Author Title Imprint. 16 — ■■ 1 tpti d tlu fipffiumxt APPOINTED BY THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS Long J; H 3TORICAL SoC Presented to the Society May 16, 1871. At a meeting of the Directors of this Society, held on the 18th day of January, 1870, the undersigned were appointed a Committee to consider the matter of a new building for its use, to be erected on the lots purchased for that purpose, on the corner of Clinton and Pierrepont Streets. The Building Committee reported informally the results oi their deliberations to the last meeting of the Directors, held the 8th of the present month ; after a free discussion our repoi was substantially approved, and we were requested by a unani- mous vote to present a formal report at this meeting, with recom- mendations in behalf of the Board. It was agreed in the Committee, at the outset, that it would not be wise to begin to build until we were assured of the means to finish the work. After several meetings it was decided to employ Mr. Leopold Eidlitz to prepare a suitable plan for the building, with estimates, in order that we might be able to report definitely to the Society the amount of money required to com- plete it. With careful deliberation, after frequent consultation with members of the Board who know best what the Society requires for the full carrying out of its work, Mr. Eidlitz has brought for- ward his designs, taking advantage of the opportunities for con- venient arrangement which the site so obviously affords, and providing generally in a superior manner for the present and future collections of the Society, and for its stated public meet- ings. The plans and elevations are here to-night, and may be examined at the close of the meeting, and at any other time in the rooms of the Society. It is, however, to be distinctly understood that these designs are yet to be still more carefully studied and elaborated, both by the Architect and the Committee, and that they have neither been accepted nor adopted, except as a basis for estimating the amount required for the achievement of the work in hand. As before intimated, we are not disposed to proceed without sufficient means. We realize that the dignity of our Society must suffer, and that its existence will be jeopardized, if we lead it into debt. We also know that such a building as we propose to erect is in some sort a luxury, and that we can possibly get on prosperously without it a year or two longer. On the other hand, we believe that the existence of this Society, and a prompt and generous furtherance of its aims, are absolutely indispensable, if Brooklyn is to maintain her present enviable rank among the first cities of the land for the highest culture and refinement. Who of us are willing to surrender that ? Neither do your Committee deem it desirable to mak* this Society or its new building anybody's monument. Libraries as monuments of the wealth and munificence of individuals have rarely, if ever, been eminently useful. It is a notable and most interesting fact that the collections of the Long Island Historical Society have been the work of over one thousand of our fellow- citizens. Its various special funds, amounting with the other property to one hundred and seventy thousand dollars, cash value, are the good fruit of a spirit of co-operation (peculiar to Brooklyn), which has given us great strength and prosperity in the past. Let us appeal to it again ! Your Committee are convinced that a new home for the treasures of your Society can be built complete, fireproof to the first book floor, with the best materials and workmanship (not including book shelves, for which they have as yet neither plans nor estimates), for the sum of one hundred and sixty thousand dollars. If we add to this ten thousand dollars for the item excepted, and fourteen thousand for mortgage and interest now due upon the site, we have an aggregate of one hundred and eighty-four thousand dollars. For this sum of money available immediately as wanted, your Committee would be willing to undertake to complete this work, to the satisfaction of the Society and the honor of the city. As, however, there must always be unforeseen expenditures in a work of this character, and to cover interest on deferred pay- ments, we recommend that a subscription be opened for two hundred thousand dollars (including twenty thousand dollars here- tofore subscribed towards the purchase of the site), which shall be nowise binding until the whole amount shall have been sub- scribed ; but when so subscribed, to be payable, one-third at the call of the Board of Directors, and the remainder in two equal yearly ray men ts, to date from the first payment, without interest. S. B. Chittenden, Henry C. Murphy, . J. Carson Brevoort, Charles Storrs, Henry Sheldon. The Report was unanimously adopted by the Society, and, on motion, it was resolved to carry out the recommendations of the Committee. *ri . .