Archives & Library Special Collections
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Call Number: 1979.021
Extent: 3.75 Linear feet, in 9 document boxes.
This collection comprises the subject files of the Downtown Brooklyn Development Association. The association was founded in 1929 as a civic group concerned with the problems of the business and shopping center in downtown Brooklyn. The papers are news clippings, correspondence, brochures, newsletters, pamphlets, legislative documents, photographs, city plans and maps, and other items relating to organizations and causes with which the association was involved. The majority of the documents were produced by external bodies or individuals but were integral the association’s activities. The three subjects most comprehensively addressed are the development of the Brooklyn Civic Center (Cadman Plaza), the redevelopment of Fulton Street, and traffic and transportation.
Names:
- Downtown Brooklyn Development Association
- Blum, Robert E.
- Bourke-White, Margaret, 1904-1971
- Davenport, Henry J.
- Moses, Robert, 1888-1981
- Roscoe, Andrew S.
- Stamm, Godfrey A.
- Swift, Thomas A.
- Abraham & Straus
- American Red Cross
- Better Business Bureau of New York City
- Brooklyn Borough Hall (New York, N.Y.)
- Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce (Brooklyn, New York, N.Y.)
- Brooklyn daily eagle
- Brooklyn Law School
- Brooklyn Public Library
- Brooklyn-Manhattan Transit Company
- Citizens Budget Commission (New York, N.Y.)
- Citizens Union Foundation (New York, N.Y.)
- Citizens’ Zoning Committee, Inc
- Independent Subway System (New York, N.Y.)
- Interborough Rapid Transit Company
- New York (N.Y.). City Planning Commission
- New York (N.Y.). Dept. of Commerce and Industrial Development
- New York (N.Y.). Dept. of Correction
- New York (N.Y.). Dept. of Parks
- New York (N.Y.). Dept. of Public Works
- New York (N.Y.). Dept. of Traffic
- New York (N.Y.). Landmarks Preservation Commission
- New York Naval Shipyard
- Pratt Institute
- Regional Plan Association (New York, N.Y.)
- Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority
Places:
- Brooklyn (New York, N.Y.)
- Brooklyn Heights (New York, N.Y.)
- Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel (New York, N.Y.)
- Brooklyn-Queens Expressway (New York, N.Y.)
- George Washington Bridge (New York, N.Y.)
- Holland Tunnel (New York, N.Y.)
- Lincoln Tunnel (New York, N.Y.)
- Park Slope (New York, N.Y.)
- Prospect Park (New York, N.Y.)
- Throgs Neck Bridge (New York, N.Y.)
- Verrazano-Narrows Bridge (New York, N.Y.)
Subjects:
- Central business districts
- City planning
- Community centers — New York (State) — New York
- Courthouses — New York (State) — New York
- Ebbets Field (New York, N.Y.)
- Local transit — New York (State) — New York
- Parks — New York (State) — New York
- Post office buildings — New York (State) — New York
- Railroads, Elevated
- Transportation
- Urban renewal — New York (State) — New York
Types of material:
- Blueprints (reprographic copies)
- Brochures
- Clippings (information artifacts)
- Correspondence
- Legislative hearings
- Maps
- Negatives (photographic)
- Newsletters
- Pamphlets
- Photographs
- Press releases
- Resolutions (administrative records)
- Speeches
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Call Number: V1991.054
Extent: 0.05 Linear feet, 14 items housed in one folder.
The Dwight B. Demeritt, Jr. photographs of the Cadman Plaza excavation site contains 14 3.5 x 3.5 inch black-and-white photographic prints, dating from 1965, showing views of the excavation site of a parcel of land in Brooklyn Heights that had been razed for the construction of Cadman Plaza. Included in the photographs are views of an excavated cistern and an excavated wind box of a pipe organ that was uncovered seven feet below street level. Views of the vacant lot, surrounding buildings, and people in the vacant lot are also represented. The photographs were taken by Dwight B. Demeritt, Jr. and include handwritten descriptions on the verso.
