Brooklyn’s City (Now Borough) Hall

Yesterday, I was going through a cache of documents from Green-Wood’s early history, including a handwritten certified copy of its charter by the State of New York on April 18, 1838, as a rural cemetery. Looking through those records, I came upon an envelope with this image on it: This is really quite an image–and … Read more

Crolius Potters

I’ve collected many things over the years: baseball cards, trains, decoys, cookie jars, and much more. In the 1980s, I went through a stoneware phase. Stoneware was the tupperware of the late 18th century and most of the 19th century: an all purpose storage container. It could hold liquids and solids. American stoneware is a … Read more

Some Big Pencils You Got There.

I was wandering around Greenpoint a few days ago when I came upon the Eberhard Faber Pencil Company Historic District.  Who knew? But, I must admit, I was very excited. I knew that Eberhard Faber is interred at Green-Wood Cemetery. That was enough for me to immediately fall in love with the E.F.P.C.H.D. (for short, … Read more