110-621: The Montague–Court Building is a 35-story, 462 ft (141 m) tall commercial office tower at 16 Court Street in Downtown Brooklyn , New York City . It was designed by architect H. Craig Severance and built in 1927. It is the tallest office building and the twelfth tallest building overall in Brooklyn at 462 feet (141 m). The building is 35 stories tall and has a floor area of 317,625 sq ft (29,508.3 m). The Montague–Court Building has been owned and managed by
220-509: A block fall. Construction on the suspension towers started in mid-1872, and by the time work was halted for the winter in late 1872, parts of each tower had already been built. By mid-1873, there was substantial progress on the towers' construction. The Brooklyn side's tower had reached a height of 164 feet (50 m) above mean high water (MHW), while the tower on the Manhattan side had reached 88 feet (27 m) above MHW. The arches of
330-451: A bridge between the then-separate cities of Brooklyn and New York had been suggested as early as 1800. At the time, the only travel between the two cities was by a number of ferry lines . Engineers presented various designs, such as chain or link bridges, though these were never built because of the difficulties of constructing a high enough fixed-span bridge across the extremely busy East River. There were also proposals for tunnels under
440-645: A couple of black-and-white cookies during an October 2013 visit with Bill de Blasio . 9 DeKalb Avenue , a residential skyscraper adjacent to the Dime Savings Bank of New York . Upon completion, it became the first supertall building in Brooklyn and the tallest structure in New York City outside of Manhattan. Cadman Plaza Park, named for the historically prominent (and Brooklyn-based) liberal Protestant clergyman/broadcaster S. Parkes Cadman , provides 10 acres (40,000 m ) of green space in
550-473: A cylindrical shape. These wires are bundled in 19 individual strands, with 278 wires to a strand. This was the first use of bundling in a suspension bridge and took several months for workers to tie together. Since the 2000s, the main cables have also supported a series of 24- watt LED lighting fixtures, referred to as "necklace lights" due to their shape. In addition, either 1,088, 1,096, or 1,520 galvanized steel wire suspender cables hang downward from
660-401: A foundation of bedrock while the Brooklyn anchorage rests on clay. The anchorages both have four anchor plates , one for each of the main cables, which are located near ground level and parallel to the ground. The anchor plates measure 16 by 17.5 feet (4.9 by 5.3 m), with a thickness of 2.5 feet (0.76 m) and weigh 46,000 pounds (21,000 kg) each. Each anchor plate is connected to
770-471: A late-1940s renovation. The trusses allow the Brooklyn Bridge to hold a total load of 18,700 short tons (16,700 long tons), a design consideration from when it originally carried heavier elevated trains. These trusses are held up by suspender ropes, which hang downward from each of the four main cables. Crossbeams run between the trusses at the top, and diagonal and vertical stiffening beams run on
880-575: A lawsuit in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York against the cities of New York and Brooklyn. In 1879, an Assembly Sub-Committee on Commerce and Navigation began an investigation into the Brooklyn Bridge. A seaman who had been hired to determine the height of the span, testified to the committee about the difficulties that ship masters would experience in bringing their ships under
990-488: A prime location for high technology industries and new market-rate housing. The State Street Houses Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980. Historically, Downtown Brooklyn was primarily a commercial and civic center, with relatively little residential development. Housing included a few apartment buildings on Livingston Street, and seven 15-story buildings that make up
1100-482: A shrine to the Virgin Mary next to an opening at the entrance. The vaults were closed for public use in the late 1910s and 1920s during World War I and Prohibition but were reopened thereafter. When New York magazine visited one of the cellars in 1978, it discovered a "fading inscription" on a wall reading: "Who loveth not wine, women and song, he remaineth a fool his whole life long." Leaks found within
1210-426: A steel contract for the permanent cables still had not been awarded. There was disagreement over whether the bridge's cables should use the as-yet-untested Bessemer steel or the well-proven crucible steel . Until a permanent contract was awarded, the builders ordered 30 short tons (27 long tons) of wire in the interim, 10 tons each from three companies, including Washington Roebling's own steel mill in Brooklyn. In
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#17327909075321320-405: A supplier's fraudulent substitution of inferior-quality wire in the initial construction, the bridge was reappraised at the time as being only four times as strong as necessary. The main span and side spans are supported by a structure containing trusses that run parallel to the roadway, each of which is 33 feet (10 m) deep. Originally there were six trusses, but two were removed during
1430-669: A time when most of New York was indifferent to slavery. Many Brooklyn churches agitated against legalized slavery in the 1850s and 1860s and some acted as safehouses as part of the Underground Railroad movement. Walt Whitman was fired from his job as a reporter at the Brooklyn Eagle due to his support for the Wilmot Proviso when he lived at Willoughby and Myrtle Avenues . A group of buildings at 223, 225, 227, 231, 233, and 235 Duffield Street, in addition to
1540-497: A week after the Brooklyn Bridge opened, ferry crews reported a sharp drop in patronage, while the bridge's toll operators were processing over a hundred people a minute. However, cross-river ferries continued to operate until 1942. The bridge had cost US$ 15.5 million in 1883 dollars (about US$ 490,500,000 in 2023 ) to build, of which Brooklyn paid two-thirds. The bonds to fund the construction would not be paid off until 1956. An estimated 27 men died during its construction. Since
