BROOKLYN HEIGHTS

CATALINA PICCATO, XANTHE GALLATE, RONNIE KABONNI, ADAM LIEBER NEW YORK CITY HISTORY- MR. SANDLER 2012

The section of Brooklyn known as Brooklyn Heights was New Yorks- and Americas- first suburb. Physically, the Brooklyn Heights area is an elevated plateau- situated on bluffs that rise steeply above New York Bay. For over 250 years, the Heights was a relatively remote and rural area, undisturbed by the burgeoning port city of Manahatta across the East River. Before even the arrival of the Dutch in 1626, several tribes of the Algonkian Nation, particularly the Canarsees, lived on this high promontory facing the river. When the first Dutch settments were built, the Indians abandoned their village of Ihpetong (High Sandy Banks)- and so the village of Breuckelen was born in 1646 (named for a town in the Dutch province of Utrecht). The name was changed to Brooklyn only when the British captured New York during Revolutionary War, which saw the crucial battle of Long Island/Brooklyn lost by the patriots on August 27, 1776 as Washingtons forces were overwhelmed by the superior British and Hessian army under Lord How; however, the commander of the

Continental forces was able to successfully withdraw the army to Manhattan under cover a heavy night fog. The development of the Heights as a residential district began in the early 19th century when ferry boats first became steam-propelled: specifically, the opening of Robert Fultons steam ferry Nausau in 1814. In 1834, the State Legislature granted a charter to the City of Brooklyn, resulting in rapid growth and its subsequent annexation of several other independent villages; by the mid-19th century, it had become the third largest city in the nation, with a population exceeding 85,000. Although city was absorbed Greater New York in 1898, the Heights was bypassed and left most undisturbed as land speculators and builders primarily moved south and east (business centers were only concentrated around Fulton and Montague Streets. Thus, it has remained to this day very much the same Bedroom Community as it was more than 150 years ago- a city of churches and middle class homes. Indeed, of the approximately 1,100 homes in the neighborhood, more than 600 were built before 1860! It also has the distinction of having the most cemetery area in proportion to its size, which author Thomas Wolfe seemed to be aware of when he said, Only the dead know Brooklyn. The only major physical change was made in 1950, when the City of New York built the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway, removing a number of old houses in exchange for the magnificent Esplanade (Promenade) over the roadway that provides one of the most scenic views of New York Harbor and Lower

Manhattan. In recognition of its aesthetic and historic value, this neighborhood was designated the Citys first Historic District in 1965. Arrive at Borough Hall Station. The first buildings are gathered around Cadman Plaza. Brooklyn Borough Hall/ formerly Brooklyn City Hall, 209 Joralemon St., at Cadman Plaza W. and Court St. N side. 1846-1851 Gamaliel King. Cupola, 1898. Vincent C. Griffith and Stoughton & Stoughton. Statue of Justice installed and building restored, 1987, Conklin & Rossant. As the 19th century progressed and Brooklyns population/wealth grew, so did its civic center. This building was its center, classified as a Greek Revival Palace, later crowned with a Victorian cupola. It is particularly monumental due to the broad, steep mass of steps rising to its entrance colonnade. It was intended to be a less-expensive copy of New Yorks City Hall, but by going through four different design plans, its aesthetic moods changed and it came to embody the Greek Revivalism of the 1830s and 1840s. Brooklyn Municipal Building, 210 Joralemon St., SE cor. Court St., opposite Borough Hall. 1926, McKenzie, Voorhees & Gmelin. The building where much of the municipal bureaucracy functions take place, contrasted with the ceremonial building opposite it. Cadman Plaza, bounded by Cadman Plaza W., Court, Joralemon and Adams Sts., and the Brooklyn Bridge approaches. 1950-1960. Designed by various city and borough agencies. Much more of a shapeless park than an actual plaza; created by demolition of several blocks east of Brooklyn Heights. The main goal was to create a graceful setting for the new Civi Center buildings and Borough Hall. Notable within

