History
Architecture
More Stories
How the Railroad Brought Meatpacking to Fort Greene
Nothing remains of the once-thriving industry that was fueled by Long Island’s demand for fresh meat, the railroad, and the labor of hundreds of people.
Tales of the Fourth: Independence Day in Brooklyn and Beyond
When revelry, fireworks, independence, and alcohol combine, the result is many a memorable evening. And so it is with the Fourth of July, as a handful of the stories in our archives can attest.
The Story of Uncle Sam, the Embodiment of the Fourth of July
On this July 4th, with flags flying, fireworks bursting in air, and backyard picnics, let’s look at one of the most popular avatars of our country.
Decorator William Payne and His Collection of Colonial-Era Lefferts Houses
Victorian decorator William Payne was an early enthusiast of New York’s Colonial past, whose efforts were well documented in photographs.
A Day of Remembrance and Celebration: The History of Memorial Day in Brooklyn
We normally celebrate Memorial Day with food, festivities, and perhaps even a day at the beach, on the semi-official start of the summer season.
What a wonderful post. More like these please here on Brownstoner. When I first moved to Clinton Hill 25 years ago (then up the street from the poster at Clinton and Lafayette), I was able to meet many of the longer-term residents through house tours, the SONYA art tour, Tilley's coffee shop etc who had connections to previous funkier (in many senses of the word) times. Somewhat off topic I ran by the new location of the Brooklyn Free School, once on Clinton Avenue, now further out in Bed-Stuy. Best.
A Surprise Visit on Clinton AvenueR.H. Kutner was the genial proprietor of The Borough Park Clubhouse in 1907. Prior to this he was managing the clubhouse with his wife for six years. In 1907 the clubhouse underwent extensive alterations and improvements, to which Kuttner “spared no expense making his establishment complete in every detail”. Additions included a bowling alley in the basement, a billiard parlor and a dancing stage among other things. There is no mention of Kuttner in this article only Reynolds, however newspaper from December 25th, 1907 have all this information, as this was the case. I’m wondering then, did Reynolds buy the clubhouse and sell it to Kutner or in the reverse, did Reynolds buy it from Kutner? This I do not know.
Past and Present: The Borough Park ClubhouseSuzanne, thank you for this wonderful series! I learned so much about my great-grandfather and the family that I didn't know. And thank you too for highlighting the contributions of my second cousin Sean MacGuire, who (literally) pulled all the patents and was instrumental in getting Thomas E. Murray elected to the Inventors Hall of Fame (website: www.temurray.com). People might also be interested in my cousin Tom Murray's documentary "Dad's in Heaven with Nixon" (2010) which originally aired on Showtime and is now available via Amazon or Netflix. It's about his artist brother Chris Murray's struggle with autism and includes family film and info about the Murray family and Southampton. And I can't end this without mentioning again the book "New York and Power" (2013) by Joseph Cunningham where Thomas E. Murray plays a major role.
Walkabout: Thomas E. Murray, Brooklyn’s Most Important Forgotten Inventor, Part 3Loved reading this story. We are owners of a couple of budlings across the street from this location and it was so interesting to read about our famous little street and the history. Thank you for writing it.
Past and Present: East New York’s Historic Howard House