1650-428: Is 127 ft (38.7 m) above mean high water (MHW). A 1909 Engineering Magazine article said that, at the center of the span, the height above MHW could fluctuate by more than 9 feet (2.7 m) due to temperature and traffic loads, while more rigid spans had a lower maximum deflection . The side spans, between each suspension tower and each side's suspension anchorages, are 930 feet (280 m) long. At
1760-597: Is generally 10 to 17 feet (3.0 to 5.2 m) wide. The iron railings were produced by Janes & Kirtland , a Bronx iron foundry that also made the United States Capitol dome and the Bow Bridge in Central Park . Each of the side spans is reached by an approach ramp. The 971-foot (296 m) approach ramp from the Brooklyn side is shorter than the 1,567-foot (478 m) approach ramp from
1870-606: Is patrolled by the 84th and 88th Precincts of the New York City Police Department . This area was originally inhabited by Lenape Native Americans , until the 17th century. The area close to the Wallabout Bay was called Rinnegokonk. At that time the Dutch arrived, gained control of the land, and called it Breuckelen. The waterfront area being sold by Indians to Joris Jansen Rapelje , who used
1980-418: Is slightly larger, measuring 172 by 102 feet (52 by 31 m) and located 78.5 feet (23.9 m) below high water, while the Brooklyn side's caisson measures 168 by 102 feet (51 by 31 m) and is located 44.5 feet (13.6 m) below high water. The caissons were designed to hold at least the weight of the towers which would exert a pressure of 5 short tons per square foot (49 t/m ) when fully built, but
2090-400: Is the result of the study, of the experience, and of the knowledge of many men in many ages. It is not merely a creation; it is a growth. It stands before us today as the sum and epitome of human knowledge; as the very heir of the ages; as the latest glory of centuries of patient observation, profound study and accumulated skill, gained, step by step, in the never-ending struggle of man to subdue
2200-620: Is the third largest central business district in New York City (after Midtown Manhattan and Lower Manhattan ), and is located in the northwestern section of the borough of Brooklyn . The neighborhood is known for its office and residential buildings, such as the Williamsburgh Savings Bank Tower and the MetroTech Center office complex. Since the rezoning of Downtown Brooklyn in 2004,
2310-553: The Brooklyn Banks , in the late 1980s. The park uses the approach's support pillars as obstacles. In the mid-2010s, the Brooklyn Banks were closed to the public because the area was being used as a storage site during the bridge's renovation. The skateboarding community has attempted to save the banks on multiple occasions; after the city destroyed the smaller banks in the 2000s, the city government agreed to keep
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#17327909075322420-615: The Clark Quarry in Essex County, New York . The granite blocks were quarried and shaped on Vinalhaven Island, Maine , under a contract with the Bodwell Granite Company, and delivered from Maine to New York by schooner. The Manhattan tower contains 46,945 cubic yards (35,892 m ) of masonry, while the Brooklyn tower has 38,214 cubic yards (29,217 m ) of masonry. There are 56 LED lamps mounted onto
2530-873: The Cranberry Street Tunnel provide that service. Slightly farther north, the Manhattan Bridge ( B , D , N , and Q trains) and Rutgers Street Tunnel ( F and <F> trains) also feed subway trains from the Lower East Side into Downtown Brooklyn. Major stations in the neighborhood are: A $ 130 million capital project to connect Lawrence Street–MetroTech ( N , R , and W trains) and Jay Street–Borough Hall ( A , C , and F and <F> trains), which also included renovation of both stations,
2640-944: The IRT Lexington Avenue Line ( 4 and 5 trains) via the Joralemon Street Tunnel , the BMT Broadway and BMT Nassau Street Lines ( N , R , and W trains) via the Montague Street Tunnel , the IRT Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line ( 2 and 3 trains) via the Clark Street Tunnel and the IND Eighth Avenue Line ( A and C trains) via
2750-538: The New York City College of Technology , Adelphi University 's Brooklyn Center and Long Island University 's LIU Brooklyn campus. Brooklyn Bridge The Brooklyn Bridge is a hybrid cable-stayed / suspension bridge in New York City , spanning the East River between the boroughs of Manhattan and Brooklyn . Opened on May 24, 1883, the Brooklyn Bridge was the first fixed crossing of
2860-955: The 1915 Sperry Gyroscope Company building, now known as the Howard Building of the New York City College of Technology . New, extensive infrastructure served the Brooklyn Bridge trolleys . Following World War II , the City Planning Commission , in conjunction with the Borough President's Office, presented and adopted a Master Plan for the Civic Center, which included an ambitious public improvements program. The program included plans for new buildings for City and State agencies, significant street widening and major housing construction in adjacent areas. A study conducted eight years later highlighted
2970-574: The 1950s, 1980s, and 2010s. The Brooklyn Bridge is the southernmost of the four toll-free vehicular bridges connecting Manhattan Island and Long Island , with the Manhattan Bridge , the Williamsburg Bridge , and the Queensboro Bridge to the north. Only passenger vehicles and pedestrian and bicycle traffic are permitted. A major tourist attraction since its opening, the Brooklyn Bridge has become an icon of New York City. Over
3080-763: The African Wesleyan Methodist Episcopal Church located in MetroTech Center, were believed to be among the safehouses. The middle 19th century growth of the Port of New York caused shipping to spill over into the City of Brooklyn; many buildings now used for other purposes were built as warehouses and factories. Manufacturing intensified with the building of the Brooklyn and Manhattan Bridges ; buildings from that time include
