THE LINCOLNS OF No. 25 CRANBERRY (1860)
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The story you are about to read was composed from research conducted in the course of one of those investigations.
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Before Abraham Lincoln traveled to Brooklyn Heights, another Lincoln made it his home.
In fact, on a Sunday morning in February of 1860, George B. Lincoln personally accompanied the future President on his famous visit to hear the Rev. Henry Ward Beecher preach at Brooklyn Heights’ Plymouth Church.
Hailing from Hardwick, Massachusetts, George B. Lincoln arrived in New York City in 1836 at the age of 19. He engaged in the straw business for a number of years, dividing six of those years between New York and New Orleans, eventually setting his roots into Brooklyn soil around 1856, having established his dry good business across the river in Manhattan.
Lincoln, like so many merchants of the period, preferred to live in Brooklyn Heights while keeping his business in New York City. (In fact, this was often how Brooklyn Heights real estate was advertised around the time – in terms of how quickly its businessmen could travel to New York City from Brooklyn.) Arriving around 1855, he initially rented a house at No. 54 Willow Street (future No. 62, now accupied by an apartment building).
A few years later, however, in 1858-9, Lincoln had moved into No. 25 (former 45) Cranberry Street, where he would live for several years until being appointed Brooklyn Postmaster by President Abraham Lincoln.
While living at No. 25, George B. had already developed a relationship with Abraham Lincoln. In fact, it was later revealed that, “by similarlity of name and political sympathy,” he “had become warmly attached and intimately known to (Abraham Lincoln) in Illinois.”
During the period when George B. lived with his family at No. 25 Cranberry Street, he cemented his connection with Abraham Lincoln and the Republican Party when he “was among the first to wait upon (Abraham Lincoln) in his quiet room in the Astor House,” after he had been invited to the city to give a speech that would define his next four years, setting him on the path to the presidency.
On the morning of Sunday, 26 February 1860, George B. “called (on) and accompanied (the future president) to Plymouth Church, where apparently he greatly enjoyed the service.”
Following Abraham Lincoln’s visit, George B. Lincoln would live at No. 25 Cranberry Street for until President Lincoln appointed him Postmaster of Brooklyn, at which point, he moved, briefly, a few doors down to No. 31 (old No. 49) Cranberry Street, and then, subsequently, to No. 25 Pierrepont Street.
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