Battle of Brooklyn, 236 Years Later

Our annual Battle of Brooklyn commemoration was bigger and better than ever this year. On Sunday, August 26, we commemorated the 236th anniversary of the Battle of Brooklyn (the battle was fought on August 27, 1776)–and it was a wonderful day all around. The Battle of Brooklyn, a good deal of which was fought across … Read more

Green-Wood Vandalized–And Restored

It has been less than a week since about 50 gravestones at Green-Wood were vandalized. I was out on the grounds Friday morning. The damage is even more aggravating when examined closely. For instance, I knew that an small angel had had its head snapped off after being pushed off its base and crashing to … Read more

Green-Wood Vandalized

Tuesday morning started out like any other summer day at Green-Wood. About 90 men and women who work on the cemetery grounds reported for work and headed out to mow the lawns, trim the grass, and weed the gardens. But, something was not right, as Ken Nielsen, acting foreman of the south zone, discovered. And … Read more

Fifth Annual Benefit Host Committee

    HONORARY HOSTS United States Senator Charles Schumer Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz New York State Senator Eric Adams New York State Senator Martin Golden New York State Assemblywoman Joan L. Millman New York City Councilmember Vincent J. Gentile New York City Councilmember Sara M. Gonzalez New York City Councilmember David Greenfield New York … Read more

Minerva: Facing What?

On August 27, 1920, the 144th anniversary of the Battle of Brooklyn, the first battle of the American Revolution after the Declaration of Independence was issued and the largest battle of that war, a bronze sculpture of Minerva was unveiled on Green-Wood’s Battle Hill. Battle Hill was a key point in the Battle of Brooklyn–a … Read more

South Street Seaport–And Green-Wood

I spent much of this past Sunday exploring the South Street Seaport area. I’ve been wandering around that neighborhood for years. My last law office–when I was practicing law for The Legal Aid Society, Criminal Appeals Bureau, before I morphed into Green-Wood’s full-time historian, was at 199 Water Street. That was four years ago. Much … Read more

Another Mystery Solved

Our Civil War Project began in 2002, and has been going strong for almost 10 years now. Volunteers have searched the grounds for anything (an inscription, a marker, a symbol) indicating the interment of a Civil War veteran. We have compared 172,000 names of men who enlisted in Brooklyn or New York City against the … Read more