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Renovation Report – Behind the Scenes

Written by Janice on January 24th, 2013

Welcome to Renovation Report, the first installment in a monthly series of blog posts to provide progress reports on Brooklyn Historical Society’s (BHS) current renovation and to highlight the fascinating features of our landmark building. Designed by architect George Post and opened in 1881, Brooklyn Historical Society’s building was ahead of its time, and will be once again.

BHS trustees and staff view the ceiling restoration of the ground floor event space

BHS is midway through construction to renovate the first floor and lower level. We are thrilled to see physical changes unfold! We remain OPEN during this construction period, and the new spaces are slated to open in fall 2013 in conjunction with the launch of BHS’s 150^th anniversary celebrations. We want to let you know what’s happening, what to expect, share some of the amazing architectural details of our building, and give you an insider’s view into the behind-the-scenes work that is underway.

The newly configured spaces will include 2,200 square feet of new galleries for exhibitions and create a classroom for student and teacher programs. We are also restoring the historic entrance to the building and will provide an exciting, new welcome desk and Brooklyn specific gift shop. These updates will improve visitor flow through the building with better ADA access. Central to the project is enlivening our main event space for public programs and space rentals by restoring the space to the full breadth of the original auditorium. It will once again accommodate up to 200 people seated, highlight the detailed wood ceiling with updated lighting, and offer a fully equipped audio-visual system. All of these changes to the building modernize the spaces for current and future use while respecting the magnificence of our landmark building. View the new designs here.

Cross-section of the newly designed spaces on BHS’s first floor and lower level

Please check back next month for the latest update. Or view the whole series in our blog category, Landmark Building.

Posted in Landmark Building | No Responses »
Tags: Architecture, Brooklyn, Brooklyn Heights, George B. Post, Historic Landmark, Renovation

Digging Deep Into Brooklyn’s Past

Written by Matthew Gorham on October 3rd, 2011

When I was a child, I was convinced for awhile that I would one day grow up to become an archaeologist. That is of course until I came to the cruel realization that archaeological work tends to involve a lot less of this, and a whole lot more of this. Unlike me, Terry Lymon was deterred neither by the tedium of some archaeological work, nor by a lack of professional training and education in the field, and his papers are one of my favorite collections that we’ve uncovered over the course of the hidden collections project.

Little is known about Terry Lymon, a New Jersey native, Brooklyn resident, and self-taught amateur archaeologist who supported his hobby by working odd jobs. In the summer of 1965, Mr. Lymon and several assistants (including the Director of the Long Island Historical Society at that time, Dwight B. Demeritt) undertook an archaeological excavation on the parcel of land bounded by Fulton, Middagh, and Henry Streets, which had recently been razed for the construction of Cadman Plaza North. The Terry Lymon papers (ARC.057) document this project, and provide a detailed glimpse into the history of this little corner of Brooklyn Heights.

Below is a map hand-drawn by Mr. Lymon that shows the block where the excavation took place. The areas marked in red indicate the specific sites where Mr. Lymon and his team did their work.

Map of the Cadman Plaza North excavation, 1965. Terry Lymon papers, ARC.057. Brooklyn Historical Society.

The collection also includes 46 black-and-white photographs of Mr. Lymon’s team at work. It’s not known if Terry Lymon is one of the people depicted in any of these pictures.

Photograph of an unidentified group at dig site #18, 1965. Terry Lymon papers, ARC.057. Brooklyn Historical Society.

Photograph of an unidentified person at dig site #18, 1965. Terry Lymon papers, ARC.057. Brooklyn Historical Society.

Photograph of an unidentified man at dig site #18, 1965. Terry Lymon papers, ARC.057. Brooklyn Historical Society.

During the dig, Mr. Lymon and his team uncovered all sorts of artifacts and remnants of human occupation, including traces of building foundations, dry wells and cisterns, and personal possessions of past residents dating back to the early 19th century. In addition to the photographs and map above, the collection includes a number of hand-drawn diagrams of the dig sites themselves, as well as the artifacts that the team unearthed.

These first two diagrams show cross-sections of a couple of the dig sites, indicating the types and approximate dates of the objects and structures discovered at each one, and the depth underground at which they were located.

Cross-section of an unidentified dig site at the Cadman Plaza North excavation, 1965. Terry Lymon papers, ARC.057. Brooklyn Historical Society.

Cross-section of lot #1, site #6 at the Cadman Plaza North excavation, 1965. Terry Lymon papers, ARC.057. Brooklyn Historical Society.

