Nicholas Schenck House from Canarsie Park
Nicholas Schenck
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The Brooklyn Museum is commemorating its 200th anniversary by spotlighting 200 standout objects in its encyclopedic collection.
Like the Jan Martense Schenck house, the Nicholas Schenck house is a rare example of Dutch colonial architecture—and a symbol of the Schenck family’s power. Nicholas was the grandson of Jan Martense, whose 17th-century house was donated to the Brooklyn Museum in 1950. Nicholas’s home was built in present-day Canarsie around 1770–75. In 1929, New York Parks and Recreation donated the structure to the Museum to share a distinct account about the Schenck family and Dutch colonial homesteading in Brooklyn.
Nicholas was a wealthy merchant, and his economic comfort is evident in the steady architectural additions to his residence. While some of the dining room’s and parlor’s woodwork—painted in Prussian blue, an expensive color at the time—is original to the 18th-century construction, the building had expanded with two more bedrooms and a second floor by the 1820s.
From records, we know that two individuals were enslaved by Nicholas and labored as servants at his home. The homestead was built on land gifted to Nicholas from his grandfather. This type of settlement undeniably led to the erasure of Indigenous presence in Brooklyn, and specifically the Canarsie community through disease and targeted violence. For the Brooklyn Museum, the house is a key teaching tool to illustrate complicated historical narratives.
Caption
Nicholas Schenck. Nicholas Schenck House from Canarsie Park, ca. 1770–1775. Whole house. Brooklyn Museum, Gift of the City of New York Parks and Recreation, 29.1283. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 29.1283_transp00954c005_yr1984_installation_northeast_bedroom_IMLS_SL2.jpg)
Tags
Maker
Title
Nicholas Schenck House from Canarsie Park
Date
ca. 1770–1775
Medium
Whole house
Classification
Credit Line
Gift of the City of New York Parks and Recreation
Accession Number
29.1283
Rights
Creative Commons-BY
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Frequent Art Questions
Who was Nicholas Schenk?
When Jan Martense Schenck (A Dutch first settler) died in 1689, his son Stephen inherited a parcel of land nearby in an area now known as Canarsie. When Stephen passed away in 1767 he left the land to his son, Nicholas Schenck. Nicholas built the house between 1770 and 1775. Nicholas Schenck served as a Captain in the local militia during the American Revolution. Eventually the house came under the purview of the New York City Parks department in 1896 and the house fell into disrepair. In 1923 it was severely damaged by a storm and the Parks Department made plans to restore it that were never seen through. Following a 1924 article in The New York Times, many wrote to the editor urging the city to preserve the house for its historical value. The Museum received the Nicholas Schenck House in 1929 as a gift to the Museum by the City of New York Parks and Recreation.Are the carpet and wallpaper original?
Neither the carpet or wallpaper are original to the house. Both are reproductions of what were popular at the time. The carpet is called "Venetian carpet" and was woven in strips and the wallpaper is a reproduction of a French document paper with the background color changed from mauve to pale orange. The border paper around the door, windows and chair rail would also have been in style as a decorative motif.Are the floors in the Schenck House original too? They have that creakiness that makes you feel like you're really in an old house.
The Museum did acquire the entire house (it was actually being used as a storage shed) and you are in fact walking on the original floor boards.How difficult is it to move an entire room from a house into a museum?
Very difficult! It's done by a whole team of curators, conservators, and technicians. Rooms are disassembled, pieces are labeled and numbered, and everything is very carefully packed for the move.Then, once the room arrives, it has to be re-assembled, and decisions are made about things like new wallpapers or upholstery, of the old ones are too worn to be displayed. Oh, and lighting has to be installed, and labels need to be researched and written. It's a really laborious and time-consuming process, but fascinating and well-worth the effort!Yup, definitely worth the effort!Yes indeed! And we're lucky to have so many good historic interiors here.Barns and old homes often have robust paint colors like turquoise. What were the base of such paints from so long ago? How did they make the colors?
It is pretty shocking to think about how much brighter these colors may have been during their time of application. I recall reading about how visitors didn't like the more historically accurate restorations of Mount Vernon. because they were too bright.Colonial paints had many different bases. The most expensive part of paint was the huge amount of pigment needed to make vibrant colors! The blue color you see in the Cupola House can also be seen in the Nicholas Schenck house, and is called 'Prussian Blue.' It is a modern paint, the Museum did not attempt to recreate the original surface.Cool, thanks!You're welcome!Who were the Schencks?
