As we’ve noted before, in late August of 1776 General George Washington spent several days and nights here in Brooklyn Heights. It can’t have been a pleasant time for him: his Continental Army fought the British for the first time, and suffered defeat. Afterward, the weather was bad, though that would prove to be a […]
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Sidney Place House Getting Green Makeover
According to Brownstoner, an 1846 vintage row house on Sidney Place is being made into a “Passive House”, a technology developed in Germany that, through use of insulation, airtight windows and doors, and high efficiency heat pumps, reduces the energy needed to heat or cool the house by 80 to 90 percent.
In Town for the Weekend? Some Last-Minute Suggestions
The Brooklyn Symphony Orchestra will present an all-Russian program this Sunday afternoon, February 20, starting at 3:00, at St. Ann & the Holy Trinity Church, Clinton and Montague streets. The concert will feature Mikhail Glinlka’s Overture to “Ruslan and Ludmilla”, Reinhold Glière’s Horn Concerto (featuring soloist Marshall Sealy), and Dmitri Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 5. Marc […]
BHS, Rosie O’Donnell Featured on NBC Tonight
The Brooklyn Historical Society, a Heights institution at Clinton and Pierrepont streets, will be featured on NBC’s “Who Do You Think You Are?” tonight at 8:00, along with actress, singer, author and media personality Rosie O’Donnell. The show will document Ms. O’Donnell’s search for her family history, and BHS’s role in that endeavor.
Park Service Approves Transfer of Tobacco Warehouse to St. Ann’s, but BHA Vows to Continue Fight
The National Park Service, having been told by the U.S. Justice Department to review its earlier decision to “de-park” the area occupied by the 19th century Tobacco Warehouse in the Fulton Ferry Historic District, has now reaffirmed its approval of the move.
Much Ado About Something – 3 BHA Members Quit Over Tobacco Warehouse Suit
The Brookly Eagle reports that 3 prominent members of the Brooklyn Heights Association have resigned in a dispute over the organization’s lawsuit to prevent the takeover and conversion of the Tobacco Warehouse by arts group St. Ann’s Warehouse. The trio of dissenters – former president David Offensend and former governors Hank Gutman and Joanne Witty. […]
Melville, in Istanbul, Thought of Brooklyn Heights
Literary blogger Patrick Kurp, in Anecdotal Evidence, quotes Herman Melville from a journal entry written while visiting Istanbul in December of 1856, collected and published in Melville’s Journals (edited by Howard C. Horsford with Lynn Horth, 1989):
Update: BHA Annual Meeting to be Held at Plymouth Church
The 2011 Annual Meeting of the Brooklyn Heights Association, at which BHB Ten 2010 honoree Diane Ravitch will be the featured speaker, will be held on Monday evening, February 28, starting at 7:30 p.m., at Plymouth Church of the Pilgrims, Orange Street between Henry and Hicks.
Historic Preservation Organizations to Celebrate Martin Schneider’s Book
Battling for Brooklyn Heights, by Heights preservation pioneer, Brooklyn Heights Association board member, and 2010 BHB Ten honoree Martin L. Schneider, will be the subject of a celebration sponsored by the Historic Districts Council and the New York Preservation Archive Project, to be held on Tuesday, February 22 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the […]
By Popular Demand, Historic Map to Remain on View at BHS Through May 1
The historic map of New York City recently found in the archives of the Brooklyn Historical Society (the “Ratzer Map”) will remain on display at the Society, 128 Pierrepont Street (corner of Clinton) through May 1. It may be viewed for the price of museum admission, which is $6 for adults, $4 for seniors (62 […]
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