the plaza is the Statue of Henry Ward Beecher, the famous preacher and brother of Harriet Beecher Stowe. Walk back south towards Montague Street, and turn west towards Clinton Street. Montague Street Throughout the 19th century and until the end of WWII, this was the road to the Wall Street Ferry (site now occupied by Pier 4). It was named for Lady Mary Wortley Montagu, ne Pierrepont, the English author of wit and letters. It is now the principal commercial thoroughfare of Brooklyn Heights. A cable car began operating the full length of Montague Street in 1887, which provided a convenient transportation for Manhattan commuters arriving from the ferry; the stone bridge and a later passarelle called the Penny Bridge were created to help pedestrians cross. The street now is lined by a variety of shops, boutiques, and ethnic restaurants. With astronomically rising rents, the locals have slowly been squeezed out in favor of chains- Brooklyn Heights is very much now a neighborhood for conservative, family-oriented young and middle-aged yuppies. Nevertheless, the street has still retained a certain charm and liveliness which makes a walk westward very pleasant. National Title Guaranty Building, 185 Montague St., bet. Cadman Plaza W. and Clinton St. N side. 1930. Corbett, Harrison & MacMurray. A bold Art Deco building from the same architects that shared their designs for Rockefeller Center.

After Clinton Av., you enter the Brooklyn Heights Historic District. Continue walking westward on Montague. St. Anns & the Holy Trinity (originally Holy Trinity Protestant Episcopal Church), 157 Montague St., NW cor. Clinton St. 1847. Minard Lafever. Stained glass, William Jay Bolton. The New York Landmarks Conservancy is entirely responsible for the slow restoration of this neo-Gothic church which they cited to be a great cause clebr. Its interior is cast and painter terra-cotta, not stone, as it might appear at first glance. The Heights Casino, 75 Montague St., bet. Hicks St. and Pierrepont Place. N side. 1905. Boring & Tilton. Exclusive indoor squash and tennis club nicknamed a country club in the city. Its rich brickwork was copied across much of the street. Boring also designed the major buildings of Ellis Island. At the end of Montague Street, walk a few steps to the right into Pierrepont Place. Nos. 2 and 3 Pierrepoint Place, bet. Pierrepont and Montague Sts. 1857. Fregerick A. Peterson. Considered to be the most elegant brownstone dwellings remaining in New York City. Together thhey form a pair of Italianate mansions and were build for Abiel Abbott Low, a tea merchant (No. 3) and for Alexander M. White, a fur dealer (No. 2). The latter was later occupied by Alfred Tredway White, Brooklyn wealthy businessman and philanthropist, responsible for several public

projects. The Esplanade, W. of Montague Terr., Pierrepont Place, and Columbia Heights, bet. Remsen and Organ Sts. 1905-1951. Andrews, Clark & Buckley, engineers. Clarke & Rapuano, landscape architects The Promenade, as it known commonly, is a fringe benefit from the construction of this section of the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway. Local civic groups (such as the Brooklyn Heights Association) cooperated with Robert Moses in the planning. Termed a cantilevered esplanade- a brilliant solution to the relationship of auto, pedestrian, and city- it is projected from the crest of the Heights to overlook the harbor over two level so highway and service road for the pier below. It is quite simple: mostly hexagonal asphalt paving blocks, painted steel railings, basic shrubbery. It provides one of the most unforgettable harbor panoramas, and is considered by many to be New York Citys most spectacular vantage point. It is credited for giving a sudden burst of energy to the redevelopment of Brooklyn Heights, and it inspired the construction of Battery Park City esplanade. Take the next right, exiting just beyond the two mansions. Continue south on Pierrepont Palace (extension of Columbia Heights) past Montague Street, where the street changes its name again to Montague Terrace. Turn left into Remsen Street. Remsen Street is named for Henry Remsen, who lived nearby and opened the quiet, shady street. It is lined with interesting mid- and late-19th century residences. The houses on the south side to Hicks Steer are mostly from the pre-Civil War period, while those on the north are post. Architecturally, the