3190-603: The Arches; this was followed in November 2024 by another 15,000-square-foot (1,400 m ) section of parkland. The Brooklyn Bridge contains four main cables, which descend from the tops of the suspension towers and help support the deck. Two are located to the outside of the bridge's roadways, while two are in the median of the roadways. Each main cable measures 15.75 inches (40.0 cm) in diameter and contains 5,282 parallel, galvanized steel wires wrapped closely together in
3300-614: The Borough Hall Greenmarket , featuring fresh produce from local farmers, operates on the plaza fronting Borough Hall. Formerly called Supreme Court Plaza, the location was renamed as Columbus Park in 1986. MetroTech Center , a business and educational center, lies between Flatbush Avenue and Jay Street, above the Jay Street – MetroTech subway station, north of the Fulton Street Mall , and south of
3410-458: The Brooklyn Bridge was considered mostly completed and was projected to open that June. Contracts for bridge lighting were awarded by February 1883, and a toll scheme was approved that March. There was substantial opposition to the bridge's construction from shipbuilders and merchants located to the north, who argued that the bridge would not provide sufficient clearance underneath for ships. In May 1876, these groups, led by Abraham Miller, filed
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3520-619: The Brooklyn Main Post Office at 271 Cadman Plaza East. Downtown Brooklyn is connected with Manhattan by the Brooklyn and Manhattan Bridges. The neighborhood has extensive public transportation accessibility; it is served by the New York City Subway and many bus lines. All but one Manhattan trunk line in Lower Manhattan has a direct connection to Downtown Brooklyn. From south to north,
3630-589: The Brooklyn tower were completed by August 1874. The tower was substantially finished by December 1874 with the erection of saddle plates for the main cables at the top of the tower. However, the ornamentation on the Brooklyn tower could not be completed until the Manhattan tower was finished. The last stone on the Brooklyn tower was raised in June 1875 and the Manhattan tower was completed in July 1876. The saddle plates atop both towers were also raised in July 1876. The work
3740-686: The CIM Group since 2017, when CIM purchased the structure from SL Green Realty for $ 171 million. In February 2012, the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission designated the building as part of the Borough Hall Skyscraper Historic District. This article about a building or structure in Brooklyn is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Downtown Brooklyn Downtown Brooklyn
3850-517: The East River for the occasion. Officially, Emily Warren Roebling was the first to cross the bridge. The bridge opening was also attended by U.S. president Chester A. Arthur and New York mayor Franklin Edson , who crossed the bridge and shook hands with Brooklyn mayor Seth Low at the Brooklyn end. Abram Hewitt gave the principal address. It is not the work of any one man or of any one age. It
3960-630: The East River, but these were considered prohibitively expensive. German immigrant engineer John Augustus Roebling proposed building a suspension bridge over the East River in 1857. He had previously designed and constructed shorter suspension bridges, such as Roebling's Delaware Aqueduct in Lackawaxen, Pennsylvania , and the Niagara Suspension Bridge. In 1867, Roebling erected what became the John A. Roebling Suspension Bridge over
4070-559: The East River. It was also the longest suspension bridge in the world at the time of its opening, with a main span of 1,595.5 feet (486.3 m) and a deck 127 ft (38.7 m) above mean high water . The span was originally called the New York and Brooklyn Bridge or the East River Bridge but was officially renamed the Brooklyn Bridge in 1915. Proposals for a bridge connecting Manhattan and Brooklyn were first made in
4180-424: The Manhattan caisson reached a depth of 78.5 feet (23.9 m) with an air pressure of 35 pounds per square inch (240 kPa ), Washington deemed the sandy subsoil overlying the bedrock 30 feet (9.1 m) beneath to be sufficiently firm, and subsequently infilled the caisson with concrete in July 1872. Washington Roebling himself suffered a paralyzing injury as a result of caisson disease shortly after ground
4290-457: The Manhattan side was slightly different because it had to be installed at a greater depth. To protect against the increased air pressure at that depth, the Manhattan caisson had 22 layers of timber on its roof, seven more than its Brooklyn counterpart had. The Manhattan caisson also had fifty 4-inch-diameter (10 cm) pipes for sand removal, a fireproof iron-boilerplate interior, and different airlocks and communication systems. Proposals for
4400-404: The Manhattan side. The approaches are supported by Renaissance-style arches made of masonry; the arch openings themselves were filled with brick walls, with small windows within. The approach ramp contains nine arch or iron- girder bridges across side streets in Manhattan and Brooklyn. Underneath the Manhattan approach, a series of brick slopes or "banks" was developed into a skate park ,
4510-608: The Ohio River between Cincinnati, Ohio , and Covington, Kentucky . In February 1867, the New York State Senate passed a bill that allowed the construction of a suspension bridge from Brooklyn to Manhattan. Two months later, the New York and Brooklyn Bridge Company was incorporated with a board of directors (later converted to a board of trustees). There were twenty trustees in total: eight each appointed by
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4620-546: The anticipated growth of the Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) succeeded far beyond expectations, giving this cultural institution an important role as a symbolic anchor amid increasing decay during the following decade. After suffering with the rest of New York through the fiscal crisis of the mid-1970s, Borough President Howard Golden , first elected in 1977, moved forward with a more aggressive economic development program to revitalize Downtown Brooklyn. He identified
