See the workman's name, Conover?
Well that is an Americanized version of the old NY Dutch name, Von Cowenhoven, which is one of my family names.
So...that is a very appropriate name to read in connection to this story!!
Yes...you bring up an interesting point about the names. When the English took over New Amsterdam in 1664, many of the descendants of the Dutch and French Walloons who originally settled there in 1626 did indeed Anglicize their names.