Explore Old Brooklyn with Brooklyn Revealed
With $25,000 in funding from City Councilman David Yassky, the New York Historical Society has recently launched a website called Brooklyn Revealed that explores the history of Brooklyn through the provenance of its street names. Organized around the original six towns of Brooklyn (Brooklyn, Bushwich, Flatbush, Flatlands, Gravesend and New Utrecht), the site draws on…
With $25,000 in funding from City Councilman David Yassky, the New York Historical Society has recently launched a website called Brooklyn Revealed that explores the history of Brooklyn through the provenance of its street names. Organized around the original six towns of Brooklyn (Brooklyn, Bushwich, Flatbush, Flatlands, Gravesend and New Utrecht), the site draws on the Eugene L. Armbruster Photograph Collection, the George P. Hall & Son Photograph Collection, the James Reuel Smith Springs and Wells Photograph Collection as well as postcards from the Brooklyn Eagle and the Brooklyn Edison Company photographs. Here’s a sample: Know who Driggs Avenue was named after? Edmund Driggs, the last president of the Village of Williamsburg before it became part of the city of Brooklyn in 1855. Check it out.
ugh Flash. Why not just make thumbnails to very BIG pictures. We can all handle it.
Greenwood Heights was 7th!
Nice project.
But why is Yassky giving $ to the New-York Historical Society for this rather than the Brooklyn Historical Society?
Could it be that he’s running for citywide office and wanted his name on the web site?
This is a great site – I loved looking through it all!
3rd Avenue in Boerum Hill used to be called Powers Avenue. I believe it was Powers until it hit expressway. Anyone have any evidence of this? I couldn’t find anything on it on Brooklyn Revealed.
This is a fun site, and could develop into a valuable historical and teaching resource. I only peeked at the town of Brooklyn, and scrolled through the street names, which was really interesting. I look forward to the tons of information that could be included, and will check the rest of the site out later.
I know a lot of people find history boring, but sites like this can change that. Finding 100 year old photos of your neighborhood, finding out who your street was named for gives one a tangible connection to the past that can be expanded upon. Teachers and educators should really be able to incorporate this into local history classes.
Good job, all.
Six original towns in Brooklyn?
Wasn’t BOCOCA the 7th?
; )