4730-553: The area has been undergoing a transformation, with $ 9 billion of private investment and $ 300 million in public improvements underway. The area is a growing hub for education. In 2017, New York University announced that it would invest over $ 500 million to renovate and expand the NYU Tandon School of Engineering and its surrounding Downtown Brooklyn-based campus. Downtown Brooklyn is part of Brooklyn Community District 2 and its primary ZIP Codes are 11201 and 11217. It
4840-431: The area's hospitality industry having tripled since 2004. Some of this gentrification was controversial, however. In 2007, the city government was to acquire the houses at 223–235 Duffield Street via eminent domain , then demolish the houses and replace them with 500 new hotel rooms, 1,000 units of mixed-income housing , more than 500,000 square feet of retail space, and at least 125,000 square feet of new office space in
4950-510: The area; however, only 231 Duffield Street was replaced by a hotel. Still, this caused historians to protest over the planned demolition of the historic houses because of their importance to abolitionists during the American Civil War . Downtown Brooklyn is the civic and commercial downtown center of the former City of Brooklyn , which, as of 2020, has more than 2.7 million residents. Alongside immediately adjacent neighborhoods,
5060-791: The arrival of Downtown Brooklyn as a 24/7 community, estimating that 35,000 residents will come to the area in the next five years. In January 2008, residents started moving into the new residential buildings, according to a New York Sun article. The New York City Department of City Planning approved another, significant rezoning for portions of Downtown Brooklyn, including the Fulton Mall area, which resulted in significant expansion of office space and ground-floor retail, such as those at City Point . The rezoning consists of "zoning map and zoning text changes, new public open spaces, pedestrian and transit improvements, urban renewal, [and] street mappings". The City Planning initiative also seeks to improve
5170-414: The bridge when it was completed. Another witness, Edward Wellman Serrell , a civil engineer, said that the calculations of the bridge's assumed strength were incorrect. The Supreme Court decided in 1883 that the Brooklyn Bridge was a lawful structure. The New York and Brooklyn Bridge was opened for use on May 24, 1883. Thousands of people attended the opening ceremony, and many ships were present in
5280-401: The bridge's maintenance, the New York City government made the large vaults under the bridge's Manhattan anchorage available for rent, and they were in constant use during the early 20th century. The vaults were used to store wine, as they were kept at a consistent 60 °F (16 °C) temperature due to a lack of air circulation. The Manhattan vault was called the "Blue Grotto" because of
5390-456: The bridge, says that its original paint scheme was "Brooklyn Bridge Tan" and "Silver", but other accounts state that it was originally entirely " Rawlins Red ". To provide sufficient clearance for shipping in the East River, the Brooklyn Bridge incorporates long approach viaducts on either end to raise it from low ground on both shores. Including approaches, the Brooklyn Bridge is a total of 6,016 feet (1,834 m) long when measured between
5500-451: The busy Tillary Street. The original location of Junior's , founded by Harry Rosen in 1950. The building, at the corner of DeKalb Avenue and Flatbush Avenue Extension, is 17,000 square feet of red-and-white-striped menus, flashbulb-adorned signs, rust-colored booths and a wooden bar. A shrine to the Brooklyn of old, it has become a must-visit for politicians from borough presidents to President Barack Obama , who bought two cheesecakes and
5610-477: The caissons were over-engineered for safety. During an accident on the Brooklyn side, when air pressure was lost and the partially-built towers dropped full-force down, the caisson sustained an estimated pressure of 23 short tons per square foot (220 t/m ) with only minor damage. Most of the timber used in the bridge's construction, including in the caissons, came from mills at Gascoigne Bluff on St. Simons Island, Georgia . The Brooklyn side's caisson, which
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#17327909075325720-470: The cities of New York (now Manhattan) and Brooklyn to subscribe to $ 5 million in capital stock , which would fund the bridge's construction. Roebling was subsequently named the chief engineer of the work and, by September 1867, had presented a master plan. According to the plan, the bridge would be longer and taller than any suspension bridge previously built. It would incorporate roadways and elevated rail tracks, whose tolls and fares would provide
5830-464: The connections between Downtown and the adjacent neighborhoods of Cobble Hill , Boerum Hill , and Fort Greene . As of March 2012 , the rezoning of Downtown Brooklyn had caused gentrification in nearby neighborhoods. Affordable housing was created in the area after the 2004 rezoning, with 420 affordable units in 2014. The housing increase has also resulted in positive effects on other aspects of Downtown Brooklyn's economy as well, with revenues for
5940-448: The curbs at Park Row in Manhattan and Sands Street in Brooklyn. A separate measurement of 5,989 feet (1,825 m) is sometimes given; this is the distance from the curb at Centre Street in Manhattan. The main span between the two suspension towers is 1,595.5 feet (486.3 m) long and 85 feet (26 m) wide. The bridge "elongates and contracts between the extremes of temperature from 14 to 16 inches". Navigational clearance
6050-406: The delay in steel deliveries. Despite Edgemoor's assurances that the contract would be fulfilled, the deliveries still had not been completed by November 1881. Brooklyn mayor Seth Low , who became part of the board of trustees in 1882, became the chairman of a committee tasked to investigate Edgemoor's failure to fulfill the contract. When questioned, Edgemoor's president stated that the delays were