The Schencks were a Dutch family that settled in Breuckelen (later, Brooklyn) in 1650. Jan Martense Schenck was 10 when his family arrived. He went on to have a large family, a mill, a farm, a house and land in the Flatlands of Brooklyn. He passed on part of his good fortunes to his son, Stephen, in the form of a patch of land in Canarsie which then became the site of the Nicholas Schenck House (located around the corner in the galleries from the Jan Martense Schenck House.)Thanks, I was sort of testing the app. I'm a descendent of Roelof Schenck, Jan Martense's brother.Wow, so glad you're here and testing the app! I'm actually the Decorative Arts specialist on the team so I spent a lot of time studying both Schenck houses. It feels so special to get to speak to a member of the family.It's a really special treat to see the houses, especially since my daughter is with us. Thank you for your great care with the exhibit.That's so wonderful, I'm glad to hear you are happy with the preservation and exhibition of your family history!What is the object in the corner with the handle?
That's a bed warmer. The metal container would be filled with hot coals or embers and placed in the foot area of a bed. The goal was to keep the bed warm during cold nights.When did they start making comfortable beds?Hm, comfort is a relative term. I'm sure these beds were pretty pleasant to sleep in for people of the time. Mattresses with inner coil springs, which are the types of beds we sleep on were patented in 1865. As always, money really dictates the type of mattress you can afford. Royalty and upper-class people have the best beds, like feather beds, and luxury bedding.I'm wondering if any of the period rooms/historic houses deal with slavery?
While our more well known rooms are from New York Dutch settlers, they certainly had slaves in their home so definitely make your way to the blue Nicholas Schenck House. If you're more interested in the South and deep South you can find The Cane Acres Perry Plantation House and the Cupala House, also on the 4th floor. If you need more details about any of the homes, the rooms or the residents while there, please feel free to ask further questions.Did blue house paint like this paint exist in the eighteenth century?
Yes! The museum has painstakingly matched the paint to the "Prussian blue" used in the period. Prussian blue was the first truly synthetic paint. It was created accidentally by a paint maker in Germany. The resulting chemical compound was stable, simple and inexpensive to produce, and was soon being exported all over Europe and the United States.At the top of the stairs in the Nicholas Schenck House, there is a small step. Is it a seat? Where do the stairs go?
The steps would have gone to the second floor, but the museum does not have those rooms. The extra step is there so that a person could access a second door at the top of the stairs. The upper level was originally a storage space and additional bedrooms were added in the 1920s.Is there a little bed under the main bed?
Yes, that is indeed a trundle bed! Having an extra bed tucked away was common in large families looking to save space. Trundle beds appear in many Kings County inventories in the 1830s.Are the house structures in the museum on display as art or did people really live this way?
Both! The period rooms are actual historical architectural structures. The items within them are functional pieces that people actually used but they also represent trends and "masterworks" of various design movements throughout time.What is that funny extra step in the Schenck house?
Lots of people ask about that extra step! There are actually two doors at the top of the stairs. The one straight up the stairs and one to the right that goes right into a bedroom. The little ledge is a step just for that bedroom. It’s a quirky but functional design detail!These rooms are amazing. Can you tell me more about them?
They sure are! Each of these houses belonged to members of the Schenck family, a prominent Brooklyn family of Dutch heritage that is still around today. The majority of the furnishings you see are from our collection and meant to be period appropriate, but there is a sewing sampler made by Jane Schenck. She sewed the sampler in 1805 when she was 12. It's in the Nicholas Schenck House (the grey-blue one) in the back, right bedchamber.The powder horn in the dining room of the same house also belonged to the family!So glad I came back to see it!Whereabouts was the Schenck house actually located?
The Jan Martense Schenck House (the red one) was in the Flatlands part of Brooklyn and the Nicholas Schenck House was in Canarsie. While in the Nicholas Schenck House be on the lookout for a powderhorn and sewing sampler that actually belonged to the Schencks!As far as the houses, I saw one was in Canarsie park, where would the other be using today's landmarks?The other house is in the Flatlands, Brooklyn near Mill Island.I really love the little models of the houses.