In the summer of 1965, Terry Lymon and several assistants undertook an archaeological excavation of a parcel of land located in the Brooklyn Heights neighborhood and bounded by Fulton, Middagh, and Henry Streets. The land had recently been razed for the construction of Cadman Plaza. In the course of their excavation, the team uncovered several cisterns and dry wells, as well as many artifacts, including bottles, ceramics, part of a pipe organ, and a pair of men’s pants dating from the 19th century. Lymon, along with two of the excavation team members, Martin Schneider and Dwight B. Demeritt Jr., presented their findings at a lecture hosted by the Long Island Historical Society (now the Brooklyn Historical Society) on September 20, 1965.
Names:
Places:
- Brooklyn (New York, N.Y.) — Buildings, structures, etc. — Pictorial works
- Brooklyn Heights (New York, N.Y.)
- Cadman Plaza (New York, N.Y.)
Subjects:
- Excavations (Archaeology) — New York (State) — New York
- Vacant lands — New York (State) — New York
Types of material:
- Black-and-white prints (photographs)
- Photographs
View Finding Aid
Call Number: 1988.051
Extent: 0.3 linear feet, in four folders
This Robert Vadheim Brooklyn Heights Association collection includes measures 0.3 linear feet and spans the period 1964 to 1980. The collection consists of records compiled by Mr. Vadheim during his involvement with the Brooklyn Heights Association. The records include bulletins, reports, announcements and notices to membership.
The Brooklyn Heights Association (“BHA”) was formed in 1910, and remains the oldest neighborhood association in New York City. Residents and business owners in Brooklyn Heights organized the group to advocate for the improvement and preservation of the neighborhood. The Association formed committees to address issues pertinent to resident and neighborhood concerns, such as civil improvement, police, traffic, parking, trees, and recreation. BHA supported the New York City Landmarks Preservation Law and in 1965, Brooklyn Heights was designated as the first Historic District in New York City. In 2010, BHA celebrated its centennial anniversary and remains an active and influential organization in Brooklyn Heights.
Names:
- Brooklyn Heights Association
- Vadheim, Robert
Places:
- Brooklyn (New York, N.Y.)
- Brooklyn Heights (New York, N.Y.)
Subjects:
- Citizens’ associations — New York (State) — Kings County
- Historic districts — New York (State) — New York
- Historic preservation — New York (State) — New York
Types of material:
- Announcements
- Bulletins
- Correspondence
- Reports
View Finding Aid
Call Number: 1991.036
Extent: 0.42 Linear feet, in one manuscript box.
The Back to the City collection spans the period 1974 to 1983 and is mostly comprised of materials relating to Back to the City’s annual national conferences held during the period 1974 to 1978 in the cities of New York, N.Y.; St. Paul, MN; Washington, D.C.; San Antonio, TX; and Hartford, CT; as well as the 1983 annual conference held in Brooklyn, N.Y. Materials relating to each of the above conferences largely focus on urban renewal and restoration efforts in the city in which the conference was held, with the most extensively documented conferences being those in Manhattan and Brooklyn. Items include city maps and brochures, correspondence, conference proceedings, building restoration and preservation guides, handouts, lists of conference participants, newsletters, pamphlets and leaflets, photocopies of news clippings, and brownstone purchasing guides. The collection also includes an additional folder of similar material pertaining to nationwide urban restoration and preservation campaigns, issues, and projects. Several allied organizations are also represented in the collection, particularly the Brownstone Revival Committee of New York.
Names:
- Back to the City, Inc
- Back to the City Conference
- Brownstone Revival Committee
Places:
- Brooklyn (New York, N.Y.) — Buildings, structures, etc.
- Hartford (Conn.)
- New York (N.Y.) — Buildings, structures, etc.
- Saint Paul (Minn.)
- San Antonio (Tex.)
- Washington (D.C.)
