The Brooklyn Trolley Blogger: Brooklyn ~ Save ADMIRAL'S ROW; Brooklyn Navy Yard

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From Wednesday- March 2, 2011

An Article from the New York Daily News:

I'm pleased to hear this matter is receiving attention from the Honorable Senators Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand. Admiral's Row were majestic structures for their day. But when the author of this article wrote the two Senators,

".....are jumping into the fight to save the crumbling Admiral's Row buildings, a stretch of historic homes near the Brooklyn Navy Yard."

...it struck me as an appropriate time to let you in on just who has been behind the so called "fight" to save Admiral's Row. But first, I must admit, I have been sitting over the winter on my packet of information and my personal anecdote about my per-chance meeting with the man, whom I believe may be the most intensely passionate person, and neighborhood local, working to get the sites restored and preserved. This Daily News article above, while timely for my purposes, reminded me why I wanted to help my newly made and very affable acquaintance get his efforts and cause more exposure by sharing his work here.

I do this gladly. For my part, I pass the Row very often. One day I decided to take a few minutes and photograph the site for a photo post. I've always thought how much of a shame it is these once grand mansions now lay in ruins. A few month's after, and by sheer coincidence, I found myself on a block between Flushing and Myrtle Avenues, and in front of a very different kind of Brooklyn Museum whose curator was the very person spearheading the effort to protect Admiral's Row.

I was browsing the information available for public reading from a display along the sidewalk in front of his very unique museum when he drove up and found a rarely available parking space. After parking and walking my way, it became evident this was his place. So, I introduced myself and expressed my curiosity about his efforts to preserve Admiral's Row. He welcomed me inside and we spent the better part of the next hour with me learning. To my great delight, in that hour I receive a comprehensive lesson in Brooklyn History.

In a future post, we'll cover his Museum in more detail and we'll get to know him a little better also. But this is more about getting his information out and (for me) making sure this man gets his due credit for his passionate efforts regarding the best interests of the "Land-marked" site.

Scott Witter is the man I speak of. He moved to Brooklyn from Upstate N.Y. in 1966 to study Architecture. Here is a sampling of the kind of things I learned from him in our encounter:

As it pertains to the Brooklyn Navy Yard, portions of Brooklyn were being remapped and filled-in. After incorporating as the City of Brooklyn in 1834, the Mill Basin was filled in and Flushing was born in 1838. The first house was erected in 1848. The original military compound was built on this land-fill and consequently instigated the straightening of Flushing Avenue. Of the many things I learned from him, that is merely a drop in the bucket.