Learning Places Spring 2016
LIBRARY / ARCHIVE REPORT Brooklyn History Society
KYRA CUEVAS
05.06.16
INTRODUCTION
Our trip to the Brooklyn History Society felt much like an investigation, where my “groupmates” and I
sifted through boxes and boxes of information. We were forced to filter out numerous texts, with the
keywords “Hudson”, or “Farragut”, “Housing”, “Robert Moses”, “NYCHA”, “BQE” and “Navy Yard” in
mind. The BHS had numerous folders which encompassed these subjects, but some of these
documents were incredibly cryptic. Terms were mentioned once or twice in the document, and
sometimes indexes in documents were neglected. Some passages and documents were so dense, that
it required referencing other texts or just trying our guts for finding leads.For me, it was mostly
difficult to not get distracted, as there was an expansive collection of documents regarding Cadman
Plaza , Robert Moses and fascinating Navy Yard documents.
PRE-VISIT REFLECTION
I have never visited the Brooklyn Historical Society, but I have certainly heard of it’s incredible and
expansive collection. I am anticipating on not only being enamored by the Brooklyn Historical
Society’s architectural style, but I anticipate on finding numerous documents regarding NYCHA’s
housing placement in regards to the redevelopment of Downtown Brooklyn.
SOURCES found
1. BrooklynQueens Connecting Highway, Proposed Scope of Contracts, late 1940’s.
2. General Plan Of The United States Navy Yard, New York, New York. June 3, 1912.
3. Memorandum to Stuart Constable, City of New York, Office Of City Construction Coordinator,
March 25, 1954.
4. Brooklyn Center now at MidPoint, November 5, 1955.
DOCUMENTATION of site & resources (maps/archival documents/photos)
The image above shows the construction document for the BQE, which is rendered in three
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different ways: through the precision of a black line, a red line and red hatched lines/strokes. The
black line represents a portion of the BQE which opened in 1951, a year before the opening of
Farragut Housing. This portion describes and punctures the presence of tentative Housing Projects
(Ingersoll and Walter Whitman Houses). The red line represents parts of the BQE which would open
by 1949, as the hatched lines represent construction current to the document.
As you zoom in closer to the map, you will notice that the BQE as a line with several fragments
that is severed by streets. Numerals will describe the order of demolition for the city project. Thus,
the construction was strategically mapped out block by block, as key notes describe not only the
demolition date, construction date and the planting date, but the number of displaced families is also
recorded. The least of amount of families displaced belongs to the ends of this image, which is
described along Edwards street and Park avenue (5 families) and Hicks Street and President Street.
(13 families) The largest amount of families displaced, belongs to the strip which is adjacent to the
current NYCHA properties. (374 and 407 displaced)
This image shows the a general plan of the
United States Navy Yard prior to the
conception of the BQE. Though this drawing
does not directly relate to the issue of public
housing and the birth of Farragut Housing,
this drawing shows the proposed boundary of
the Navy Yard that is currently used. This was
a pivotal moment to Vinegar and the Brooklyn
Navy Yard, as idea of urban renewal granted
the separation of neighborhoods, as well as
the introduction of Navy Street and the
erasure of Hudson avenue (which bleeds into
the mega blocks of Farragut Housing)
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This image describes a letter written to Stuart
Constable by Robert Moses regarding the site
conditions adjacent and between public
housing projects. Moses claims that the
blocks west of the Navy Yard are even worse
than the buildings built for Farragut Housing,
thus suggesting extending the Farragut
Housing Complex or creating an entirely new
small, but independent project.
The article of the left describes the
conditions of the redevelopment of
Downtown Brooklyn at it’s midpoint, or
halfway point. The document glosses the
project as a whole, as the writer provides
holistic statistics which convey the
construction and destruction of the city’s
project. Proposed expenditures were
overlooked, and were described to to reach
four times the original budget. A total of of
four hundred and twenty six parcels of land
have been purchased by the city, and two
hundredseventyeight properties have been
torn down. For me, this article describes
objective information.
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DISCOVERIES
1. Neighborhood History
a. The redevelopment of Downtown Brooklyn required an immense amount of
manpower and revenue. This project involved an array of urban fragments, which vary
from the implementation of a highway (the BQE) to the introduction for building a
cluster of housing projects (Farragut Housing). The definition of transportation was
redefined through different means and scales (streets vs. highways) as the invention
of the automobile called for the necessity to expand Brooklyn. In tandem with the
invention of the BQE, public space was expanded and redefined. The Civic Center was
the heart of this project, as 17 new buildings were proposed around it. The Civic
Center, Cadman Plaza and the expansion of the Navy Yard was another physical
manifestation of urbanization. Each new project proposed by the city was integral for
the accommodation of the population increase, and these projects were instrumental
in shaping the perception of the new and improved society.
2. Key Events / Historical Dates
a. 1941 The board of Estimates authorized a study named “Brooklyn Civic Center and
Downtown Improvements” which sought to analyze the necessity for proposals for
the redevelopment of the area.
b. 1949 The first phase of construction for the BQE.
c. 1951 The completion of the Brooklyn Queens Express.
d. 1952 The completion of Farragut Housing.
