Arthur W. Benson
Encyclopedia
Arthur W. Benson was a president of Brooklyn Gas Light
who developed the New York City
suburb
s of Bensonhurst and Montauk
.
Benson founded the Brooklyn Gas Light company in 1823, when Brooklyn
had 9,000 people.
He began buying farmland that was formerly owned by the Polhemuses family in 1835. Between 1830 and 1850 Benson divided the farmland into lots that were sold in the newly created suburb of Bensonhurst.
In 1869 Benson was one of only nine individual investors in the Brooklyn Bridge
with the first planning meetings held at the Brooklyn Gas Light headquarters.
In 1879 Benson paid US$151,000 for 10000 acres (40.5 km²) of government land around Montauk in an auction (with Benson paying 10% down). In the middle of the land was Indian Field which was the home for the Montaukett
tribe. The land had been held in trust for the tribe. Benson moved to get clear title to the land with promises of buying it from tribesmen for $10 each; in one case one of the tribesmen houses was burned. The legitimacy of the transaction is still being contested in court by the tribe. The transaction cleared the way for Austin Corbin
to bring the Long Island Rail Road
to Montauk with the first train pulling in December 17, 1895.
Benson envisioned the Montauk area as a playground for the rich. Stanford White
and his McKim, Mead, and White
firm designed seven houses at the Ditch Plains area of Montauk. Frederick Law Olmsted
and his sons designed a private park system. Tick Hall, one of the houses owned by television personality Dick Cavett
, was destroyed by a 1997 fire. Its reconstruction was followed in a Public Television documentary.
KeySpan
KeySpan Corporation, now part of National Grid USA, was the fifth largest distributor of natural gas in the United States. KeySpan was formed in 1998 as result of the merger of Brooklyn Union Gas Company and Long Island Lighting Company...
who developed the New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
suburb
Suburb
The word suburb mostly refers to a residential area, either existing as part of a city or as a separate residential community within commuting distance of a city . Some suburbs have a degree of administrative autonomy, and most have lower population density than inner city neighborhoods...
s of Bensonhurst and Montauk
Montauk, New York
Montauk [ˈmɒntɒk] is a census-designated place that roughly corresponds to the hamlet with the same name located in the town of East Hampton in Suffolk County, New York, United States on the South Shore of Long Island. As of the United States 2000 Census, the CDP population was 3,851 as of 2000...
.
Benson founded the Brooklyn Gas Light company in 1823, when Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
had 9,000 people.
He began buying farmland that was formerly owned by the Polhemuses family in 1835. Between 1830 and 1850 Benson divided the farmland into lots that were sold in the newly created suburb of Bensonhurst.
In 1869 Benson was one of only nine individual investors in the Brooklyn Bridge
Brooklyn Bridge
The Brooklyn Bridge is one of the oldest suspension bridges in the United States. Completed in 1883, it connects the New York City boroughs of Manhattan and Brooklyn by spanning the East River...
with the first planning meetings held at the Brooklyn Gas Light headquarters.
In 1879 Benson paid US$151,000 for 10000 acres (40.5 km²) of government land around Montauk in an auction (with Benson paying 10% down). In the middle of the land was Indian Field which was the home for the Montaukett
Montaukett
The Montaukett is an Algonquian-speaking Native American group native to the eastern end of Long Island, New York and one of the thirteen historical indigenous centers...
tribe. The land had been held in trust for the tribe. Benson moved to get clear title to the land with promises of buying it from tribesmen for $10 each; in one case one of the tribesmen houses was burned. The legitimacy of the transaction is still being contested in court by the tribe. The transaction cleared the way for Austin Corbin
Austin Corbin
Austin Corbin was a 19th-century American railroad executive and robber baron. He consolidated the rail lines on Long Island bringing them under the profitable umbrella of the Long Island Rail Road....
to bring the Long Island Rail Road
Long Island Rail Road
The Long Island Rail Road or LIRR is a commuter rail system serving the length of Long Island, New York. It is the busiest commuter railroad in North America, serving about 81.5 million passengers each year. Established in 1834 and having operated continuously since then, it is the oldest US...
to Montauk with the first train pulling in December 17, 1895.
Benson envisioned the Montauk area as a playground for the rich. Stanford White
Stanford White
Stanford White was an American architect and partner in the architectural firm of McKim, Mead & White, the frontrunner among Beaux-Arts firms. He designed a long series of houses for the rich and the very rich, and various public, institutional, and religious buildings, some of which can be found...
and his McKim, Mead, and White
McKim, Mead, and White
McKim, Mead & White was a prominent American architectural firm at the turn of the twentieth century and in the history of American architecture. The firm's founding partners were Charles Follen McKim , William Rutherford Mead and Stanford White...
firm designed seven houses at the Ditch Plains area of Montauk. Frederick Law Olmsted
Frederick Law Olmsted
Frederick Law Olmsted was an American journalist, social critic, public administrator, and landscape designer. He is popularly considered to be the father of American landscape architecture, although many scholars have bestowed that title upon Andrew Jackson Downing...
and his sons designed a private park system. Tick Hall, one of the houses owned by television personality Dick Cavett
Dick Cavett
Richard Alva "Dick" Cavett is a former American television talk show host known for his conversational style and in-depth discussion of issues...
, was destroyed by a 1997 fire. Its reconstruction was followed in a Public Television documentary.