6160-446: The diagonal stays measure 138 to 449 feet (42 to 137 m) long. Each side of the bridge contains an anchorage for the main cables. The anchorages are trapezoidal limestone structures located slightly inland of the shore, measuring 129 by 119 feet (39 by 36 m) at the base and 117 by 104 feet (36 by 32 m) at the top. Each anchorage weighs 60,000 short tons (54,000 long tons; 54,000 t). The Manhattan anchorage rests on
6270-578: The early 19th century, which eventually led to the construction of the current span, designed by John A. Roebling . The project's chief engineer, his son Washington Roebling , contributed further design work, assisted by the latter's wife, Emily Warren Roebling . Construction started in 1870 and was overseen by the New York Bridge Company, which in turn was controlled by the Tammany Hall political machine. Numerous controversies and
6380-408: The end, it was decided to use number 8 Birmingham gauge (approximately 4 mm or 0.165 inches in diameter) crucible steel, and a request for bids was distributed, to which eight companies responded. In January 1877, a contract for crucible steel was awarded to J. Lloyd Haigh , who was associated with bridge trustee Abram Hewitt , whom Roebling distrusted. The spinning of the wires required
6490-475: The fault of another contractor, the Cambria Iron Company , who was manufacturing the eyebars for the bridge trusses; at that point, the contract was supposed to be complete by October 1882. Further complicating the situation, Washington Roebling had failed to appear at the trustees' meeting in June 1882, since he had gone to Newport, Rhode Island . After the news media discovered this, most of
6600-402: The final total was thought to be about 2,500 men in total. In spite of this, only a few workers were paralyzed. At its final depth, the caisson's air pressure was 21 pounds per square inch (140 kPa). The Manhattan side's caisson was the next structure to be built. To ensure that it would not catch fire like its counterpart had, the Manhattan caisson was lined with fireproof plate iron. It
6710-403: The fire was called, delayed construction for several months, since the holes in the caisson had to be repaired. On March 6, 1871, the repairs were finished, and the caisson had reached its final depth of 44.5 feet (13.6 m); it was filled with concrete five days later. Overall, about 264 individuals were estimated to have worked in the caisson every day, but because of high worker turnover ,
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#17327909075326820-512: The following month. Washington Roebling , John Roebling's 32-year-old son, was then hired to fill his father's role. Tammany Hall leader William M. Tweed also became involved in the bridge's construction because, as a major landowner in New York City, he had an interest in the project's completion. The New York and Brooklyn Bridge Company—later known simply as the New York Bridge Company —was actually overseen by Tammany Hall, and it approved Roebling's plans and designated him as chief engineer of
6930-413: The forces of nature to his control and use. Though Washington Roebling was unable to attend the ceremony (and rarely visited the site again), he held a celebratory banquet at his house on the day of the bridge opening. Further festivity included the performance by a band, gunfire from ships, and a fireworks display. On that first day, a total of 1,800 vehicles and 150,300 people crossed the span. Less than
7040-457: The four main cables. Each drum had a capacity of 60,000 feet (18,000 m) of wire. The first experimental wire for the main cables was stretched between the towers on May 29, 1877, and spinning began two weeks later. All four main cables were being strung by that July. During that time, the temporary footbridge was unofficially opened to members of the public, who could receive a visitor's pass; by August 1877 several thousand visitors from around
7150-743: The general area encompasses Brooklyn Borough Hall , the Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg Municipal Building , the Kings County New York State Courthouse and the Eastern District of New York 's Theodore Roosevelt United States Courthouse . Attractions within the area include the Fulton Mall , the Brooklyn Academy of Music , the New York Transit Museum and Barclays Center . Three days a week
7260-420: The intricacies of cable construction. She spent the next 11 years helping supervise the bridge's construction, taking over much of the chief engineer's duties, including day-to-day supervision and project management. After the caissons were completed, piers were constructed on top of each of them upon which masonry towers would be built. The towers' construction was a complex process that took four years. Since
7370-493: The land for farm purposes. Until 1814, Downtown Brooklyn and Brooklyn Heights remained sparsely populated. Robert Fulton 's new steam ferry then began to offer an easy commuting option to and from downtown Manhattan. It made Brooklyn Heights Manhattan's first suburb , and put Downtown Brooklyn on its way to becoming a commercial center, and the heart of the City of Brooklyn . The city was home to many prominent abolitionists at
7480-505: The larger banks for skateboarding. When the NYCDOT removed the bricks from the banks in 2020, skateboarders started an online petition . In the 2020s, local resident Rosa Chang advocated for the 9-acre (3.6 ha) space under the Manhattan approach to be converted into a recreational area known as Gotham Park. Some of the space under the Manhattan approach reopened in May 2023 as a park called
7590-485: The last of the main cables' wires went over the river. After the suspender wires had been placed, workers began erecting steel crossbeams to support the roadway as part of the bridge's overall superstructure. Construction on the bridge's superstructure started in March 1879, but, as with the cables, the trustees initially disagreed on whether the steel superstructure should be made of Bessemer or crucible steel. That July,
