Brooklyn Heights Association Records
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Abstract
Inactive records of the Brooklyn Heights Association consisting of news clippings, correspondence, financial records, lawsuits, reports, and memorabilia.
Historical Note
The Brooklyn Heights Association is a volunteer community organization focused on the neighborhood of Brooklyn Heights. Established in 1910, the Association is the oldest ongoing neighborhood association in the city. The board is governed by volunteers and primary activities focus on local issues such as development, parks, preservation of the neighborhood's historical character through advocacy and dissemination of information.
Arrangement
The collection is maintained in the original order established by the Brooklyn Heights Association. Most files are arranged alphabetically.
Scope and Contents
The bulk of this collection is dated 1950-1970 and focuses on the successful bid to make the neighborhood a historic landmark. It includes extensive correspondence with mayors, borough presidents, and agency heads. Records also cover such topics as air pollution, tree planting, noise pollution, Brooklyn Union Gas, and Burger King. Meeting minutes, reports, and documents from various lawsuits brought by the Brooklyn Heights Association also make up a large portion of the subject files.
Another significant portion of the subject files is the Brooklyn Heights Association Piers files, dating from 1986-1989. These files represent the successful attempt by the Association to set guidelines for the redevelopment of the docks and piers under and around the Brooklyn Promenade and the Brooklyn Bridge before the creation of the Brooklyn Bridge Park.
The Brooklyn Heights Association retained extensive records on the Civilian Observation Patrol or C.O.P. program. Documents include safety reports, patrol reports, correspondence, grant applications, patrol logs, reports, and surveys.
Two other areas of significance are the records of the Roebling Project and the financial records from 1924-1982. The Roebling project includes grant applications and fundraising efforts, artist submissions, renderings and correspondence. This project was the Association's attempt to honor Brooklyn Bridge architect John A. Roebling with a statue. The financial records include expenditures, revenue, and cash receipts. The financial records detail financial ties with members and organizations as well as salary payouts.
Subjects
Access
Collection is located in the Brooklyn Collection at the Central Branch at Grand Army Plaza. The collection may only be used in the library and is not available through interlibrary loan. Requests to view the collection must be made at least 48 hours in advance of visit.
Use
While many items in the Brooklyn Collection are unrestricted, we do not own reproduction rights to all materials. Be aware of the several kinds of rights that might apply: copyright, licensing and trademarks. The researcher assumes all responsibility for copyright questions.
Preferred Citation
This collection should be cited as the Brooklyn Heights Association Records, Brooklyn Public Library – Brooklyn Collection.
Provenance
Donated by the Brooklyn Heights Association, 2007.