3. Key Players
a. New York City Housing Authority, or NYCHA which mission is to establish housing for
lowmedian income families. NYCHA has been established since the early 1930’s, and
is currently the largest housing authority in the country.
b. The Office of City Construction Coordination was a city run office in the 1930’s and
1940’s which sought to assist, coordinate and finalize the construction of large city
projects.
c. The New York City Planning Commission, or the NYCPC has been established since
1936. It has served as a pioneer in the development of urban planning in the nation,
as
d. Robert Moses was the mastermind of numerous projects regarding the
redevelopment and urban renewal of New York City.
4. Relationship Key Players
a. The New York City Housing Authority facilitated the need to build numerous housing
projects, including Farragut Housing and Walt Whitman houses.
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b. The Office of City Construction Coordination facilitated and coordinated plans for the
construction of the BQE.
c. The New York City Planning Department facilitated, coordinated and designer plans
for the redevelopment of downtown Brooklyn. Their work is most prevalent through
the approach towards the Civic Center, as well as the planning of the Civic Center.
d. In this specific case, Robert Moses was found to be a key figure in the process of
moving bids, documents and designs forward.
5. Public Perception of Key Events
a. The documents I have found regarding these subjects did not describe the opinion of
the public. Rather, these documents described what the public would see (i.e built
projects, etc)
6. Important Changes to Neighborhood
a. Numerous city blocks enlarged through the invention of housing projects. Scales of
city blocks were tested, as the merging of several major blocks were created for
houses complexes, such as Farragut Housing and the Walt Whitman houses, Ingersoll
houses. The remnants of High Street and Hudson Avenue were still present within in
the project, although Nassau Street, Navy Street, Gold and Sands street remain to be
the prominent perimeter of the a portion of the property.
b. The Brooklyn Navy Yard’s expansion absorbs a good portion of Hudson avenue, which
then becomes Navy street. The borders become clearer with the implementation of
the wall separating the Brooklyn Navy Yard and Vinegar Hill, as well as numerous
fences as recorded on the document above.
c. The construction of the BQE destructed numerous city blocks as well as apartment
buildings. In lieu of the BQE’s construction, numerous apartments were replanned.
7. Other Observations
a. The interior of the Brooklyn Historical Society reminds me a bit of the Morgan Library.
Both libraries have incredibly ornate interiors, which include continuous wooden
elements. In the BHS, ornate columns, wooden bookcases, ceiling trimmings and
furniture are expressed. Table lamps are also present as well as separate stations for
digital work areas. The interiors are also double leveled, with romanesque window
frames and vibrant stained windows.
b. The facade of the Brooklyn Historical Society reveals an interesting historical tidbit: It
has a detail which spells out “the Long Island Historical Society.”
c. This library is publically accessible,though if your intention is to research, you must
request well in advance. While the library serves as a landmark or urban fragment, it’s
facility mostly serves researchers, than the “general” public.
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TOPICS & KEYWORDS
“Redevelopment of Downtown Brooklyn 1940’s”, “Urban Renewal”, “New York City Housing
Authority”, “Urban Renewal”, “Farragut Housing”, “Brooklyn Queens Expressway”, “Brooklyn Navy
Yard”
QUANTITATIVE DATA for Area of Study
Subject Data
Land Ownership The City of New York
Number of Blocks Varies upon neighborhood
# of Buildings on a Typical Block
Varies depending on the redevelopment of each block
Materials Brick/masonry buildings and concrete/asphalt materials for the BQE
# of Stories of Buildings Varies depending upon program: Less than 6 stories residential and commercial buildings and about 14 stories for housing projects.
Residential Bldgs Varies as this category was rezoned after the construction after the BQE. The number of residential buildings increased post urban renewal.
Empty Lots Quite a few, but not quantified during this study
Commercial Uses Varies as this category was rezoned after the construction of the BQE. The number of commercial properties stayed the same post urban renwal.
Industrial Uses Varies as this category was rezoned after the construction of the BQE. The number of industrial properties decreased post urban renewal.
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QUESTIONS to Research Further
QUESTIONS:
1. Where did the families that displaced by the BQE move to?
2. What was the social response for the construction of Farragut Housing?
3. Has the placement of the BQE play as an important factor of future housing projects?
RESEARCH METHOD/ ADDITIONAL SOURCES NEEDED TO ANSWER EACH QUESTION ABOVE:
1. Question 1
a. Look for supporting documents which record the displacement of BQE families (i.e,
the map as shown above)
b. See if any notes on the documents may infer the location of displacement, otherwise,
conduct a separate research based in this query.
c. Why did this families move here?
2. Question 2
a. Look for clippings or supporting documents which record everyday worker’s response
on the Farragut Housing.
b. Analyze these findings and place them in historical context.
c. Is any of the information conclusive? How does that affect the manifestation of it’s
design?
3. Question 3
a. Identify the housing projects that were/around the BQE after it’s completion.
b. Compare these properties with a thorough investigation of site placement intent.
c. Are any of these findings conclusive?
SUMMARY / POST VISIT REFLECTION
This field trip to the Brooklyn Historical Society painted a clearer picture of the redevelopment
of Downtown Brooklyn. Most of these documents glossed over the intention of these new urban
inventions, but instead offered an array of artifacts which solidify the construction of projects, and the
relationships between key figures. I was a bit disappointed to find that there were many documents
regarding preliminary designs for the planning of Vinegar Hill as well as Farragut Housing. I was
pleased however, to find that the BHS was comprehensive in terms of information.
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