6 Staten Island Association of Arts and Sciences 



scribes them as being to the east of the Old Town (7), and other 

 lots to the west are described in patents dated 1685 and there- 

 abouts as laid out formerly for lots at the Old Town (8). These 

 grants definitely locate Old Town, in agreement with the location 

 of the " hamlet not yet named " as described by Director Stuy- 

 vesant. 



In 1667 Governor Nicolls issued a warrant to the inhabitants 

 of the plantation on Staten Island, and a number of other records 

 are to be found indicating that there was only one village on 

 Staten Island at this time (9). The above mentioned hamlet can 

 therefore be identified as The Town, or the Old Town as it be- 

 came upon the founding of other towns. 



We conclude from the records relating to this matter, extracts 

 from which are appended: 



That Staten Island was first colonized in 1639 by de Vries 

 (10). This colony was destroyed by the Indians in September 

 1641 (11), however; but soon after, in November 1641, Cor- 

 nells Melyn, who had obtained a grant of all of Staten Island 

 except the bouwerie of de Vries, settled thereon (12), 



That the village afterward known as Old Town was begun 

 about 1662 and that it was first known as The Town or The Vil- 

 lage. That the name Old Town was probably not used until the 

 laying out of New Dorp about 1670, and that Oude Dorp was 

 only the Dutch expression for Old Town or Old Village. 



Mr. J. H. Innes, author of New Amsterdam and Its People, 

 and who is an authority on the settlement of New York and 

 vicinity, expressed the opinion some years ago that Old Town 

 was not built until 1662 or 1663 (City History Club Leaflet 

 No. X: 24. 1908) ; and Mr. Edward C. Delavan, Jr., in 1910, 

 wrote a Documentary History of the Permanent Settlement of 

 Staten Island (not printed) substantiating this view. 



The third date and event inscribed on the tablet is : 



1624. Local Government established. 

 The committee of 1906 selected and approved " 1624. Civi- 

 lized Local Government recognized." 



