From the Book " Getting About Brooklyn" Albee Square. It was on this site that vaudeville impresario Edward Franklin Albee built one of his extravagant theaters (now deiTioil'shed). Brooklyn Avenue Brooklyn is the anglicized form of Breuckelen, one of the six original towns of Kings County. Breuckelen appears to have been named for a town in the providence of Utrecht, Holland, although some say the name is a corruption of "broken land" or "brook land". Bainbridge Street William Bainbridge was the Commodore of the U.S.S. Constitution in the War of 1812 Bridge Street. At one time it was thought that a bridge might be constructed from the foot of this street across to Manhattan. Canarsie Road This was the "road to Canarsie," an early settlement in the town of Flatlands, and named after Canarsie Indians who lived in the region. Church Avenue The main road to Flatbush Reformed Church at the center of the original Dutch town. Coney Island Avenue For many years, this was the main road -a plank road-to Coney Island. "Coney" is an anglicized version of the Dutch word meaning "rabbit," although there are numerous other theories as to the origin of the name. Cooper Street Bushwick resident Hannah COOPER once owned the land through which this street was cut. Dresden It ran just below the Ridgewood Reservoir and Nat'l Soldiers Cemetery, from Jamaica Ave to Atlantic Ave and was between Hale and Shepherd. (Today's Highland Pl) East New York Avenue A very optimistic John R. PITKIN bought a large plot of land in 1835 as a speculative venture, and named it "East New York" under the belief that this would become the eastern edge of the great city. The scheme failed during the dpression of 1837, but the name stuck. Pitkin Avenue also runs through the community. Force Tube Avenue Marks the path of the force tube that once ran between a water pumping station on Atlantic Avenue at Conduit Blvd and the Ridgewood Reservoir on the heights behind HighLand Park. Fort Greene Place Revolutionary War General Nathaniel GREENE supervised the building of fortifications for this area. Fresh Creek runs into Jamaica Bay. East 109th St is on the west side and Louisiana Ave is on the south side of it. It was in the New Lots Section of Brooklyn. Fulton Street One of the oldest strets in Brooklyn, it began as an Indian path, later becoming the main "road to the ferry," the "Road to Jamaica." and after the inception of the Fulton Ferry service, "Fulton Street." The street has undergone still further change: in 1967 the western end was renamed "Cadman Plaza West" after S. Parkes CADMAN, a well known local minister in the early decades of the twentieth century; most recently the stretch nearest the East River has been renamed "Old Fulton Street." Garden Place Over 2 centuries ago, this was the site of the country home garden of Philip LIVINGSTON, one of New York's 4 signers of the Declaration of Independence. Gates Avenue Horaton GATES was an American general during the revolutionary War. Hancock Street American statesmen John HANCOCK was the first signer of the Declaration of Independence. Java Street Originally "J" Street., this Greenpoint street was renamed in honor of the exotic cargo that was often unloaded from the ships along the waterfront. Jay Street John JAY was the 1st chief justice of the United States Supreme Court. Joralemon Street Teunis JORALEMAN, a member of an old Dutch family, bought part of Philip LIVINGSTON'S estate. Kosciusko Street Thaddeus KOSCIUSKO was a polish patriot who served the American cause during the Revolutionary War. Kossuth Place Louis KOSSUTH was a nineteenth-century Hungarian statesman and patriot. Lexington Avenue This street commemorates the Revolutionary War's Battle of Lexington. Liberty Avenue Said that this thoroughfare was known as "the liberty road" because it was free to farmers travelling over it. Love Lane This narrow road may have recieved it's name from the many admirers of Miss Sarah DeBEVOISE, who lived here with her uncles Robert and John. Marcy Avenue Captain William Learned MARCY served in the War of 1812, and later became a U.S. senator, governor of New York State, scretary of War, and secretary of State. Mermaid Avenue Along with Neptune Ave., Mermaid Ave. is a reminder of the seaside romance of Coney Island. Montague Street English poet & letter write LadyMary WORTLEY MONTAGUE was a cousin of the PIERREPONT family, through whose property this street was cut. Myrtle Avenue For the many myrtle bushes that were found in the area. Pineapple Street According to local legend, a Miss MIDDAGH disliked the naming of streets in Bklyn Heights after old Bklyn families. This prompted her, when out driving, to hook off the offending Street signs with her umbrella and to replace them with the names Pineapple, Orange and Cranberry. Exceptions, however, were to be made; Middagh street still exsists. Railroad Ave Ran from just south of Cypress Hills Cemetery by Jamaica Ave to Spring Creek and Jamaica Bay. It was between Nichols & Hemlock. (Today's Autumn Ave) Snyder Ave. It was named after an old Dutch Flatbush Snyder family in 1903. John J. Snyder, a descendant, wrote "Tales of Old Flatbush" in 1945. Genealogy of Flatbush can be found on C.D. that includes the text of this book. Sumner Avenue Charles SUMNER was a senator from Massachusetts who was an advocate of the emancipation. Back to EASTERN DISTRICT Main Back to TOWN Main Page Back to STREETS Main Back to BROOKLYN Main