7700-520: The legislators passed a law authorizing the allotment with the condition that the cities would buy the stock of Brooklyn Bridge's private stockholders. Work proceeded concurrently on the anchorages on each side. The Brooklyn anchorage broke ground in January 1873 and was subsequently substantially completed in August 1875. The Manhattan anchorage was built in less time, having started in May 1875, it
7810-457: The lowest bid for Bessemer steel, but at Hewitt's direction, the contract was awarded to Haigh. A subsequent investigation discovered that Haigh had substituted inferior quality wire in the cables. Of eighty rings of wire that were tested, only five met standards, and it was estimated that Haigh had earned $ 300,000 from the deception. At this point, it was too late to replace the cables that had already been constructed. Roebling determined that
7920-418: The main cables and support the deck. By May 1878, the main cables were more than two-thirds complete. However, the following month, one of the wires slipped, killing two people and injuring three others. In 1877, Hewitt wrote a letter urging against the use of Bessemer steel in the bridge's construction. Bids had been submitted for both crucible steel and Bessemer steel; John A. Roebling's Sons submitted
8030-405: The main cables. Another 400 cable stays extend diagonally from the towers. The vertical suspender cables and diagonal cable stays hold up the truss structure around the bridge deck. The bridge's suspenders originally used wire rope, which was replaced in the 1980s with galvanized steel made by Bethlehem Steel . The vertical suspender cables measure 8 to 130 feet (2.4 to 39.6 m) long, and
8140-413: The manufacture of large coils of it which were galvanized but not oiled when they left the factory. The coils were delivered to a yard near the Brooklyn anchorage. There they were dipped in linseed oil , hoisted to the top of the anchorage, dried out and spliced into a single wire, and finally coated with red zinc for further galvanizing. There were thirty-two drums at the anchorage yard, eight for each of
8250-451: The masonry blocks were heavy, the builders transported them to the base of the towers using a pulley system with a continuous 1.5-inch (3.8 cm)-diameter steel wire rope, operated by steam engines at ground level. The blocks were then carried up on a timber track alongside each tower and maneuvered into the proper position using a derrick atop the towers. The blocks sometimes vibrated the ropes because of their weight, but only once did
8360-536: The mayors of New York and Brooklyn, as well as the mayors of each city and the auditor and comptroller of Brooklyn. The company was tasked with constructing what was then known as the New York and Brooklyn Bridge. Alternatively, the span was just referred to as the "Brooklyn Bridge", a name originating in a January 25, 1867, letter to the editor sent to the Brooklyn Daily Eagle . The act of incorporation, which became law on April 16, 1867, authorized
8470-505: The means to pay for the bridge's construction. It would also include a raised promenade that served as a leisurely pathway. The proposal received much acclaim in both cities, and residents predicted that the New York and Brooklyn Bridge's opening would have as much of an impact as the Suez Canal , the first transatlantic telegraph cable or the first transcontinental railroad . By early 1869, however, some individuals started to criticize
8580-438: The need for greater equity in resource allocation between Manhattan and the city's other boroughs. An important moment in the history of Downtown Brooklyn came in 1983 with the release of a Regional Plan Association report for the area. According to the document, Downtown Brooklyn could become the city's third-largest business district because of its proximity to Lower Manhattan (closer by subway than Midtown). It also could serve as
8690-560: The neighborhood, and was recently renovated by the New York City Parks Department. These and other parks form a long mall from Borough Hall to Brooklyn Bridge. A new park is also planned for the area, known as the Willoughby Square Park. At the northeastern corner of Downtown Brooklyn is Bridge Plaza, bounded by Flatbush Avenue Extension and Manhattan Bridge on the west, Tillary Street on
8800-553: The newspapers called for Roebling to be fired as chief engineer, except for the Daily State Gazette of Trenton, New Jersey , and the Brooklyn Daily Eagle . Some of the longstanding trustees, including Henry C. Murphy , James S. T. Stranahan , and William C. Kingsley , were willing to vouch for Roebling, since construction progress on the Brooklyn Bridge was still ongoing. However, Roebling's behavior
8910-413: The novelty of the design prolonged the project over thirteen years. After opening, the Brooklyn Bridge underwent several reconfigurations, having carried horse-drawn vehicles and elevated railway lines until 1950. To alleviate increasing traffic flows, additional bridges and tunnels were built across the East River. Following gradual deterioration, the Brooklyn Bridge was renovated several times, including in
9020-415: The outside and inside of each roadway. An elevated pedestrian-only promenade runs in between the two roadways and 18 feet (5.5 m) above them. It typically runs 4 feet (1.2 m) below the level of the crossbeams, except at the areas surrounding each tower. Here, the promenade rises to just above the level of the crossbeams, connecting to a balcony that slightly overhangs the two roadways. The path
9130-462: The over 1,000 unit Concord Village co-op development on Adams Street, at the borders of both Brooklyn Heights and Dumbo . Since the rezoning of parts of Downtown Brooklyn in 2004 to allow for denser residential development, the area has seen the arrival of new condominium towers, townhouses, and office conversions. In all, 14,000 residential units were planned for Downtown Brooklyn at that time. A New York Sun article from November 7, 2007, reports on
