Brooklyn's Old Stone House: site of a pivotal 1776 Revolutionary War battle

Full text

Though it's not mentioned as often as Yorktown or Valley Forge in the annals of American Revolutionary War history, Brooklyn had a major part to play as the site of the first major battle after the signing of the Declaration of Independence. The British landed on the shores of Gravesend Bay in late August 1776 and marched north through Brooklyn along the Gowanus Road, eventually engaging American troops near the Red Lion Inn (around 39th Street on today’s maps).

The Americans would be pushed back, taking up positions further north near the Vechte-Cortelyou House, with 400 troops from Maryland sent to assist. Unfortunately, the British troops coming up the Gowanus Road were not the main force—a much larger group came from further east, via the Jamaica Pass, forcing the Americans to retreat. The troops from Maryland were left near the house to cover the escape, and over 250 of them would lose their lives. The surviving, uncaptured troops would convene in Brooklyn Heights and, from there, eventually escape into Manhattan.

As for the house, it would remain in the Cortelyou family until 1850, with the swampy land around the house sold off and filled in to build housing. The area became Washington Park , which, starting in 1883, served as the summer home of the Brooklyn Baseball Club, later known as the Brooklyn Dodgers. The building served as a clubhouse until it burned down in 1897.

However, the house was not done for yet—the Parks Department purchased the land and excavated what was left, rebuilding it using the original stone in Washington Park. At first it was a restroom, but eventually the Old Stone House evolved into a small museum dedicated to telling the story of the Battle of Brooklyn.