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
[edit]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
[edit]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
[edit]- David A. Boody[3]
- Samuel Booth[8]
- Charles J. Dodd
- Michael E. Finnigan
- John W. Hunter[3]
- Wilhelmena Rhodes Kelly[6]
- Seth Low[3]
- Marty Markowitz[3]
- John Oakey
- Marjorie Parker Smith
- Walt Whitman[3]
- Myrtle Whitmore
- Daniel D. Whitney
References
[edit]- ^ 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.
- ^ National Magazine: A Monthly Journal of American History. Vol. 19. 1893. pp. 406–434. Retrieved October 15, 2024.
- ^ 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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ Katz, Andy (June 26, 2019). "Society of Old Brooklynites celebrates 139th anniversary". Brooklyn Reporter. Archived from the original on January 28, 2023.