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 used to be called the Brooklyn Historical Society. It's like a museum, a library, and a school all in one!
The CBH was started in 1863. Its main goal is to save and share the amazing 400-year story of Brooklyn. The building itself is very old and beautiful. It was built between 1878 and 1881. It's so important that it's a National Historic Landmark. The CBH has lots of items about Brooklyn's past. It also holds cool exhibits that thousands of people visit every year. Plus, it helps many public school students and teachers learn about history.
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History of the Center
The Center for Brooklyn History began in 1863. It was first known as the Long Island Historical Society. A man named Henry Pierrepont helped start it. In 1985, the name changed to the Brooklyn Historical Society (BHS).
In 2005, the BHS received a big gift. It was part of a $20 million grant for arts groups in New York City. This money came from a donation by New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg.
In 2007, the BHS opened a special gallery. It was the first in the U.S. to focus on oral history. Oral history means collecting stories from people who lived through events. Their first exhibit showed stories from Brooklyn's Vietnam War veterans.
In 2010, staff found a very old and rare map. It was from around 1770 and made by Bernard Ratzer. They fixed it up, and now everyone can see it.
The BHS also opened another museum space in 2017. It was located in Brooklyn Bridge Park. This space showed off Brooklyn's industrial past.
In 2020, the BHS joined with the Brooklyn Public Library. Now, it is officially called the Center for Brooklyn History.
The Historic Building
The main building of the Center for Brooklyn History is very 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!
The building is made in the Renaissance revival style. It has beautiful decorations made of terra cotta. These decorations were created by the Perth Amboy Terra Cotta Company. You can also see sculptures by Olin Levi Warner. These 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.
Many people say the building is one of New York City's "great architectural treasures." Its inside is also considered one of the best 19th-century interiors in New York. It is part of the Brooklyn Heights Historic District. This district was named a landmark in 1966. The building itself became a National Historic Landmark in 1991. From 1999 to 2003, the building went through a big restoration to make it look new again.
Educational Programs
The Center for Brooklyn History offers many educational programs. These programs help students understand that history is connected to their own lives. They learn about American history by looking at events and places in their own neighborhoods.
Students get to explore "primary source documents." These are original items from the past. They include old maps, photographs, artworks, and other artifacts. This helps students learn how to "read" history from real objects.
The CBH also puts on different exhibitions each year. Some shows look at a long period of history. Others focus on specific topics or themes. They often display items from their own collections. For example, they might show 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 CBH has a huge collection of historical items. It includes:
- Old maps and atlases of Brooklyn and New York City.
- Family histories to help people research their ancestors.
- Newspapers from the 1800s and early 1900s on microfilm.
- Pamphlets about slavery and its end.
- Papers from Henry Ward Beecher, a famous clergyman who fought against slavery.
- Documents from the Pierrepont family and Brooklyn's firefighting history.
- Records from the Brooklyn Council of Churches.
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The Center for Brooklyn History has maps from 1562 all the way to 2011. These maps cover New York City, Long Island, New York State, New Jersey, and other parts of the Eastern United States.
Their Oral History Collections have interviews with over 300 people. One project from 2013 is called "Crossing Borders, Bridging Generations." It collects stories from families with mixed backgrounds.
See also
