1701 - 1855
Western view of Williamsburgh (L.I.) N.Y 1840. Barber, John Warner,
Drawing: pen & ink and wash.
Courtesy of
http://digitalgallery.nypl.org
Long before it was its own town or city, and before it joined the borough of Brooklyn, Williamsbugh was a farming community and a village within the Town of Buschwick. The area was home to Dutch colonial settlers until migration from within the city and immigration from abroad brought rapid population increases. During this time, Williamsburgh made the transformation from a rural community to a thriving urban center.