Here's a breakdown:
* Bouwer (Dutch): "farmer"
* Bouwerie (Dutch): "farmer's estate" or "farm"
In the context of early New York City and the surrounding areas, bouweries were large farms owned by Dutch settlers. These farms were often located outside the city walls and were important for providing food and other agricultural products to the growing population.
Some famous examples of bouweries include:
* The Bowery in Manhattan, New York City, which was originally a farm owned by Peter Stuyvesant, the last Dutch governor of New Netherland.
* The Brooklyn Navy Yard, which was originally a bouwerie owned by Adriaen Hegeman.
Today, the term "bouwerie" is not widely used, but it remains a historical term that reflects the Dutch influence on the early development of New York City and other parts of North America.