THE KNAPPS LIVED HERE
1840's -1870's
US FEDERAL CENSUS September 4, 1850 Village of Williamsburgh, Kings County, New York
Francis Dominick Age 40 Occupation Broker
Antoinette Knapp Dominick (J. F. Knapp's Mother) Age 41
William T. Knapp (J. F.'s Brother) Age 20 Occupation Seaman
Joseph F. Knapp Age 18 Occupation Lithographer
I have had this 1850 census for some time now and like all census forms they contain tidbits of information that I've used to put this story together over the last seven years. The last two days I have been writing the portion of the book manuscript that deals mainly with Phoebe & Joseph F. Knapp's life together from 1855 - 1891. In going back through my research materials I discovered that when Joseph & Phoebe were first married they lived not in the Knapp Mansion on Bedford Ave & Ross St Brooklyn, but rather a mile away at South Second Street. I also knew that was where his mother and his step father Francis Dominick lived. In addition to that , South Second Street was where his mother's church was located. It was also the church Joseph F. attended as a boy. All through his mother's life Joseph F. Knapp supported that church in addition to his own St John's. He helped save the 1839 building twice in his lifetime, once in 1875 while his mother was still alive and again in 1889 when he spent about $35,000.00 of his own money to restore and improve it in his mother's memory.
Today I found a story from 1890's about the widower Francis Dominick and it gave his actual address on South Second Street. So just for fun I looked at it on the new satelite images that MSN has online. When I zoomed in my jaw dropped, There they ARE !!! STILL STANDING STRONG The house where J, F, Knapp lived as boy and a newlywed and the church that he attended. Just directly across the street from each other.
It was just as amazing and perhaps even more so than when I stood on the corner of Bedford and Ross in 2002 and looked at the place where the famous Knapp mansion once stood or when I walked up the block to where the cathedral like St. John's ME Church once stood. I know the next time I return to New York ,it is a destination I will be heading for ..... 188 South Second Street, Williamsburg, Brooklyn NY,
The Knapp & Dominick Home Circa 1840 - 1870's As It Looks Today
and across the street .......
The South Second Street Church, Dedicated January 8, 1839
CLOSE CALL
Back in March 19th of 2001, I was actually somewhere VERY Near South Second Street when I was checking out an address location for Mike Knapp of California, who was briefly involved in this story very early on before I knew who was who in the Knapp line. I had no idea at that time who Joseph F. Knapp was ( I was one day away from finding out ) or where he may of lived ..... The star on the map below is one of the address' in Brooklyn that Mike Knapp of California sent me to that his family lived or worked at. His family by the way also lived one street over from Joseph F. Knapp's grandson Joseph F. "Dodi" Knapp's home in Ft. Lauderdale. The entire Mike Knapp & Me relationship ended sourly months later when I finally discovered that his family was not the Knapps that owned the Mastic Beach Knapp Mansion..... It was you could say a VERY CLOSE CALL ....close enough perhaps to make Rod Serling write another tele play
I WAS JUST AROUND THE CORNER
At South Third Street March 19, 2001
PS Anyone out there who lives nearby and wants to take a pictures of The Knapp's South Second St Home & Church for Me
Please Get In Touch.... The Fact That They Have Been Standing For At Least 168 Years Does Not Mean They Will Still Be There
Whenever I Get Back To NY !!!