Mr. Lymon also made true to size illustrations of all of the small objects that were uncovered during the excavation. This one shows a half-penny coin, several smoking pipes, pieces of whale bone, a brass bell, two marbles, and a skeleton key, among other things.

Artifacts from lot #1, site #6 at the Cadman Plaza North excavation, 1965. Terry Lymon papers, ARC.057. Brooklyn Historical Society.

As an archivist, looking through Terry Lymon’s papers can be rather humbling. Whereas I’m lucky enough to actually get paid to steep myself in Brooklyn’s history all day, Mr. Lymon was able to do so only during those precious hours when he wasn’t working to make ends meet. The passion for archaeology that was his only motivating factor is clearly evident in the hard work and attention to detail that he put into this excavation project.

I’ve often wondered what ever became of Terry Lymon, and whether he led any other archaeological digs in Brooklyn, but the research I’ve done has yielded only scant bits of information. In the fall of 1965, the Long Island Historical Society hosted a lecture by Mr. Lymon and his team on the Cadman Plaza North excavation, as well as an exhibition of some of the artifacts they discovered. Then in 1966, Curator John S. Kopper of the Henry Whitfield State Museum in Connecticut drew up a formal proposal to build upon Mr. Lymon’s work with a more large scale, professionally-led excavation of the site. Whether this project ever came to fruition is unknown, and beyond this, it would seem that Terry Lymon simply disappeared into the historical ether. If anyone out there has any information about Terry Lymon, or if the man himself happens to be reading this, we’d love to hear from you.

Posted in Brooklyn Past & Present, Hidden Collections, Library & Archives | 1 Response »
Tags: Amateur Archaeology, Archaeology, Brooklyn Heights, Terry Lymon

Mapping the Heights

Written by Carolyn on June 24th, 2011

For the last two weeks, I’ve been cataloging 19th century manuscript maps of Brooklyn Heights. These maps represent our collection’s earliest detailed views of the area; they show property ownership, street and waterfront development, businesses and more. I am very excited to be sharing one of these beautiful maps.

The following map was hand-drawn by William C. Pierrepont in 1825. It covers the area north from Joralemon St. to Waring St. and east from the East River to Fulton St. Although the map mainly shows Hezekiah B. Pierrepont’s property, it also shows sold lots, S. Jackson’s Wharf, Pierrepont’s Slip, and a dwelling house. If you would like to learn more about the Pierrepont family, please see description of our archival collection. Enjoy!

Map of H.B. Pierrepont's property and part of the adjoining land, in the village of Brooklyn, county of Kings and state of New York. Wm. C. Pierrepont. 1825. Pierrepont-1825.Fl. Brooklyn Historical Society Map Collection.

Interested in seeing more maps? You can view the BHS map collection anytime during the library’s open hours, Wed.-Fri., from 1-5 p.m. No appointment is necessary to view most maps. Our cataloged maps can be searched through BobCat and our map inventories through Emma.

Posted in Brooklyn Past & Present, Hidden Collections, Library & Archives | No Responses »
Tags: Brooklyn Heights, manuscript maps, maps

Brooklyn History Photo of the Week: Brooklyn Academy of Music

Written by Emily Reynolds on April 27th, 2011

Brooklyn Academy of Music, Montague Street, ca.1895, v1972.1.781; Brooklyn Historical Society Photography Collection.

Brooklyn Academy of Music, Montague Street, ca.1895, v1972.1.781; Photography Collection; Brooklyn Historical Society.

The Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) was originally located at 176-194 Montague Street in Brooklyn Heights, as seen in this nineteenth-century photograph. The building, originally intended to be the home for the Philharmonic Society of Brooklyn, was designed by Leopold Eidlitz, and contained a 2,200-seat theater as well as a smaller concert hall. Its opening performance was held on January 16, 1861, and the hall hosted a variety of notable performers.

On November 30, 1903, the Montague Street building seen in this photograph was destroyed in a fire. In 1906 BAM relocated to its present-day location at 30 Lafayette Avenue, in Fort Greene.

Posted in Brooklyn Past & Present, Library & Archives | No Responses »
Tags: Brooklyn Heights, Photo of the Week, Photographs, Photography Collection

Engineering Love

Written by Patricia Glowinski on January 7th, 2011

As the Archives Survey Team enters into our ninth month on the CLIR survey project, we’ve had our share of surveying interesting archival collections, be they large or small. Recently we’ve come across a surprisingly fantastic little collection, the Brooklyn Engineer’s Club publications (ARC.156). As you may have realized by now, we here at BHS love our Brooklyn architecture. But this collection reminds us that behind every great building, structure, or city infrastructure project, stands an engineer. Forever in the shadows of architects who get all the love and adoration (especially today), engineers don’t get the credit they are due. It’s not until some design malfunction or disaster (which, all in all, is pretty rare) that we take notice of the engineer. Well, today we spread the love.