Subjects:
- Architecture — New York (State) — Kings County
- Architecture — New York (State) — New York
- Brownstone buildings — New York (State) — Kings County
- Brownstone buildings — New York (State) — New York
- Community development corporations — New York (State) — New York
- Community development — Congresses
- Community development — New York (State) — Kings County
- Community development — New York (State) — New York
- Historic preservation — Congresses
- Historic preservation — New York (State) — Kings County
- Historic preservation — New York (State) — New York
- Urban renewal — Congresses
- Urban renewal — New York (State) — Kings County
- Urban renewal — New York (State) — New York
Types of material:
- Correspondence
- Manuals (instructional materials)
- Newsletters
- Printed ephemera
- Proceedings
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Call Number: V1990.063
Extent: 0.04 Linear feet, 11 items housed in one folder.
The Doris R. Cain collection of Brooklyn waterfront improvement photographs consists of 11 black-and-white photographs pertaining to a seven-year waterfront improvement program by the Port of New York Authority (now the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey), circa 1955. The collection includes aerial photographs or copy prints of renderings showing the proposed improvement program area and the piers along the Brooklyn waterfront. The aerial views include the Brooklyn and Manhattan waterfronts, views of the East River, and views of New York Harbor. Some of the renderings show the proposed piers.
Names:
- Port Authority of New York and New Jersey
Places:
- Brooklyn (New York, N.Y.)
- East River (N.Y.)
- Manhattan (New York, N.Y.)
- New York Harbor (N.Y. and N.J.)
Subjects:
- Aerial photographs
- Piers — New York (State) — New York
- Waterfronts — New York (State) — New York
Types of material:
- Aerial views
- Black-and-white prints (photographs)
- Photographs
View Finding Aid
Call Number: 1978.149
Extent: 0.1 linear feet, in one folder
The collection consists of papers pertaining to a survey commissioned for Ohrbach’s department store of New York City. Documents include preliminary planning maps, subway and bus use studies, location map of retail stores, zoning requirements, and alteration costs for an undisclosed building on Fulton Street. This survey was performed by Vincent Bordini of 264 Wyckoff Avenue, secretary of the Brooklyn Real Estate Board at 44 Court Street. Architectural drawings were completed by M.A. Jones of 189 Montague Street.
Names:
- Brooklyn Real Estate Board (New York, N.Y.)
- Jones, M.A.
Subjects:
- Department stores — New York (State) — Kings County
- Retail trade — New York (State) — Kings County
Types of material:
- Architectural drawings
- Blueprints (reprographic copies)
- Maps
View Finding Aid
Call Number: 1987.002
Extent: 2.33 Linear feet, in one manuscript box, one record carton, and one oversize box.
The Brooklyn neighborhood renewal and development collection contains 2.33 linear feet of materials dating from 1962 to 1987, compiled by Dr. Robert H. Vadheim. The collection focuses on revival, renewal, and renovation efforts within Brooklyn’s neighborhoods and cultural institutions. Document types in the collection include newspaper clippings, magazine articles, social announcements, invitations, neighborhood tour pamphlets, and other ephemera. In addition to Brooklyn neighborhoods, brownstones, and building restoration, the collection also documents the Brooklyn Museum, Brooklyn Botanic Garden, and the Brooklyn Bridge–particularly the 1983 Brooklyn Bridge Centennial. Magazine clippings discussing specific observances or general occasions of change in New York City as a whole are also included.
The borough of Brooklyn, N.Y. began experiencing significant surges of change and renewal in the 1960s. Efforts to renovate and preserve Brooklyn’s diverse landscapes were sparked by local concern for neighborhoods suffering from neglect or in need of preservation, and by general interests in Brooklyn’s history, architecture, and geographic location. Proposals for urban renewal garnered support not only from Brooklynites, but from outside land developers, business investors, and potential home owners attracted by the intact federal and Victorian houses in Brooklyn Heights, Park Slope, Prospect Heights, Cobble Hill, Carroll Gardens, Boerum Hill, Bedford-Stuyvesant, Fort Greene, Flatbush, and Crown Heights. The steady renewal of buildings and physical landscapes in the 1970s and 1980s drew new attention and financial interests to Brooklyn as new resident populations and businesses began moving into the borough’s neighborhoods. As renewal efforts continued, property values rose and continued to rise as revitalization continued.