9240-497: The poorer wire would leave the bridge only four times as strong as necessary, rather than six to eight times as strong. The inferior-quality wire was allowed to remain and 150 extra wires were added to each cable. To avoid public controversy, Haigh was not fired, but instead was required to personally pay for higher-quality wire. The contract for the remaining wire was awarded to the John A. Roebling's Sons, and by October 5, 1878,
9350-818: The private school German School of Brooklyn moved all levels to its permanent site at 9 Hanover Place in Downtown Brooklyn. The Khalil Gibran International Academy High School opened in September 2024. Schools situated within or in the immediate periphery of the district include Brooklyn Technical High School (one of the city's nine selective specialized high schools ), Brooklyn Friends School , Bishop Loughlin Memorial High School , St. Francis College , St. Joseph's College , Brooklyn Law School , New York University 's Tandon School of Engineering and Center for Urban Science and Progress ,
9460-439: The process, it was determined that the main span would have to be raised from 130 to 135 feet (40 to 41 m) above MHW, requiring several changes to the overall design. In June 1869, while conducting these surveys, Roebling sustained a crush injury to his foot when a ferry pinned it against a piling . After amputation of his crushed toes, he developed a tetanus infection that left him incapacitated and resulted in his death
9570-407: The progress made, emphasizing the widening of Adams Street (and later Boerum Place), which created a long and sweeping approach to Downtown Brooklyn from a modernized Brooklyn Bridge. By the late 1960s, the patterns of transition that affected much of urban America initiated concern to protect the borough's Central Business District from deterioration. In 1969, a comprehensive plan for the entire city
9680-469: The project, saying either that the bridge was too expensive, or that the construction process was too difficult. To allay concerns about the design of the New York and Brooklyn Bridge, Roebling set up a "Bridge Party" in March 1869, where he invited engineers and members of U.S. Congress to see his other spans. Following the bridge party in April, Roebling and several engineers conducted final surveys. During
9790-511: The project. Construction of the Brooklyn Bridge began on January 2, 1870. The first work entailed the construction of two caissons, upon which the suspension towers would be built. The Brooklyn side's caisson was built at the Webb & Bell shipyard in Greenpoint, Brooklyn , and was launched into the river on March 19, 1870. Compressed air was pumped into the caisson, and workers entered
9900-405: The respective main cable by two sets of nine eyebars , each of which is about 12.5 feet (3.8 m) long and up to 9 by 3 inches (229 by 76 mm) thick. The chains of eyebars curve downward from the cables toward the anchor plates, and the eyebars vary in size depending on their position. The anchorages also contain numerous passageways and compartments. Starting in 1876, in order to fund
10010-425: The river, and the two ends were spliced to form a traveler, a lengthy loop of wire connecting the towers, which was driven by a 30 horsepower (22 kW) steam hoisting engine at ground level. The wire was one of two that were used to create a temporary footbridge for workers while cable spinning was ongoing. The next step was to send an engineer across the completed traveler wire in a boatswain's chair slung from
10120-656: The south, and the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway (BQE) on the north and east. The newer term RAMBO , an acronym for Right Around The Manhattan Bridge Overpass is sometimes applied to the area, comparing it to DUMBO . The neighborhood was connected to Vinegar Hill until the 1950s, when construction of the BQE effectively isolated it from surrounding areas. Downtown Brooklyn is served by two ZIP Codes : 11201 north of DeKalb Avenue and 11217 south of DeKalb Avenue. The United States Postal Service operates
10230-403: The space to dig the sediment until it sank to the bedrock. As one sixteen-year-old from Ireland, Frank Harris , described the fearful experience: The six of us were working naked to the waist in the small iron chamber with the temperature of about 80 degrees Fahrenheit: In five minutes the sweat was pouring from us, and all the while we were standing in icy water that was only kept from rising by
10340-515: The terrific pressure. No wonder the headaches were blinding. Once the caisson had reached the desired depth, it was to be filled in with vertical brick piers and concrete. However, due to the unexpectedly high concentration of large boulders atop the riverbed, the Brooklyn caisson took several months to sink to the desired depth. Furthermore, in December 1870, its timber roof caught fire, delaying construction further. The "Great Blowout", as
10450-409: The time of construction, engineers had not yet discovered the aerodynamics of bridge construction, and bridge designs were not tested in wind tunnels . John Roebling designed the Brooklyn Bridge's truss system to be six to eight times as strong as he thought it needed to be. As such, the open truss structure supporting the deck is, by its nature, subject to fewer aerodynamic problems. However, due to
10560-652: The towers. Each tower contains a pair of Gothic Revival pointed arches, through which the roadways run. The arch openings are 117 feet (36 m) tall and 33.75 feet (10.29 m) wide. The tops of the towers are located 159 feet (48 m) above the floor of each arch opening, while the floors of the openings are 119.25 feet (36.35 m) above mean water level, giving the towers a total height of 278.25 feet (84.81 m) above mean high water. The towers rest on underwater caissons made of southern yellow pine and filled with cement. Inside both caissons were spaces for construction workers. The Manhattan side's caisson
10670-551: The trustees decided to award a contract for 500 short tons (450 long tons) of Bessemer steel to the Edgemoor (or Edge Moor) Iron Works, based in Philadelphia , to be delivered by 1880. The trustees later passed another resolution for another 500 short tons (450 long tons) of Bessemer steel. However, by February 1880 the steel deliveries had not started. That October, the bridge trustees questioned Edgemoor's president about
