The Williamsburg War Memorial So Small You Probably Never Noticed It

A teeny slice of Williamsburg green space is actually a forgotten war memorial to four brothers from the neighborhood back in the day. The City Reliquary is hosting two events related to the space.

A community cleanup takes place tonight at 7 p.m., and an exhibit on the triangular park’s history opened Thursday.

From the press release:

Steps from The City Reliquary sits Ascenzi Square, an unassuming wedge of green space at the intersection of North 4th Street, Metropolitan Avenue, and Roebling Street. This site is often passed over in the daily chaos of the city. Few people use the sidewalk around the perimeter, and the space is often blocked from view by a car service lineup and ambulances from EMS Station 35. Yet it is a living tribute to the patriotism and sacrifice of four sons of Williamsburgh: the Ascenzi brothers who fought in World War I. Of the four, only two came home. The City Reliquary will chronicle the Ascenzi family and Ascenzi Square through photographs and artifacts loaned by Marion Ascenzi Duckworth Smith, daughter to one of the surviving Ascenzi brothers, Charles. In illustrating the history of the memorial and the family it honors, the exhibit aims to illuminate an obscure part of Williamsburgh history.

Marion Ascenzi Duckworth Smith is a native of Williamsburgh. She now lives in the Lent-Riker-Smith Homestead, the oldest inhabited dwelling in New York City. Marion is also an avid collector and shared her collection of chalkware Snow White figures at the 2014 City Reliquary Collector’s Night.

For more information about the exhibit, visit City Reliquary’s website.

Photo via City Reliquary