Dr. Robert Vadheim (1920-2010), a physician, was a longtime resident of Brooklyn Heights and an active member of the Brooklyn community. Vadheim and his partner Robert Johnson moved to Brooklyn Heights in 1964, In 2005, Dr. Vadheim received the Brooklyn Heights Association’s Award for Extraordinary Community Service. His donations to the Brooklyn Historical Society included works of art and manuscript collections that document changes in Brooklyn and its surroundings during the mid to late 20th century.
http://www.brooklyneagle.com/categories/category.php?category_id=24&id=37348
Names:
- Vadheim, Robert
- Brooklyn Botanic Garden
- Brooklyn Museum
Places:
- Brooklyn (New York, N.Y.)
- Brooklyn Bridge (New York, N.Y.)
- Kings County (N.Y.) — Newspapers
Subjects:
- Brooklyn Heights press & Cobble Hill news
- Phoenix (Brooklyn, New York, N.Y.)
- Brownstone buildings — New York (State) — New York
- City planning — New York (State) — New York
- Community development — New York (State) — New York
- Urban renewal — New York (State) — New York
Types of material:
- Clippings (information artifacts)
- Magazines (periodicals)
- Maps
- Printed ephemera
- Publications
View Finding Aid
Call Number: ARC.181
Extent: 0.21 Linear feet, in one half manuscript box
The Cadman Plaza Complex resident newsletters date from 1969 to 1981 and measure 0.21 linear feet. The collection consists of tenant and owner newsletters, titled Cadman Views and Cadman Complex. From its first issue to November 1970, Cadman Views was published by Cadman Plaza North tenants and co-op owners. In December 1970, Cadman Views absorbed the neighboring Whitman Close resident newsletter, evolving into a publication for both properties. With the February 1978 issue, Cadman Views was re-named Cadman Complex and devoted an equal amount of space to residents in Cadman Plaza North, Whitman Close, and Cadman Towers. The newsletters contain editorials, letters from residents, and brief articles. Information in the newsletters detail the activities and social gatherings of residents as well as neighborhood issues such as schools, sidewalk maintenance, and security.
Names:
- Cadman Plaza North (Brooklyn, New York, N.Y.)
- Cadman Towers (Brooklyn, New York, N.Y.)
- Whitman Close (Brooklyn, New York, N.Y.)
Places:
- Brooklyn (New York, N.Y.) — Social life and customs
- Brooklyn Heights (New York, N.Y.)
Subjects:
- Cadman complex (Newsletter)
- Cadman views (Newsletter)
- Housing, Cooperative — New York (State) — New York
- Low-income housing — New York (State) — New York
- Tenants’ associations — New York (State) — New York
Types of material:
View Finding Aid
Call Number: ARC.057
Extent: 0.1 Linear feet, in 3 folders
The collection documents the archaeological excavation of a parcel of land on which Cadman Plaza was subsequently built, carried out by amateur archaeologist Terry Lymon and a team of assistants in the summer of 1965. Materials in folder 1 consist of Mr. Lymon’s field notes from the excavation, including carefully detailed diagrams of the dig site itself, drawings and descriptions of the structures and artifacts uncovered during the excavation, and a typewritten document that summarizes the contents of the collection and provides a brief biographical sketch of Mr. Lymon.
Folder 2 contains a narrative history of the Cadman Plaza excavation site, as well as brief biographical sketches of the other excavation participants, both handwritten by Mr. Lymon. Also included in this folder is a photocopy of a typewritten proposal for a more formal, professionally-led excavation of the Cadman Plaza site. This document is dated January 17, 1966 and was written by John S. Kopper, Curator of the Henry Whitefield State Museum in Guilford, CT. It is not known if this project was ever undertaken.
