Learning Places Spring 2016 LIBRARY / ARCHIVE REPORT Brooklyn History Society KYRA CUEVAS INTRODUCTION

Transcription

1 Learning Places Spring 2016 LIBRARY / ARCHIVE REPORT Brooklyn History Society KYRA CUEVAS INTRODUCTION Our trip to the Brooklyn History Society felt much like an investigation, where my groupmates and I sifted through boxes and boxes of information. We were forced to filter out numerous texts, with the keywords Hudson, or Farragut, Housing, Robert Moses, NYCHA, BQE and Navy Yard in mind. The BHS had numerous folders which encompassed these subjects, but some of these documents were incredibly cryptic. Terms were mentioned once or twice in the document, and sometimes indexes in documents were neglected. Some passages and documents were so dense, that it required referencing other texts or just trying our guts for finding leads.for me, it was mostly difficult to not get distracted, as there was an expansive collection of documents regarding Cadman Plaza, Robert Moses and fascinating Navy Yard documents.

2 PRE-VISIT REFLECTION I have never visited the Brooklyn Historical Society, but I have certainly heard of it s incredible and expansive collection. I am anticipating on not only being enamored by the Brooklyn Historical Society s architectural style, but I anticipate on finding numerous documents regarding NYCHA s housing placement in regards to the redevelopment of Downtown Brooklyn. SOURCES found 1. Brooklyn Queens Connecting Highway, Proposed Scope of Contracts, late 1940 s. 2. General Plan Of The United States Navy Yard, New York, New York. June 3, Memorandum to Stuart Constable, City of New York, Office Of City Construction Co ordinator, March 25, Brooklyn Center now at Mid Point, November 5, DOCUMENTATION of site & resources (maps/archival documents/photos) The image above shows the construction document for the BQE, which is rendered in three 1

3 different ways: through the precision of a black line, a red line and red hatched lines/strokes. The black line represents a portion of the BQE which opened in 1951, a year before the opening of Farragut Housing. This portion describes and punctures the presence of tentative Housing Projects (Ingersoll and Walter Whitman Houses). The red line represents parts of the BQE which would open by 1949, as the hatched lines represent construction current to the document. As you zoom in closer to the map, you will notice that the BQE as a line with several fragments that is severed by streets. Numerals will describe the order of demolition for the city project. Thus, the construction was strategically mapped out block by block, as key notes describe not only the demolition date, construction date and the planting date, but the number of displaced families is also recorded. The least of amount of families displaced belongs to the ends of this image, which is described along Edwards street and Park avenue (5 families) and Hicks Street and President Street. (13 families) The largest amount of families displaced, belongs to the strip which is adjacent to the current NYCHA properties. (374 and 407 displaced) This image shows the a general plan of the United States Navy Yard prior to the conception of the BQE. Though this drawing does not directly relate to the issue of public housing and the birth of Farragut Housing, this drawing shows the proposed boundary of the Navy Yard that is currently used. This was a pivotal moment to Vinegar and the Brooklyn Navy Yard, as idea of urban renewal granted the separation of neighborhoods, as well as the introduction of Navy Street and the erasure of Hudson avenue (which bleeds into the mega blocks of Farragut Housing) 2

4 This image describes a letter written to Stuart Constable by Robert Moses regarding the site conditions adjacent and between public housing projects. Moses claims that the blocks west of the Navy Yard are even worse than the buildings built for Farragut Housing, thus suggesting extending the Farragut Housing Complex or creating an entirely new small, but independent project. The article of the left describes the conditions of the redevelopment of Downtown Brooklyn at it s midpoint, or halfway point. The document glosses the project as a whole, as the writer provides holistic statistics which convey the construction and destruction of the city s project. Proposed expenditures were overlooked, and were described to to reach four times the original budget. A total of of four hundred and twenty six parcels of land have been purchased by the city, and two hundred seventy eight properties have been torn down. For me, this article describes objective information. 3

5 DISCOVERIES 1. Neighborhood History a. The redevelopment of Downtown Brooklyn required an immense amount of manpower and revenue. This project involved an array of urban fragments, which vary from the implementation of a highway (the BQE) to the introduction for building a cluster of housing projects (Farragut Housing). The definition of transportation was redefined through different means and scales (streets vs. highways) as the invention of the automobile called for the necessity to expand Brooklyn. In tandem with the invention of the BQE, public space was expanded and redefined. The Civic Center was the heart of this project, as 17 new buildings were proposed around it. The Civic Center, Cadman Plaza and the expansion of the Navy Yard was another physical manifestation of urbanization. Each new project proposed by the city was integral for the accommodation of the population increase, and these projects were instrumental in shaping the perception of the new and improved society. 2. Key Events / Historical Dates a The board of Estimates authorized a study named Brooklyn Civic Center and Downtown Improvements which sought to analyze the necessity for proposals for the redevelopment of the area. b The first phase of construction for the BQE. c The completion of the Brooklyn Queens Express. d The completion of Farragut Housing. 3. Key Players a. New York City Housing Authority, or NYCHA which mission is to establish housing for low median income families. NYCHA has been established since the early 1930 s, and is currently the largest housing authority in the country. b. The Office of City Construction Coordination was a city run office in the 1930 s and 1940 s which sought to assist, coordinate and finalize the construction of large city projects. c. The New York City Planning Commission, or the NYCPC has been established since It has served as a pioneer in the development of urban planning in the nation, as d. Robert Moses was the mastermind of numerous projects regarding the redevelopment and urban renewal of New York City. 4. Relationship Key Players a. The New York City Housing Authority facilitated the need to build numerous housing projects, including Farragut Housing and Walt Whitman houses. 4