Those are great! I recently learned a little bit about the model maker. He had a fascinating life!Albert Fehrenbacher was a master woodcarver from the Black Forest region in Germany. Taken prisoner during the Second World War, he spent five years in a Russian camp during which time he began work on a panoramic Nativity scene, designed to carry the message of peace and brotherhood for all.Upon his release, he brought his Nativity scene to the United States, where it was shown in over 150 churches across the country. He was hired to work at several American museums, building models.Grateful for the friendliness with which he was received in the United States, Fehrenbacher said, “This country, it has been good to me. I am happy in this work I do for the Brooklyn Museum." He apologized for “having much trouble with speaking English...but I hope I speak from heart to heart with my models.”That is such a wonderful story. My father was born in a Russian camp during the war.Wow, what a fascinating link.Was this turquoise blue wall color really used in the 1700s?
Yes! This color was standard for 18th century Dutch-American family homes on Long Island. The color, called Prussian Blue, was the first artificial pigment ever created. Before, colors derived from organic materials, such as minerals and plants. The blue color had actually been removed at some point, but the museum discovered traces of it during a reinstallation in the 1980s and restored the paneling to its historical color.Todas son diferentes. ¿significa algo?
Todos los cuartos y las casas que se encuentrán en esa parte del museo representan diferentes periodos y estilos de construcción y decoración interior. Por ejemplo, las ultimas dos fotos que me envió vienen de la casa "Nicholas Schenck" que fue originalmente construida en el siglo XVIII.How long does an installation like all of the period rooms take? I love literally stepping back in time down to the very last detail....like the creaky floors, is that part of it?
The creaky floors are an inevitable part of it! While the museum did not specially engineer the creaks, they are a result of incorporating the original flooring from some of these homes! I agree it really adds to the ambience!Is the Schenck house itself a reproduction or is some of it original?
Both of the Schenck houses are original! Most of the furnishings inside come from the Museum's collection, but the buildings themselves were dismantled on site, transported here, and reassembled in our galleries.Is the use of string to hang up curtains and window coverings accurate for this time period (1775)? Also, is the use of glazed chintz for home furnishings common? I know chintz in general was very common for bedchambers, but I have only seen glazed chintz used for clothing of the period.
While the structure of the house itself dates to 1775, the room you're looking at actually represents an 1830s remodel, so it is more accurate to the tastes of the early 19th century.We know what the fabric in this remodeled room would have been like because we have the record for fabric and a bed binding purchased by Nicholas Schenck, Jr. and his wife around 1789. The bed hangings were actually out of fashion by the 1830s, but still in use in this household.So. . . they would have hung them up with strings in the 1830s, or the curator decided to replicate how the remodel was constructed?The curtains are arranged in the common English way, which I take to mean hung up by strings, in the 1830s.This hanging and the fabric itself as you see it here is based on a document print from around 1830 found in the Henry Francis du Pont Winterthur Museum. The "Workwoman's Guide" from around 1840 also invoked that "Window curtains should always accord with the hanging on the bed, both in color and material, and also in shape." In our matching set, the straight hanging fabric at the corners of the bed is complimented by the simple, straight curtains.Ohhh. Okay. Thank you.These Dutch "kas" looks like the German hamburger/Danzig cabinets. Were cabinets of this kind originally invented by the Dutch?
This kas was actually made in Dutch colonial New Amsterdam. The name comes from the Dutch word for a similar style cabinet, the "kast."It was a form that continued to be made by descendants of Dutch colonials well into the 18th century even though it had disappeared in the Netherlands much earlier. Armoires, or kast, were used throughout Europe to store clothing. Clothes were either hung from pegs or folded and stacked. Fabric was very expensive during this period and needed to be carefully stored and protected.Thank you :)Why were hallways so wide?
Originally, the hallway would have been furnished and functional, so they needed a bit more space! Also, guests would have waited in the hall before entering the more private spaces in the house.I am at the Schenck Houses. Why are the names so specific? Why not just call it them Early Dutch Immigrant Houses?
In the case of the Nicholas Schenck and Jan Martense Schenck Houses, the story is a lot about who owned them.Here, the curators want to emphasize that both houses come from the same family. Descendants of these families are still around and they still visit us! The Museum also decided to collect around the family, treating it as a microcosm of Brooklyn history. In 2016 our archives acquired a set of love letters between Jane Schenck and Ralph Malbone, further expanding the story that these period rooms are able to tell.
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