Historic District
February 29, 2008
Gowanus as a National Historic Landmark?
Grand Central Terminal. The Brooklyn Bridge. The Woolworth Building. The Gowanus Canal. Which of these does not belong? Yep, that's right, it's the Brooklyn Bridge. No, just kidding, it's actually the Gowanus Canal, the only one that hasn't been named a National Historic Landmark...yet. The Gowanus Canal Conservancy is currently spearheading a drive to get the canal named a national historic landmark district, a designation that could be a "useful tool" in terms of getting funding for the canal's cleanup, according to Bob Zuckerman, the GCC's executive director. "Right smack in the middle of brownstone Brooklyn, the canal has a history all its own," says Zuckerman, noting that the transformation of the Gowanus from a series of creeks to its role in aiding industry make the waterway historically significant. Zuckerman says there's precedent for a canal being designated a national historic landmark district: The Erie and Ohio Canal is one, for example. The proposed district will include the canal, the Gowanus pumping station and flushing tunnel, the Carroll Street Bridge (which is already a city landmark), as well as five buildings along the Gowanus. A Pratt student and former GCC intern is now preparing a report about the hoped-for landmark status, and Zuckerman says the conservancy will begin making moves to get the district recognized in the coming months.