Brooklyn Borough Hall is a building in Downtown Brooklyn,

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

. It was designed by architects Calvin Pollard and

Gamaliel King Gamaliel King (Shelter Island, New York, 1 December 1795 — 6 December 1875) was an American architect who practiced in New York City and the adjacent city of Brooklyn, where he was a major figure in Brooklyn civic and ecclesiastical architect ...

in the Greek Revival style, and constructed of

Tuckahoe marble Tuckahoe marble (also known as Inwood and Westchester marble) is a type of marble found in southern New York state and western Connecticut. Part of the Inwood Formation of the Manhattan Prong, it dates from the Late Cambrian to the Early Ordov ...

under the supervision of superintendent Stephen Haynes. It was completed in 1848 to be used as the

City Hall In local government, a city hall, town hall, civic centre (in the UK or Australia), guildhall, or a municipal building (in the Philippines), is the chief administrative building of a city, town, or other municipality. It usually houses ...

of the former

City of Brooklyn Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, beh ...

. In January 1898 the independent City of Brooklyn merged with the

City of New York New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...

, and Kings County became the

Borough A borough is an administrative division in various English-speaking countries. In principle, the term ''borough'' designates a self-governing walled town, although in practice, official use of the term varies widely. History In the Middle Ag ...

Brooklyn Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...

, at which time the building became Brooklyn Borough Hall.

History

Construction

In 1834, the year Brooklyn was granted its

city charter A city charter or town charter (generically, municipal charter) is a legal document ('' charter'') establishing a municipality such as a city or town. The concept developed in Europe during the Middle Ages. Traditionally the granting of a charte ...

, the land for Brooklyn's

city hall In local government, a city hall, town hall, civic centre (in the UK or Australia), guildhall, or a municipal building (in the Philippines), is the chief administrative building of a city, town, or other municipality. It usually houses ...

was donated by the Remsen and Pierrepont families, whose names are commemorated in the names of Remsen and Pierrepont Streets in nearby

Brooklyn Heights Brooklyn Heights is a residential neighborhood within the New York City borough of Brooklyn. The neighborhood is bounded by Old Fulton Street near the Brooklyn Bridge on the north, Cadman Plaza West on the east, Atlantic Avenue on the south, ...

. The following year, New York architect Calvin Pollard won the commission to design the building in a contest held by the city. The foundations were dug and the cornerstone laid for this structure in 1836. However, financial hardship halted construction entirely. When funds again became available in 1845 construction resumed, this time of a structure designed by

, who had come in second to Pollard in the city's design competition, with instructions from the city that the new building must fit inside the already laid foundation. King preserved many elements of Pollard's original design and intent, including its

Greek Revival The Greek Revival was an architectural movement which began in the middle of the 18th century but which particularly flourished in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, predominantly in northern Europe and the United States and Canada, but a ...

style, although the project was scaled down in size somewhat. Construction was completed in 1848.

Usage

The Kings County Courthouse was built in 1868, turning this area – now known as Downtown Brooklyn – into a government center and busy area of commerce. In the 1940s, the Kings County Courthouse and other nearby buildings to the north were replaced by a complex of courthouses and a plaza in front of Borough Hall. A mall connects the building to Cadman Plaza Park. ''See also:'' On February 26, 1895, waste paper caught fire and destroyed the

cupola In architecture, a cupola () is a relatively small, most often dome-like, tall structure on top of a building. Often used to provide a lookout or to admit light and air, it usually crowns a larger roof or dome. The word derives, via Italian, f ...

and the statue of Justice that stood atop it, as well as the top floors of the building; water damage ruined the walls and ceiling of the Common Council chamber. Three years later, a new Victorian cast-iron cupola was built, designed by Vincent C. Griffith and the firm of Stoughton and Stoughton, on which was placed a flag. In 1898, the city of Brooklyn was consolidated into the

five boroughs 5 is a number, numeral, and glyph. 5, five or number 5 may also refer to: * AD 5, the fifth year of the AD era * 5 BC, the fifth year before the AD era Literature * ''5'' (visual novel), a 2008 visual novel by Ram * ''5'' (comics), an awa ...

of New York City, and this building ceased being "City Hall" and became "Borough Hall". In 1902, the Common Council room was demolished to build a new courtroom, designed in the Beaux-Arts style by Brooklyn architect

Axel Hedman Axel may refer to: People * Axel (name), all persons with the name Places * Axel, Netherlands, a town ** Capture of Axel, a battle at Axel in 1586 Arts, entertainment, media * ''Axel'', a 1988 short film by Nigel Wingrove * ''Axel'', a Cirque d ...

