According to Brooklyn By Name, Hans Hansen Von Norstrand arrived in Flatbush in 1638. The Isle of Norstrand (translation: “north shore”) is in what is now Germany. Nostrand Avenue was originally called Nostrand Lane when it opened in 1840 and is believed to have been named for Gerret Noorstrandt, one of Hans Hansen’s sons, who was one of the earliest members of the Flatbush Dutch Reformed Church.

The Polish-born Thaddeus Kosciuszko came to America in 1776 do his part in the fight for independence by applying his engineering expertise to the fortification of battle sites. In 1778, Kosciuszko became chief engineer of West Point, New York and in 1783 was appointed Brigadier General and awarded the Cincinnati Order Medal by George Washington. GMAP
General Thaddeus Kosciuszko [Polish American Center]
Places Named after Thaddeus Kosciuszko [Wikipedia]