Society of Old Brooklynites

The Society of Old Brooklynites is one of the New York City borough's oldest civic organizations.[1] It was founded in 1880 to celebrate Brooklyn's history as an independent city[2] and to help connect the local business community.[3]

History

The society was founded by John W. Hunter, a former Mayor of Brooklyn. It holds meetings at the Brooklyn Surrogate's Courtroom. Membership currently requires individuals to have lived in Brooklyn for at least 25 years.[4] The group rose to prominence combatting the merging of New York City with Brooklyn.[1] It termed this "The Great Mistake of 1898."

Notable events

The Society of Old Brooklynites has hosted an annual memorial for the Prison Ship Martyrs' Monument every year since President Taft dedicated the monument in 1908.[5] The society also has an annual event there honoring the 1776 Battle of Brooklyn.[6] An unauthorized Bust of Edward Snowden was briefly placed in the park in 2015 and sparked outrage by the society.[7]

Notable members

References

  1. ^ a b Ramirez, Jeanine (April 6, 2017). "Brooklyn as the Capital of Cool? The Society of Old Brooklynites Prefers the Good Old Days". NY1. Archived from the original on September 25, 2022.
  2. ^ National Magazine: A Monthly Journal of American History. Vol. 19. 1893. pp. 406–434. Retrieved October 15, 2024.
  3. ^ a b c d e f Abruzzo, Shavana (July 3, 2010). "Soc. of Old Brooklynites inducts new slate". New York Post. Archived from the original on February 16, 2023.
  4. ^ Perlman, Matthew (April 11, 2014). "Old Brooklyn defined: 25-year residency required for entry to this club". Brooklyn Paper. Archived from the original on February 16, 2023.
  5. ^ Martin, Douglas (September 23, 1995). "Resurrecting Patriots, and Their Park; Shrine to Revolution's Martyrs Is Part of Fort Greene Renewal". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on February 16, 2023.
  6. ^ a b Abruzzese, Rob (August 24, 2015). "Society of Old Brooklynites continues tradition of honoring the Battle of Brooklyn". Brooklyn Daily Eagle. Archived from the original on February 16, 2023.
  7. ^ Goldstein, Sasha (April 6, 2015). "Illegal Edward Snowden bust placed atop Brooklyn war monument in Fort Greene Park". New York Daily News. Archived from the original on February 16, 2023.
  8. ^ Katz, Andy (June 26, 2019). "Society of Old Brooklynites celebrates 139th anniversary". Brooklyn Reporter. Archived from the original on January 28, 2023.