Brooklyn Navy Yard Center at BLDG 92 Turns 10 | Episode 252

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Photo of the lobby of BLGD 92 showing a large anchor and visitor services desk with a staff member and group of visitors gathered around it

PAST PROGRAM | Virtual Programs

The Brooklyn Navy Yard Center at BLDG 92 opened its doors on Veterans Day 2011, 11/11/11, making it the first publicly-accessible building at the Yard in over a century, and the first in a series of projects that have pushed back Yard’s walls. BLDG 92 was created to be the public gateway, containing not only the museum of the Yard’s history and contemporary story, but serving as a hub for educational and public programs, and brining the Yard’s Employment Center closer to the community. On this virtual tour of BLDG 92 and its exhibits, we will look at how this project was realized, what the exhibits tell us about the Yard’s story, what is missing from that interpretation 10 years on, and how the Yard engages the public today through different sites and programs.

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Virtual Walk of the Brooklyn Navy Yard Perimeter | Episode 204

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PAST PROGRAM | Virtual Programs

Explore the neighborhoods surrounding the Brooklyn Navy Yard, including Vinegar Hill, Fort Greene, Clinton Hill, and Williamsburg, on this walk around the Yard’s long perimeter. We will explore connections between the Yard and the surrounding communities, including a peek at the landmark Commandant’s House, the Prison Ship Martyrs’ Monument in Fort Greene Park, and other buildings that provided housing for Yard workers and produced components for the shipyard. We will also explore some of the public areas of the Yard, including Building 77, the Admirals Row site, and the Naval Cemetery Landscape. Follow along with our map guide created for Open House New York Weekend 2020.

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Semper Fi on Flatbush: US Marine Corps in Brooklyn, 1807–1975 | Episode 158

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PAST PROGRAM | Virtual Programs

November 10 marks the 245th birthday of the United States Marine Corps, which has had a longstanding presence in Brooklyn, dating back to the first marine guards posted at the Brooklyn Navy Yard in 1807. This virtual program will highlight important historical moments and the evolving mission of the Corps – from the Draft Riots and Whisky Wars of the 1860’s to the Caribbean interventions of the 1910’s to the Vietnam War – through the lens of the marines stationed here in Brooklyn. We will examine original historical documents and listen to oral histories of marines and their families to better understand the meaning of “Semper Fidelis” – always faithful.

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BLDG 92 Visitor and Exhibition Center

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A museum exhibit that includes a series of photographs and videos to the right and an exhibit case with commercial products to the left

BLDG 92 is home to the visitor center, museum, and employment center of the Brooklyn Navy Yard, and it is the starting point for all of our Brooklyn Navy Yard Tours. Housed inside the 1857 Marine Commandant’s Residence, the “Past, Present, and Future” exhibit spans three floors that explore the history and contemporary development of the Yard. Be sure to also visit the Yard Work gallery, located inside the Brooklyn Roasting Company’s café on the ground floor, which highlights the work of many of the Yard’s current manufacturers, designers, and artists. Admission to the museum is always free, and BLDG 92 offers a host of public programs, and is available for rentals. Please ask us about including a tour of the museum galleries or a room rental for a private group experience.

Corner of Flushing Ave & Carlton Ave // Museum Open Wed–Sun, 12–6pm // More Info

Lecture: “Naval Cartography and the Brooklyn Navy Yard,” Oct. 4

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Continuing the fall discussion series, “Wayfinding for the Wayfarer and the Landlubber,” this talk by Andrew Gustafson investigates the significant role cartography – the art and science of drawing maps – has had in shaping world views, power, and politics. The discussion focuses on developments in navigation and cartography at the Brooklyn Navy Yard during the 19th and 20th centuries, with a focus on the Yard’s role in scientific expeditions, intellectual debates, coastal surveys, and the advancement of technology.

When booking, use the promo code Cartography92 to free tickets.

Thursday, Oct. 4, 6:30pm | Brooklyn Roasting Company, BLDG 92 | >> More Information <<

Well Made, Well Done: Inside Industry with Bien Hecho

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We recently had the opportunity to visit a unique business in the Brooklyn Navy Yard that will be a featured tenant on our Inside Industry Tour series, Bien Hecho, a woodworking outfit that specializes in making furniture, millwork, cabinetry, and other custom carpentry from reclaimed and sustainably-sourced wood. Founder John Randall sat down with us to talk about their business making beautiful work, and the Bien Hecho Academy.

Bien Hecho was founded by John nine years ago. Inspired by his travels to Spanish-speaking countries, and his efforts to master the language as an adult, John strives to live up to both meanings of his company’s name – create well-made (hecho bien) projects, and do a job well done (bien hecho). Located inside the Brooklyn Navy Yard’s Building 3, their workshop is filled with wood and machinery that you won’t find in most of the other shops clustered in this part of the building. With a small team of just two full-time staff and a few part-timers, the company has nevertheless taken on some big and beautiful projects.>> Continue reading

Presidential Visits to the Brooklyn Navy Yard, Part II

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Three years ago, in celebration of Presidents Day, we wrote about the handful of times that sitting US presidents had paid visits to the Brooklyn Navy Yard. At that time, we only mentioned two such visits – by William Howard Taft, once as president-elect on November 13, 1908, and as soon-to-be-ousted-president on October 30, 1912, and by Woodrow Wilson,  on May 11, 1914. But we have since done considerably more historical digging, and we would like to share a few more notable presidential visits.>> Continue reading