Two facts about engineering and engineers:

New York is considered the birthplace of professional engineering in the United States.

The first national professional engineering society in the United States was formed in New York City in 1852; the Association of Civil Engineers (ASCE).

Here’s a list of some famous engineers with ties to New York City or Brooklyn (though some may not have used their engineering skills to become famous):

1. Tadeusz Kosciuszko (1746-1817) – Polish revolutionary and engineer. Studied engineering in Poland while at University (Warsaw). Was appointed head engineer of the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War and lead many defense missions in New York State. The Kosciuszko Bridge, spanning Newtown Creek, connects Brooklyn and Queens and is named in honor of him.

2. Alexander Calder (1898-1976) – Degree in Mechanical Engineering. Known for his art but worked at New York Edison Company before getting to quit his day job.

3. Robert Moog (1934-2005) – Degree in Electrical Engineering. Born in New York City; electronic music pioneer and inventor of the Moog synthesizer.

4. Michael Bloomberg (b. 1942-) – Undergraduate degree in Electrical Engineering. Now serving as the 108th Mayor of New York City.

5. John A. Roebling (1806-1869) – German-born Civil Engineer. Designer of aqueducts, railroad bridges, and suspension bridges–including the Brooklyn Bridge.

6. Washington A. Roebling (1837-1926) – Degree in Civil Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York. Oversaw the construction of the Brooklyn Bridge (with the help of his wife Emily Warren Roebling).

The Brooklyn Engineers’ Club was organized on October 6, 1896 with 50 charter members. Meetings where held at their clubhouse located at 117 Remsen Street in Brooklyn Heights. The Club met eight times throughout the year, culminating with an annual meeting in December. Every January, the Club would publish its proceedings from the previous year. Included in the Brooklyn Engineer’s Club publications (ARC.156) are the proceedings.

Brooklyn Engineers' Club publications. Proceedings, 1901. Brooklyn Historical Society. ARC.156.

These lovely hard bound books (spanning the years 1897 to 1916) include the usual year-in-review items such as reports from Club officers, the Club constitution and bylaws, and detailed Club membership lists (includes names, professional titles, and places of work). The best part of the published proceedings are the papers–presented in full written form–complete with images, photographs, charts, graphs, fold-out maps, and fold-out technical drawings. But there’s more! The pièce de résistance are the printed verbatim discussions that follow the presentation of the papers.

For example, the discussion following the presentation, “The Filtration of Sewage,” by Albert S. Crane on January 6, 1898, includes this prescient remark by Club member George C. Whipple — “The subject of sewage disposal is one that never grows old.”

Now, you might consider this funny…unless you live in Greenpoint or near the Gowanus Canal. Too true!

Here are a few images from papers presented between 1897 and 1906:

An Account of the Wallabout Improvement, by Frederick E. Pierce, presented March 3, 1898.

Brooklyn Engineers' Club publications. Proceedings, 1898. Brooklyn Historical Society. ARC.156

Brooklyn Engineers' Club publications. Proceedings, 1898. Brooklyn Historical Society. ARC.156.

Brooklyn Engineers' Club publications. Proceedings, 1898. Brooklyn Historical Society. ARC.156.

The Brooklyn Anchorage of the Manhattan Bridge: Contractors’ Plant and Progress, by Gustave Kaufmann, presented May 10, 1906.

Brooklyn Engineers' Club publications. Proceedings, 1906. Brooklyn Historical Society. ARC.156.

Brooklyn Engineers' Club publications. Proceedings, 1906. Brooklyn Historical Society. ARC.156.

Brooklyn Tunnels, by William T. Bruorton, presented February 4, 1897.

Brooklyn Engineers' Club publications. Proceedings, 1897. Brooklyn Historical Society. ARC.156.

Brooklyn Engineers' Club publications. Proceedings, 1897. Brooklyn Historical Society. ARC.156.

The Atlantic Avenue Improvement, by Laurence J. Carmalt, presented November 12, 1903.

Brooklyn Engineers' Club publications. Proceedings, 1903. Brooklyn Historical Society. ARC.156.

Recent Development in Gas Engineering, by Henry K. Landis, presented November 9, 1899.

Brooklyn Engineers' Club publications. Proceedings, 1899. Brooklyn Historical Society. ARC.156.

Posted in Hidden Collections, Library & Archives | 2 Responses »
Tags: Archives, Brooklyn Heights, Built Environment, Engineering

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