Brooklyn Borough Hall is a building in
Downtown Brooklyn, New York City. It was designed by architects
Calvin Pollard and
Gamaliel King in the
Greek Revival style, and constructed of
Tuckahoe marble under the supervision of superintendent
Stephen Haynes.
It was completed in 1848 as the
City Hall
In local government, a city hall, town hall, civic centre (in the UK or Australia), guildhall, or municipal hall (in the Philippines) is the chief administrative building of a city, town, or other municipality. It usually houses the city o ...
for the
City of Brooklyn
Brooklyn is a Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York City located at the westernmost end of Long Island in the New York (state), State of New York. Formerly an independent city, the borough is coextensive with Kings County, one of twelv ...
. In January 1898 the independent City of Brooklyn merged with the
City of New York, and Kings County became the
Borough
A borough is an administrative division in various English language, 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
...
of
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is a Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York City located at the westernmost end of Long Island in the New York (state), State of New York. Formerly an independent city, the borough is coextensive with Kings County, one of twelv ...
, at which time the building became Brooklyn Borough Hall.
History
Construction
In 1834, the year Brooklyn was granted its
city charter, the land for Brooklyn's
city hall
In local government, a city hall, town hall, civic centre (in the UK or Australia), guildhall, or municipal hall (in the Philippines) is the chief administrative building of a city, town, or other municipality. It usually houses the city o ...
was donated by the Remsen and Pierrepont families, whose names are commemorated in the names of Remsen and Pierrepont Streets in nearby
Brooklyn Heights. 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
Gamaliel King, 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 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, usually dome-like structure on top of a building often crowning a larger roof or dome. Cupolas often serve as a roof lantern to admit light and air or as a lookout.
The word derives, via Ital ...
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
Cast iron is a class of iron–carbon alloys with a carbon content of more than 2% and silicon content around 1–3%. Its usefulness derives from its relatively low melting temperature. The alloying elements determine the form in which its car ...
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 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.
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 Government of New York City, New York City agency charged with administering the city's Historic preservation, Landmarks Preservation Law. The LPC is responsible for protecting Ne ...
. The building was added to the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...
on January 10, 1980.
In the 1980s, the building underwent a massive renovation under the supervision of
Conklin & Rossant. 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.
The renovation was completed in 1989. In the mid-2010s, the plaza became a popular
skate spot after a restoration.
Gallery
File:Brooklyn-Borough-Hall-1895.png, 1895 engraving of then-Brooklyn City Hall
Image:Brooklyn Borough Hall LC-USZ62-92622.jpg, Photograph, , Historic American Buildings Survey
The asterisk ( ), from Late Latin , from Ancient Greek , , "little star", is a Typography, typographical symbol. It is so called because it resembles a conventional image of a star (heraldry), heraldic star.
Computer scientists and Mathematici ...
archive
File:Boro Hall Cupola back jeh.jpg, The cupola and Statue of Justice, from the rear
Image:Brooklyn Boro Hall 2008 dusk jeh.jpg, North facade details
File:Bklyn Boro Hall south foyer party jeh.jpg, Interior
See also
*
List of New York City borough halls and municipal buildings
*
List of New York City Designated Landmarks in Brooklyn
*
National Register of Historic Places listings in Brooklyn
References
Notes
Bibliography
*Reiss, Marcia (2002). ''Brooklyn Then and Now'', Thunder Bay Press,
The Brooklyn Borough Hall 1903-1938DCAS Managed Public Buildings
Historic 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