John Thatcher Collection, 1905 - Brooklyn Public Library

Brooklyn Public Library
Grand Army Plaza
Brooklyn, NY 11238
Guide to the John Thatcher Collection, 1905 - 1931
Contact: Brooklyn Collection
Phone: 718.230.2762
Fax: 718.857.2245
Email: bcref@brooklynpubliclibrary.org
www.brooklynpubliclibrary.org
Finding aid prepared by Ivy K. Marvel
Copyright © 2011 Brooklyn Public Library. All rights reserved.
Descriptive Summary
Creator:
Title: John Thatcher Collection
Date Span: 1905 - 1931
Abstract: Arranged in 3 series, as follows:
Series 1: Incoming Correspondence and Ephemera, 1912
Series 2: Newspaper Clippings, 1912
Series 3: Visual Material, 1905 - 1931
Quantity: 1 flat box
Location: Brooklyn Collection, Map Room, Shelf 6.4
Repository: Brooklyn Public Library – Brooklyn Collection
Reference Code: BC0185
Biographical History
John Thatcher (1853 – 1912) was one of the foremost builders for the city of Brooklyn during the late 19 th
and early 20 th centuries. From 1899 until his death, Thatcher held the position of Superintendent of the
Bureau of Buildings for the city of Brooklyn. Before this post he worked as the Superintendent of the
Bureau of Sewers under the Swanstrom Administration.
Born near Hollowell, Wales in 1853, Thatcher moved to America in either 1863 (according to several
sources) or 1870 (according to the Brooklyn Daily Eagle) and settled first in Brooklyn. He worked for his
uncle James Thatcher as a plasterer and then moved to Chicago in 1871, looking for work as a builder after
that city was devastated by fire. When Thatcher returned to Brooklyn he began his own plastering and
building firm, Thatcher & Son. Thatcher lived in Brooklyn until his death on June 18, 1912 at the age of 59.
He died following a fall, due to faulty scaffolding, from the top story of a partially constructed tenement
building at New Lots Road and Snediker Avenue, in the East New York section of Brooklyn.
Buildings erected by Thatcher include: the Brooklyn Academy of Music, the Dime Savings Bank, a wing of
Brooklyn Hospital, the Hebrew Orphan Asylum, the warehouse of the Brooklyn Storage and Warehouse
Company, Erasmus Hall High School, the Polhemus Clinic of the Long Island College Hospital, areas of the

Abraham and Strauss department store complex, the Carroll Gardens library branch, as well as hundreds of
apartments, private homes and schools. Important to acknowledge is the ingenious plan Thatcher & Son
devised (after John Thatcher’s death) to move the Lefferts homestead. The historic 18 th century Dutch
Colonial farmhouse was moved to Prospect Park in 1918 from its original location at 563 Flatbush Avenue.
Thatcher developed a reputation as a strong advocate of building reform. He recommended the wearing of
uniforms by Buildings Bureau employees in an effort to exhibit authority and professionalism in the
construction field. In order to ensure safe construction Thatcher made a convincing argument to have a bill
passed which required builders to be licensed. In reference to this bill, Thatcher wrote, “There is a positive
danger existing today in that a large number of buildings are put up by men who know absolutely nothing
about construction. Their one aim is to make money and the cheapest labor in the market.”
His funeral was attended by many government and borough officials, including borough president Alfred
Steers, Assistant of the Borough of Buildings William A. Coakley, and Congressman William C. Redfield.
Also important to recognize was the praise Thatcher received from several politicians of his day. Mayor
Gaynor declared, “I do not know when I was so much affected by the news of the death of any one as by
the news of the death of John Thatcher … He was one of the best public officials that I have ever known in
every sense.” Alfred Steers reiterated Gaynor’s thoughts, “He died a martyr to the service. He was one of
the best officials that Brooklyn, and in fact the entire city, has ever had.” The Brooklyn Daily Eagle described
Thatcher as “one of the most honest and devoted public officials Brooklyn has ever had.”
Scope and Content
Series I consists of 14 letters sent to John Thatcher’s wife and son upon his death, in 1912. Many of these
are from politicians and colleagues sending their condolences, although some deal with more practical
concerns such as funeral arrangements and obituary notices. Series II consists of 31 binder pages of
newspaper clippings reporting Thatcher’s death and the aftermath, mostly collected by the Henry Romeike
newspaper cutting service of New York City. Clippings are from such papers as the Brooklyn Daily Eagle, the
Standard Union, and the New York Times. Series III is an album of photographs of buildings constructed by
John Thatcher & Son.
Restrictions
Access Restrictions
Collection is located in the Brooklyn Collection at the Central Branch at Grand Army Plaza. The
collection may only be used in the library and is not available through interlibrary loan. Requests to
view the collection must be made at least 48 hours in advance of visit.
Use Restrictions
While many items in the Brooklyn Collection are unrestricted, we do not own reproduction rights to
all materials. Be aware of the several kinds of rights that might apply: copyright, licensing and
trademarks. The borrower assumes all responsibility for copyright questions.
Access Points
Guide to the John Thatcher Collection
Brooklyn Public Library – Brooklyn Collection
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Subject Topics:
Brooklyn (New York).
Brooklyn Academy of Music--Buildings--1860-1870.
Historic buildings.
Administrative Information
Preferred Citation
This collection should be cited as the John Thatcher Collection, Brooklyn Public Library – Brooklyn
Collection.
Arrangement
Arranged in 3 series, as follows:
Series 1: Incoming Correspondence and Ephemera, 1912
Series 2: Newspaper Clippings, 1912
Series 3: Visual Material, 1905 – 1931
Container Listing
Series 1: Incoming Correspondence, 1912
Extent: 14 pages in 1 binder
Arrangement: alphabetical by sender
Name
Page
Coakley, William A., Assistant Superintendent of Buildings 1
Cronin, Barth S., New York State Senator 2
Davidson, H. A. 3
Gaynor, William J., Mayor of New York City 4
John Thatcher & Son pin 4
Gaynor, William J., to Alfred Steers (Brooklyn Borough President) 5
Geis, John, secretary of the Brooklyn League 6
Geis, John 7
Gunnison, Herbert F, business manager of the Brooklyn Daily Eagle 8
Hoile, James T., secretary of Manufacturers’ Association of New York 9
Leeming, Woodruff, President of the American Institute of Architects,
Brooklyn Chapter 10
Redfield, William C., U.S. House of Representatives 11
Redfield, William C. 12
Romeike, Albert, secretary of Henry Romeike, Inc. 13
Studebaker, Charles A., of Sayre & Fisher Co. 14
Stock Certificate, 1907 15
Series 2: Newspaper Clippings, 1912
Extent: 31 pages in 1 binder
Arrangement: by title of newspaper, chronological
Guide to the John Thatcher Collection
Brooklyn Public Library – Brooklyn Collection
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Series 3: Visual Material, 1905 - 1931
Extent: 28 pages of photographs of Thatcher & Son buildings in one bound volume
Guide to the John Thatcher Collection
Brooklyn Public Library – Brooklyn Collection
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