Gowanus Coal Pockets Demolished

by
6

The iconic coal pockets on the banks of the Gowanus Canal, a reminder of the area’s industrial past, were torn down last week, Pardon Me For Asking reported. The Burns Brothers coal pockets sat on 6th Street between 2nd and 3rd avenues, not far from Whole Foods. The century-old concrete cylinders were demolished to make way for a new office development, according to Curbed.

The eight pockets were built between 1915 and 1924 and used until 1938, said PMFA’s Katia Kelly. The 40- and 50-foot-tall structures were used to store coal that had arrived on the barges in the canal for subsequent delivery on wagons and trucks. Meanwhile, Lightstone began knocking down the large silos on Carroll Street earlier this month to prepare for its huge 12-story, 700-unit residential development.

“Gowanus, as we know it, is disappearing before our eyes,” Kelly wrote.

Another Gowanus Landmark Bites the Dust: Burns Brothers’ Coal Pockets [PFMA]
Photo by Eymund Diegel for PMFA

What's Happening