buildings display neo-Romanesque arches over neo-Byzantine capitals, which give considerable style to what otherwise would be a simple apartment block. Turn right (south) into Hicks Street. Grace Church, 254 Hicks St., SW cor. Grace Court. 1847. Richard Upjohn. Grace Courth Alley is a little mew running eastward to a dead end- a cul-desac- and was formely a stable alley for the patrician residents of Remsen Street. The Protestant Episcopal Grace Church of Brooklyn Heights was completed in 1848. In style it is typical Gothic Revival (like an old Parish Church). The side entrance to the court is a nice spot for resting. Inside, open woodvaulted trusses support the roof and were later replaced with stone. A J.P Morgan memorial doorway was intalled in the 1909 restoration. It is surrounded by elms, some 80 feet tall. Turn left into Columbia Heights for a brief detour. 210-220 Columbia Heights, bet. Pierrepont and Clark Sts. W side. 18521860 A beautiful row of Italianate brownstones, flanked by Corinthian columns and framed by masonry blocks with wormlike rustication. Some are painted white. Varied in Italian influence- check out the different roofs, which create a picturesque silhouette. Continue on Columbia Heights towards the Fulton Ferry Historic District (signs/maps along the way) Brooklyn-Queens Expressway

The first of its kind in New York City, the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway differed from the Citys parkways in that it was built to accommodate both commercial and non-commercial traffic. It stretches 11.7 miles from the Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel near the Red Hook section of Brooklyn to the Grand Central Parkway in Queens. The BQE was intended not only to relieve congestion on local streets but also to aid industry and business by shortening transportation time between the boroughs. Construction of what was then called the BrooklynQueens Connecting Roadway started in 1937 and initially linked Greenpoint Brooklyns Meeker Avenue, by way of the Kosciuszko Bridge (1939), to Queens Boulevard in Sunnyside, Queens. The road enabled Brooklyn motorists to access the newly built Triborough Bridge (1936) and the 1939-40 Worlds Fair site in Flushing Meadows, Queens. Moses intended to run the highway over Union Street and clear residences in the block between Penn and Rutledge Streets in Williamsburg, but this route never materialized, and the road curved westward instead, closer to the Williamsburg Bridge approach. The road passed by the Navy Yard at Wallabout Bay and ran above Park Avenue, connecting motorists to the Manhattan Bridge as well. The onset of World War II in 1941 would halt its progress. Only after 1946, using federal, state, and municipal funds, would the City undergo a major post-war building program. By the time the six-lane expressway was completed in 1964, the entire road cost $137 million, including construction, land, and relocation costs. No sooner than the final link in Queens was completed in 1964 did the BQE have to be reconstructed when work began on

the Long Island Expressway interchange in 1966. In the 1980s, the new renovations of the BQE began. In the 2000s, the BQE will receive a $240-million dollar comprehensive reconstruction from the New York State Department of Transportation. Cadman Plaza West becomes Old Fulton Street After Expressway With the opening of the Brooklyn Bridge in 1883, the Fulton Ferry district began a gradual decline, becoming almost forgotten entirely by the 20th century. However, plans have begin to restore many of the old landmarks and re-create much of the atmosphere of this village. After spending some time in the District, return on Cadman Plaza southward; stop at Atlantic Avenue (past Borough Hall) for some Middle Eastern fare. Atlantic Avenue runs parallel to Fulton Street for much of its course through Brooklyn, where it serves as a border between the neighborhoods of Prospect Heights and Fort Greene and between Bedford-Stuyvesant and Crown Heights. In Brooklyn Heights, the stretch of Atlantic Ave nearest the South Ferry waterfront has long been known for its antique shops and its notable Arab community, including mosques, specialty shops and restaurants specializing in Middle Eastern cuisine. Yemen Cafe and Restaurant is reportedly the best Yemeni Eatery on the Eastern Seaboard, but Atlantic Ave is also home to the Waterfront Ale House, and the more laid-back Chip Shop.