Folder 3 consists of 46 black-and-white photographs taken by Mr. Lymon during the excavation. The photographs depict the dig site itself, as well as some of the structures uncovered during its course. All of the images have notes on the verso that explain briefly what is depicted in each. Individuals assumed to be members of the excavation team are depicted in some of the images, though they are not identified by name in the verso notes.
Little is known about Terry Lymon, the donor and creator of the materials that comprise this collection. Mr. Lymon was a resident of Brooklyn during the 1960s, and he claimed to have been a Native American from New Jersey whose Native American name was Kalitarawana. He was a self-taught amateur archaeologist who supported his hobby by working odd jobs. In the summer of 1965, Mr. Lymon and several assistants undertook an archaeological excavation of the parcel of land bounded by Fulton, Middagh, and Henry Streets, which had recently been razed for the construction of Cadman Plaza. In the course of their excavation, the team uncovered several cisterns and dry wells, as well as many artifacts, including bottles, ceramics, and a pair of men’s pants dating from the 19th century. Mr. Lymon, along with two of the excavation team members, Martin Schneider and Dwight Demeritt Jr., presented their findings at a lecture hosted by the Long Island Historical Society on September 20, 1965.
Names:
- Kopper , J.S.
- Lymon, Terry
Places:
- Brooklyn (New York, N.Y.)
- Brooklyn Heights (New York, N.Y.)
- Cadman Plaza (New York, N.Y.)
Subjects:
- Excavations (Archaeology) — New York (State) — New York
Types of material:
View Finding Aid
Call Number: ARC.060
Extent: 3.22 Linear feet, in five manuscript boxes and one oversize box.
The H. Dickson McKenna Collection contains materials dating from 1868 to 1991 (bulk dates 1968 to 1989) compiled by architect and former Brooklyn resident H. Dickson McKenna, author of A House in the City: A Guide to Buying and Renovating Old Row Houses (New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1971). The collection consists of news clippings, magazine articles, publications, brochures, flyers, newsletters, photographs, and ephemera, the majority concerning the brownstone movement and the development and renewal of Brooklyn neighborhoods. The material covers a wide range of topics from architecture to home remodeling and gives an overview of the efforts of McKenna and the Brooklyn community in the 1970s and 1980s to preserve and revitalize their neighborhoods. It also holds a small but significant collection of McKenna’s general business documents and personal papers, including records and correspondence relating to his book.
Names:
- McKenna, H. Dickson, 1919-
- Moses, Robert, 1888-1981
- Brownstone Revival Committee
- Long Island Railroad Company
- National Register of Historic Places
- Preservation League of New York State
Places:
- Brooklyn (New York, N.Y.) — Buildings, structures, etc.
- Brooklyn (New York, N.Y.) — Economic conditions
- Brooklyn (New York, N.Y.) — Social conditions
- Brooklyn-Queens Expressway (New York, N.Y.)
Subjects:
- Vital questions
- Architects — New York (State) — Kings County
- Architecture — New York (State) — Kings County
- Architecture — New York (State) — Kings County — History
- Architecture — New York (State) — New York
- Architecture — New York (State) — New York — History
- Brownstone buildings — New York (State) — Kings County
- Brownstone buildings — New York (State) — New York
- City planning — New York (State) — Kings County
- City planning — New York (State) — New York
- Dwellings — Remodeling — New York (State) — New York
- Dwellings — New York (State) — Kings County
- Gentrification — New York (State) — Kings County
- Gentrification — New York (State) — New York
- Neighborhood government — New York (State) — Kings County
- Neighborhood government — New York (State) — New York
- Urban renewal — New York (State) — Kings County
- Urban renewal — New York (State) — New York
Types of material:
- Architectural drawings
- Brochures
- Business records
- Clippings (information artifacts)
- Correspondence
- Designs (concepts)
- Fliers (printed matter)
- Floor plans
- Magazines (periodicals)
- Photographs
- Printed ephemera
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