was visited by friends and family.
Welcome was also part of a large Wall Street law firm and was a relatively accomplished person. He had gray eyes, a brown partly balding hair line and a height of 5′-10″. By the looks of his passport application it looks as though Welcome did some traveling in 1897.
It also looks as though Welcome had a son named Warren who attended Yale to become a Lawyer, having graduated from Brooklyn Polytechnic high school.
Being an architect by training and having the opportunity to fix up an old brownstone in Brooklyn is a real privilege and a dream come true for someone such as myself. Understanding and learning the history/herstory of the stories and people who have lived in the home and shaped the neighborhood that we have come to love is a real treat and adds a tremendous amount of dimension to the whole process of renovation.
I highly recommend taking Morgan out for a coffee, or going to one of his fabulous open houses as he is also a marquee Realtor in the area.