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January 22, 2004 23:30:49
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History of Brooklyn Heights
Once known as Clover Hill, was one of New York's first suburban areas. This high ground offers a clear view of the glorious Manhattan skyline. It was first settled in 1642 by Dutch farmers after the completion of Manhattan's Peck Slip ferry. At the foot of what is now Montague Street, once stood the Revolutionary War headquarters of General George Washington's troops. In 1816, upon Brooklyn's recognition as a municipality, the enterprising and wellborn Hezekiah Pierpont (Pierrepont) had streets laid out and directed that all homes built, be constructed of brick and stone, creating a select area in which the monied elite could settle. Property was advertised for sale to businessmen working in lower Manhattan. This marked the beginning of the area's aristocratic period when many large and elegant homes and hotels were built. Some still stand today along Willow and Pierrepont Streets. Family and church were the cornerstone's of this patrician existence, as were formalities, replete with pomp and circumstance. The end of WW I marked a noted change in the area. The arrival of the automobile and the allure of the suburbs, succeeded in taking many from the area. By the 1950s, many homes were subdivided into rooming houses and the area underwent a decline. Unfortunately, area clearance projects resulted in the demolition of many rows of historic brownstones. But collective community efforts were successful in salvaging a large part of the area, and the Promenade, a walkway with an impressive view of the Manhattan skyline, was developed. In recent years, this neighborhood has become one of the city's most exclusive neighborhoods, populated by many of society's upper echelon, including Wall Street bankers and attorneys. Well-kept brownstones, historic churches, and the many shops and cafes along Montague Street all succeed in attracting residents and visitors to this upscale area.
Served by Community District 2
Zip Code: 11201
Claims to Fame:
The Brooklyn Historical Society (128 Pierrepont Street) is host to many happenings, lectures and events relative to Brooklyn. It houses a vast reference library of original documents and artifacts depicting Brooklyn's history. Visitors can view bits of the Brooklyn of yesteryear, among them seats from Ebbet's Field and memorabilia from the old Coney Island amusement area.
Established as New York City's first landmarked district in 1965, over 100 historic homes remain in the area. Among them is the charming house at 24 Middagh Street. Built in the early 1820s, it is an unmarred example of the Federal style.
Plymouth Church of the Pilgrims at (75 Hicks Street) was founded in 1847 and accommodated many prominent leaders among its worshipers, including Charles Dickens, Mark Twain and Abraham Lincoln.
Congregationalist Minister Henry Ward Beecher preached at the church from 1847-1887, making a public stand against slavery and other immoralities.
The Promenade - a walk along this deck that extends over the Brooklyn Queens Expressway affords an inspiring view of the magnificent Manhattan Skyline. At night, the glitter and twinkle of lights still has the ability to awe even the most entrenched New Yorker.
The Squibb Pharmaceutical Company, acclaimed for the creation of ether, greatly used as an anistetic, saw its beginnings in the area on the site that is now The World Headquarters of the Jehovah's Witnesses. The company moved to New Jersey in 1969.
From its very beginnings to the present day this area has always attracted the creative, the poetic and the visionary, including:
The beloved poet and writer Walt Whitman, who lived for a time in Brooklyn Heights where he composed and published his poetry while working as a writer for a local paper, The Brooklyn Daily Eagle, where he later served as editor.
The Brooklyn Daily Eagle, a local paper that served as the voice of the borough from 1841 through 1955, was stalwart in its purpose of reporting detailed local events, as well as national and foreign news. Its editorial policy, most times colored by the prevailing editor, for good or for bad, served to effect current events of the times.
Truman Capote's Breakfast at Tiffanys was authored while he was a resident of Brooklyn Heights.
Singer/songwriter Harry Chapin was born and raised in Brooklyn Heights.
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