Real estate
Beekman brought wealth from the Old World and invested it wisely in New Amsterdam. In 1652, he purchased a farm known as Corlaer's Hook from Jacob Corlaer where Beekman lived with his bride and was fully launched into the delightful society of the Dutch city. At the time, the East River ran much farther inland than at present, and a large portion of the territory between Fulton Street and Corlear's Hook was salt meadow, scarcely fit for grazing. This land, about midway between Broadway and Chatham Street, was originally a large pond, denominated by the Dutch kolck or marsh, which they also designated as the Fresh Water, and a stream or rivulet from it running eastward, and crossing Chatham Street, between Pearl and Roosevelt Streets, and having there a bridge over it. Additional purchases that formed the basis of the family's wealth included the land now bounded on the north by Nassau, on the west by Ann, and as far as Gold, Pearl, Fulton, and Frankfort streets, and also the swamp below Pearl Street, which from that time on was known as "Beekman's Swamp" to Frankfort Square. He added land to his farm land owned by Isaac de Forest, near what is now 126th Street, on the upper end of Manhattan Island, destined to later become Harlem.
By 1658, Beekman was a prosperous family-man of thirty-five. He received by patent, 20 June 1655, a tract of land beyond the Kalck Hoek, or Collect. Difficulties arose about the right of way through this land for cattle pastured on the Commons. This cattle-path was probably the origin of Beekman Street. He held properties at Corlaer's Hook and in Harlem as well as the land on which his house stood, the north side of the present site of Chatham Square. He was also a brewer, as were many of the town's leading citizens, and the proprietor of a flour mill.
During the period of 1658–1671, Beekman conducted several significant real estate transactions of lands he had amassed since his arrival in New Amsterdam. In 1666, he sold to Peter Stuyvesant some forty-six acres near what is now 34th Street, helping to form what became known as Stuyvesant's Bouwery Number 2. In 1667, he sold to Domine Megapolenses the house at Chatham Square where he had once lived and in 1668, disposed of the entire Corlaer plantation to Stephanus Van Cortlandt and Cornelius Van Steenwyk, two of the town's wealthiest citizens.
In 1670, he purchased from Thomas Hall property an extensive farm along the East River, now Pearl Street and bounded by Nassau Street on the west. The southerly boundary of the farm was where Fulton Street now is and the northerly boundary was Beekman's Swamp, then called the Kripple Bush. It included a brew house, a mill, horse mill, and an orchard. To these he later added an adjoining piece of meadowland purchased at public auction. At this farm he took up residence in the spring of 1671, when he was relieved of his duties as schout at Esopus. According to Valentine's History of New York, Beekman's Swamp was sold in 1734 to Jacobus Roosevelt for two hundred pounds by the corporation. He used beer to pay his taxes in 1672 and was referred to publicly as "brewer". Later it became clear that William was also a shipowner who engaged in trade and privateering in the Caribbean area.
In 1676, Beekman added to his land holdings purchasing the land of Thomas Hall, with a house facing the East River and a brew house on it.
Around 1696, he purchased a large tract of land on the Hudson from local Indians, today known as the Rhinebeck Patent, and built on it a stone house and called the estate "Rhinebeck". It was still standing in 1877. The bricks of the chimney were imported from the Netherlands. The place was named for the river Rhine in Europe, upon the banks of which Beekman was born.
