Brownstoner takes on Brooklyn history in Nabe Names, a series of briefs on the origins and surprising stories of neighborhood nomenclature.

The wee Clinton Hill neighborhood is sandwiched between Bed Stuy and Fort Greene. Its housing stock consists of mansions and classic brick and brownstone rowhouses, and the area is also home to the campuses of St. Joseph’s College and Pratt Institute.

Clinton Hill Brooklyn
Photo by Edrei Rodriguez

Despite its diminutive size, the nabe lays claim to many a celebrated resident, some former and some current, including Biggie Smalls, Patti Smith, Susan Sarandon and David Paterson.

Originally, the area was home to the native Lenape, from whom the Dutch began purchasing land on which to build tobacco plantations in the 1640s.

Clinton Hill Brooklyn
A postcard from 1908 showing Clinton Avenue in Clinton Hill. Postcard via Ephemeral New York

The first Clinton in the area was Clinton Avenue, named in honor of major Erie Canal sponsor and New York senator and governor DeWitt Clinton, who lived from 1769 to 1828. The reasoning behind the decision to name the area for Clinton, besides his obvious political importance, is unclear, or has been lost to time. In turn, the neighborhood was named for the avenue, which runs through it.

The hill aspect of the name comes from the area’s impressive elevation, which reaches 95 feet at its highest point.

clinton-hill-brooklyn
Photo by Edrei Rodriguez

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Designers Create a Cabinet of Curiosities in Clinton Hill

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