6 b. The Office of City Construction Coordination facilitated and coordinated plans for the construction of the BQE. c. The New York City Planning Department facilitated, coordinated and designer plans for the redevelopment of downtown Brooklyn. Their work is most prevalent through the approach towards the Civic Center, as well as the planning of the Civic Center. d. In this specific case, Robert Moses was found to be a key figure in the process of moving bids, documents and designs forward. 5. Public Perception of Key Events a. The documents I have found regarding these subjects did not describe the opinion of the public. Rather, these documents described what the public would see (i.e built projects, etc) 6. Important Changes to Neighborhood a. Numerous city blocks enlarged through the invention of housing projects. Scales of city blocks were tested, as the merging of several major blocks were created for houses complexes, such as Farragut Housing and the Walt Whitman houses, Ingersoll houses. The remnants of High Street and Hudson Avenue were still present within in the project, although Nassau Street, Navy Street, Gold and Sands street remain to be the prominent perimeter of the a portion of the property. b. The Brooklyn Navy Yard s expansion absorbs a good portion of Hudson avenue, which then becomes Navy street. The borders become clearer with the implementation of the wall separating the Brooklyn Navy Yard and Vinegar Hill, as well as numerous fences as recorded on the document above. c. The construction of the BQE destructed numerous city blocks as well as apartment buildings. In lieu of the BQE s construction, numerous apartments were replanned. 7. Other Observations a. The interior of the Brooklyn Historical Society reminds me a bit of the Morgan Library. Both libraries have incredibly ornate interiors, which include continuous wooden elements. In the BHS, ornate columns, wooden bookcases, ceiling trimmings and furniture are expressed. Table lamps are also present as well as separate stations for digital work areas. The interiors are also double leveled, with romanesque window frames and vibrant stained windows. b. The facade of the Brooklyn Historical Society reveals an interesting historical tidbit: It has a detail which spells out the Long Island Historical Society. c. This library is publically accessible,though if your intention is to research, you must request well in advance. While the library serves as a landmark or urban fragment, it s facility mostly serves researchers, than the general public. 5

7 TOPICS & KEYWORDS Redevelopment of Downtown Brooklyn 1940 s, Urban Renewal, New York City Housing Authority, Urban Renewal, Farragut Housing, Brooklyn Queens Expressway, Brooklyn Navy Yard QUANTITATIVE DATA for Area of Study Subject Data Land Ownership The City of New York Number of Blocks # of Buildings on a Typical Block Materials # of Stories of Buildings Residential Bldgs Empty Lots Varies upon neighborhood Varies depending on the redevelopment of each block Brick/masonry buildings and concrete/asphalt materials for the BQE Varies depending upon program: Less than 6 stories residential and commercial buildings and about 14 stories for housing projects. Varies as this category was rezoned after the construction after the BQE. The number of residential buildings increased post urban renewal. Quite a few, but not quantified during this study Commercial Uses Industrial Uses Varies as this category was rezoned after the construction of the BQE. The number of commercial properties stayed the same post urban renwal. Varies as this category was rezoned after the construction of the BQE. The number of industrial properties decreased post urban renewal. 6

8 QUESTIONS to Research Further QUESTIONS: 1. Where did the families that displaced by the BQE move to? 2. What was the social response for the construction of Farragut Housing? 3. Has the placement of the BQE play as an important factor of future housing projects? RESEARCH METHOD/ ADDITIONAL SOURCES NEEDED TO ANSWER EACH QUESTION ABOVE: 1. Question 1 a. Look for supporting documents which record the displacement of BQE families (i.e, the map as shown above) b. See if any notes on the documents may infer the location of displacement, otherwise, conduct a separate research based in this query. c. Why did this families move here? 2. Question 2 a. Look for clippings or supporting documents which record everyday worker s response on the Farragut Housing. b. Analyze these findings and place them in historical context. c. Is any of the information conclusive? How does that affect the manifestation of it s design? 3. Question 3 a. Identify the housing projects that were/around the BQE after it s completion. b. Compare these properties with a thorough investigation of site placement intent. c. Are any of these findings conclusive? SUMMARY / POST VISIT REFLECTION This field trip to the Brooklyn Historical Society painted a clearer picture of the redevelopment of Downtown Brooklyn. Most of these documents glossed over the intention of these new urban inventions, but instead offered an array of artifacts which solidify the construction of projects, and the relationships between key figures. I was a bit disappointed to find that there were many documents regarding preliminary designs for the planning of Vinegar Hill as well as Farragut Housing. I was pleased however, to find that the BHS was comprehensive in terms of information. 7