A Health Physician is appointed by the Board of Health; which office is at present held by Dr. J. G. T. Hunt, with a salary of $200.
The duties of the Board relate to the general conservation of the Health of the village.
As early as 1809, during the prevalence of the yellow fever in this town, the inhabitants met together in consequence of repeated solicitations from the Common Council of New-York, and after stating in their proceedings, that “reports prevailed, that disease exists to an alarming extent in the town of Brooklyn,” they appointed the following gentlemen a committee “for the purpose of inquiring into the state of the health of the inhabitants of said town, and to act as the case in their opinion may require,” viz. William Furman, John Garrison, Burdet Stryker, Henry Stanton, and Andrew Mercein. A sum of money was raised by subscription to meet the expenses of this Committee.
In the year 1819, the Trustees, although not strictly invested with power, yet feeling the necessity of acting with some degree of energy, in order to quiet the fears of the inhabitants, arising from reports of the existence of a pestilential disease in New-York, published an address; in which they state, “that during this season of alarm, they have not been unmindful of that part of their duty incumbent on them as a Board of Health for the village,” and that “measures have been taken to obtain from time to time, a report of the state of health throughout the village, that the inhabitants may be early apprised of any change affecting their welfare.”
PUBLIC BUILDINGS AND INSTITUTIONS.
This head will be divided into three divisions—first, Churches; second, Markets; and third Public Institutions.
First, Churches.
The first Church established in Kings County was, October 13, 1654, when the Rev. Joannes Theodorus Polhemus, a minister of the Dutch Reformed Church, was permitted by Governor Stuyvesant, to preach at Midwout, (Flatbush) and Amersfort, (Flatlands).[21] The congregation was gathered at this time; but the order of Governor Stuyvesant for building the Church is dated December 15, 1654. February 9, 1655, the Governor ordered the inhabitants of Brooklyn and Amersfort, which at that period, together with Gravesend, were one congregation, to cut timber for the erection of the Church at Midwout; which building was to be 60 feet in length, 28 feet in breadth, and 14 feet in height below the beams.
In order to accommodate the four towns of Gravesend, Amersfort, Midwout, and Brooklyn, the Governor ordered that Mr. Polhemus should preach every Sunday morning at Midwout, and Sunday afternoons alternately at Amersfort and Brooklyn.
In the year 1659, the inhabitants of this town applied to Governor Stuyvesant for permission to call a minister for their congregation, assigning as a reason for their application, the badness of the road to Flatbush, the difficulty of attending divine service at New-York, and the extreme old age and inability of the Rev. Mr. Polhemus to perform his services at Brooklyn.