Brooklyn Bridge Park - Park History

Park History

In 1642 the first ferry landing opened on the land that is now Brooklyn Bridge Park’s Empire Fulton Ferry section. Soon after a thriving trading economy developed into a small town called “het Veer,” meaning “the Ferry”. As het Veer grew throughout the 17th century, it became known as the “Road to the Ferry”.

On August 29, 1776 het Veer served as a crucial strategic location for George Washington and the Continental Army in the American Revolution’s Battle of Long Island. In the middle of the night, George Washington and his men evaded the British Army, who were quickly gaining upon the Continental Army, by escaping across the East River to Manhattan.

As the 18th Century came to a close, additional ferry services were added to this waterfront community, including docking points for the “Catherine Street Ferry” and the first steamboat ferry landing that was created by Robert Fulton—this eventually became known as the Fulton Ferry Landing. The community continued to grow into the 19th Century as Brooklyn Heights developed into a residential neighborhood. By the 1850s, Brooklyn City Railroad rail lines were installed at the Fulton Ferry Landing.

During this boom period, brick warehouse development proliferated along the waterfront. In fact, the area soon became known as “the walled city”. In addition to the warehouses, the Empire Stores were constructed between 1870 and 1885.

In 1883 the face of the city changed forever—the Brooklyn Bridge was constructed. While the Brooklyn Bridge formed a needed link between Manhattan and Brooklyn, it also disrupted ferry traffic. The Manhattan Bridge, developed in 1909, further disrupted trade to this section of the East River. The addition of these two crucial bridges resulted in the demise of this waterfront and the closing of the Fulton Ferry Landing in 1924.

Further disrupting the waterfront economy was the construction of the Brooklyn Heights Esplanade and Brooklyn-Queens Expressway in 1950 and 1952. These two developments effectively separated Brooklyn Heights from the waterfront.

Throughout the 1950s, over 130 warehouses and 25 finger piers were demolished along Brooklyn’s waterfront. In order to accommodate larger ships and cargo, the New York Dock Company built 13 new piers between 1956 and 1964—this development includes Piers 1-3 and 5-6 of what is currently Brooklyn Bridge Park. Pier 2 was not developed until 1958. However, as trade technology advanced, so did trade routes. By the 1970 much of the Brooklyn waterfront developments were largely barren and decrepit, causing the Port Authority to end cargo ship operations in 1983. Many of these warehouses were demolished by the end of the 20th Century. However, the warehouses on the piers comprising Brooklyn Bridge Park were not demolished until the park began its construction in 2008.