10780-403: The vault's spaces necessitated repairs during the late 1980s and early 1990s. By the late 1990s, the chambers were being used to store maintenance equipment. The bridge's two suspension towers are 278 feet (85 m) tall with a footprint of 140 by 59 feet (43 by 18 m) at the high water line. They are built of limestone , granite , and Rosendale cement . The limestone was quarried at
10890-499: The wire, to ensure it was safe enough. The bridge's master mechanic, E.F. Farrington, was selected for this task, and an estimated crowd of 10,000 people on both shores watched him cross. A second traveler wire was then stretched across the span, a task that was completed by August 30. The temporary footbridge, located some 60 feet (18 m) above the elevation of the future deck, was completed in February 1877. By December 1876,
11000-445: The world had used the footbridge. The visitor passes ceased that September after a visitor had an epileptic seizure and nearly fell off. As the wires were being spun, work also commenced on the demolition of buildings on either side of the river for the Brooklyn Bridge's approaches; this work was mostly complete by September 1877. The following month, initial contracts were awarded for the suspender wires, which would hang down from
11110-617: The years, the bridge has been used as the location of various stunts and performances, as well as several crimes, attacks and vandalism. The Brooklyn Bridge is designated a National Historic Landmark , a New York City landmark , and a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark . The Brooklyn Bridge, an early example of a steel-wire suspension bridge , uses a hybrid cable-stayed /suspension bridge design, with both vertical and diagonal suspender cables. Its stone towers are neo-Gothic , with characteristic pointed arches. The New York City Department of Transportation (NYCDOT), which maintains
11220-524: Was broken for the Brooklyn tower foundation. His debilitating condition left him unable to supervise the construction in person, so he designed the caissons and other equipment from his apartment, directing "the completion of the bridge through a telescope from his bedroom." His wife, Emily Warren Roebling , not only provided written communications between her husband and the engineers on site, but also understood mathematics , calculations of catenary curves, strengths of materials, bridge specifications, and
11330-503: Was built first, originally had a height of 9.5 feet (2.9 m) and a ceiling composed of five layers of timber, each layer 1 foot (0.30 m) tall. Ten more layers of timber were later added atop the ceiling, and the entire caisson was wrapped in tin and wood for further protection against flooding. The thickness of the caisson's sides was 8 feet (2.4 m) at both the bottom and the top. The caisson had six chambers: two each for dredging , supply shafts, and airlocks . The caisson on
11440-604: Was completed and in the report the City Planning Commission stated, "Downtown Brooklyn's economy is vital to the borough and important to the entire metropolitan region." In re-affirming Downtown Brooklyn's central role and identifying its problems, the Plan was optimistic that a combination of public and private efforts would stimulate office and commercial construction. A 23-story privately financed office tower at Boerum Place and Livingston Street opened in 1971 and
11550-545: Was completed on December 10, 2010. It features an underground corridor on Willoughby Street connecting both stations, which includes new escalator and elevator access to Lawrence Street. The Long Island Rail Road stops at the Atlantic Terminal , located at the intersection of Atlantic and Flatbush Avenues. Public schools are operated by the New York City Department of Education . In 2021
11660-474: Was considered suspect among the younger trustees who had joined the board more recently. Construction on the bridge itself was noted in formal reports that Murphy presented each month to the mayors of New York and Brooklyn. For example, Murphy's report in August 1882 noted that the month's progress included 114 intermediate cords erected within a week, as well as 72 diagonal stays, 60 posts, and numerous floor beams, bridging trusses, and stay bars. By early 1883,
11770-412: Was dangerous: by 1876, three workers had died having fallen from the towers, while nine other workers were killed in other accidents. In 1875, while the towers were being constructed, the project had depleted its original $ 5 million budget. Two bridge commissioners, one each from Brooklyn and Manhattan, petitioned New York state lawmakers to allot another $ 8 million for construction. Ultimately,
11880-404: Was launched from Webb & Bell's shipyard on May 11, 1871, and maneuvered into place that September. Due to the extreme underwater air pressure inside the much deeper Manhattan caisson, many workers became sick with "the bends"— decompression sickness —during this work, despite the incorporation of airlocks (which were believed to help with decompression sickness at the time). This condition
11990-493: Was mostly completed in July 1876. The anchorages could not be fully completed until the main cables were spun, at which point another 6 feet (1.8 m) would be added to the height of each 80-foot (24 m) anchorage. The first temporary wire was stretched between the towers on August 15, 1876, using chrome steel provided by the Chrome Steel Company of Brooklyn. The wire was then stretched back across
12100-440: Was unknown at the time and was first called "caisson disease" by the project physician, Andrew Smith. Between January 25 and May 31, 1872, Smith treated 110 cases of decompression sickness, while three workers died from the disease. When iron probes underneath the Manhattan caisson found the bedrock to be even deeper than expected, Washington Roebling halted construction due to the increased risk of decompression sickness. After
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