Center for Brooklyn History facts for kids
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Brooklyn Historical Society Building
(Long Island Historical Society Building) |
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 Location in New York City
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| Location | 128 Pierrepont Street Brooklyn Heights, New York City |
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| Built | 1878–1881 |
| Built by | David H. King, Jr. |
| Architect | George B. Post |
| Architectural style | Renaissance revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 91002054 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | July 17, 1991 |
| Designated NHL | July 17, 1991 |
The Center for Brooklyn History (CBH) is a special place in Brooklyn, New York. It's like a museum, a library, and a learning center all in one! Its main job is to keep and share the amazing 400-year story of Brooklyn.
The CBH is located in a beautiful old building in Brooklyn Heights. This building was designed by George B. Post and built between 1878 and 1881. It's so important that it's called a National Historic Landmark. This means it's a place recognized for its special history or architecture. The building is also part of the Brooklyn Heights Historic District in New York City.
Each year, thousands of people visit the CBH to see its exhibits. It also helps over 70,000 students and teachers from public schools. They offer tours, educational programs, and learning materials to help everyone discover Brooklyn's past.
Contents
Discovering Brooklyn's Past
How the Center Started
The Center for Brooklyn History began in 1863. It was first called the Long Island Historical Society. A man named Henry Pierrepont helped start it.
In 1985, the society changed its name to the Brooklyn Historical Society (BHS). Later, in 2020, the BHS joined with the Brooklyn Public Library. That's when it became known as the Center for Brooklyn History.
Special Exhibits and Finds
In 2007, the BHS opened a unique gallery. It was the first in the United States to focus on oral history. Oral history means collecting stories and memories from people who lived through certain events. Their first exhibit there shared stories from Brooklyn's Vietnam Veterans.
A few years later, in 2010, something exciting happened. Staff members were looking through their old map collection. They found a very rare map from around 1770! It was made by Bernard Ratzer. This map was carefully fixed and is now available for people to see.
The CBH also opened another museum space in May 2017. This space is located at Empire Stores in Brooklyn Bridge Park. It focuses on Brooklyn's industrial history, showing how factories and businesses helped Brooklyn grow.
The Historic Building
Architecture and Design
The main building of the Center for Brooklyn History is truly special. It stands at the corner of Pierrepont and Clinton Streets. It was built from 1878 to 1881. The famous architect George B. Post designed it. He won a competition against 13 other architects to get the job!
The building is designed in the Renaissance revival style. This style often uses grand and classic designs. It features beautiful decorations made from terra cotta, which is a type of baked clay. You can also see sculptures by Olin Levi Warner. These sculptures include busts (head and shoulders statues) of famous people like Michelangelo, Beethoven, Gutenberg, Shakespeare, Columbus, and Benjamin Franklin. There are also sculptures of a Viking and a Native American.
A Landmark Building
Many people describe the CBH building as one of New York City's "great architectural treasures." Its inside is also considered one of the city's best 19th-century interiors.
The building is part of the Brooklyn Heights Historic District. This district was created in 1966 to protect its historic buildings. In 1991, the CBH building was added to the National Register of Historic Places as a National Historic Landmark. This shows how important it is to the history of the United States. The building was carefully restored between 1999 and 2003 to keep it looking its best.
Learning and Programs
The Center for Brooklyn History offers many programs. A big part of what they do is education. They want students to understand that history isn't just old facts. It's connected to their own lives and communities!
CBH programs help students learn about American history. They do this by looking at local events and places in Brooklyn. Students get to explore primary source documents. These are original items like old letters, maps, photographs, and other artifacts. Learning to "read" these documents helps students understand history directly from the past.
The CBH also presents new exhibitions every year. These shows can cover a wide range of topics. Some might look at a long period of history, while others focus on specific themes. They also display items from their own collections, like family portraits or landscape paintings. These exhibits change over time, so there's always something new to see!
Amazing Collections
The Othmer Library at the Center for Brooklyn History has an incredible collection. It includes:
- Old maps and atlases of Brooklyn and New York City.
- Family histories for people researching their ancestors.
- Newspapers from Brooklyn and Long Island from the 1800s and early 1900s.
- Documents about slavery and the movement to end it.
- The personal papers of Henry Ward Beecher, a famous clergyman who fought against slavery.
- Collections about Brooklyn firefighting and local churches.
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The Center for Brooklyn History has maps from as far back as 1562 up to 2011. These maps cover New York City, Long Island, New York State, and even parts of New Jersey and New England.
Their Oral History Collections have interviews with over 300 people. One project from 2013, called "Crossing Borders, Bridging Generations," collected stories from mixed-heritage families. It explored their experiences and history.
See also
- Brooklyn Visual Heritage
- List of historical societies in New York (state)
- List of museums and cultural institutions in New York City
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Kings County, New York