. Starting in the 1930s, there were numerous proposals to raze Borough Hall, based on arguments that it no longer performed any government function, that its architecture was not particularly notable, and that it was a monument to an extremely brief era in Brooklyn's history. In 1966, the building was designated a city landmark by the then-new

New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission The New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) is the New York City agency charged with administering the city's Landmarks Preservation Law. The LPC is responsible for protecting New York City's architecturally, historically, and cu ...

. The building was added to the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

on January 10, 1980. In the 1980s, the building underwent a massive renovation under the supervision of

Conklin & Rossant James Stephan Rossant (August 17, 1928 – December 15, 2009) was an American architect, artist, and professor of architecture. A long-time Fellow of the American Institute of Architects, he is best known for his master plan o ...

. The original copper shingling on the cupola was restored by Les metalliers Champenois, the same metalworks involved in the restoration of the Statue of Liberty, and the flag on the cupola was replaced by a new figure of

Lady Justice Lady Justice ( la, Iustitia) is an allegorical personification of the moral force in judicial systems. Her attributes are scales, a sword and sometimes a blindfold. She often appears as a pair with Prudentia. Lady Justice originates from the ...

. The renovation was completed in 1989. In the mid 2010’s after a restoration of the plaza, became a popular known skate spot, renowned for its smooth surface.

In popular culture

*The sign from the opening credits of '' Welcome Back, Kotter'' that read "Welcome to Brooklyn, 4th largest city in America, Hon. Sebastian Leone Borough President" currently hangs in the lobby of Borough Hall. *Exterior shots of Borough Hall were used as the

NYPD The New York City Police Department (NYPD), officially the City of New York Police Department, established on May 23, 1845, is the primary municipal law enforcement agency within the City of New York, the largest and one of the oldest in ...

Headquarters for the fifth and final season of ''

Mathnet ''Mathnet'' is a segment on the children's television show ''Square One Television'' that follows the adventures of pairs of police mathematicians. It is a pastiche of ''Dragnet (1951 TV series), Dragnet''. Premise ''Mathnet'' is a pastiche of ...

''. *South Korean boy group Seventeen filmed the music video for their song "Lilili Yabbay" in front of Borough Hall. *American performer

Bill Shannon Bill Shannon (born 1970) is an American artist who resides in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Shannon holds a BFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Born with a degenerative hip condition, he developed a way to express himself through da ...

filmed a dance performance as part of the music video for "Work It Out", by electronic artist RJD2, in front of Borough Hall.

Gallery

File:Brooklyn-Borough-Hall-1895.png, 1895 engraving of then-Brooklyn City Hall Image:Brooklyn Borough Hall LC-USZ62-92622.jpg, Photograph, circa 1908,

Historic American Buildings Survey Heritage Documentation Programs (HDP) is a division of the U.S. National Park Service (NPS) responsible for administering the Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS), Historic American Engineering Record (HAER), and Historic American Landscapes ...

archive File:Boro Hall Cupola back jeh.jpg, The cupola and Statue of Justice, from the rear Image:Brooklyn Boro Hall dusk jen.JPG, North facade details File:Bklyn Boro Hall south foyer party jeh.jpg, Interior

References

Notes Bibliography *Reiss, Marcia (2002). ''Brooklyn Then and Now'', Thunder Bay Press,
The Brooklyn Borough Hall 1903-1938DCAS Managed Public BuildingsHistoric American Buildings Survey
Images and historical information

External links

{{Authority control 1848 establishments in New York (state) City and town halls on the National Register of Historic Places in New York (state) Downtown Brooklyn Government buildings completed in 1848 Government buildings in Brooklyn Government buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in New York City Government of New York City Greek Revival architecture in New York City National Register of Historic Places in Brooklyn New York City Designated Landmarks in Brooklyn