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Visit a Revolutionary War Battle Site at the Old Stone House in Brooklyn

The Old Stone House sits in the middle of Park Slope, a neighborhood in South Brooklyn near Prospect Park. The small Old Stone House is now surrounded by sporting fields and playgrounds, but the area was once the site of a small Dutch farmhouse built in 1699. Later, it stood during an important battle in the Revolutionary War, the Battle of Brooklyn. Today, visitors of all ages can step inside Old Stone House and learn the history of Brooklyn from inside this important landmark.

Old Stone House

The Old Stone House in Brooklyn: Exhibitions

There is one permanent exhibition and one rotating exhibition available for view at Old Stone House. See the permanent exhibition, The Old Stone House: Witness to War, and learn about the Battle of Brooklyn, which occurred in the area immediately surrounding the original building. This exhibition opened in August 2016 to commemorate the 240th anniversary of the Battle of Brooklyn. Not only will this 10-part exhibition take you through this important battle, but you’ll also learn about the Revolutionary War at large and its relevance to issues today.

The exhibition is open to the public Friday, 3-6pm, and Saturday and Sunday, 11am-4pm, as well as by appointment.

The Old Stone House in Brooklyn: History

Old Stone House

Brooklyn is the Anglicized name given to the Dutch town of Breukelen, where the Vechte family settled and built the original Old Stone House in 1699. Patriarch Hendrick Claessen Vechte was a farmer, carpenter, and wheelwright whose family lived through the Revolutionary War. 

The Battle of Brooklyn numbered among the first major conflicts between the British and American revolutionaries in late August 1776. The battle raged in areas we know today such as Green-Wood, Prospect Park, and Fort Greene. Under General William Alexander, the Americans lost this battle after a ferocious fight, losing 1,000 soldiers total. Someone once said, “The Declaration of Independence was signed in ink at Philadelphia… and signed in blood at Brooklyn.”

At the turn of the twentieth century, developers were displacing old builds to construct the brownstones lining the streets near the Old Stone House. Consequently, the structure collapsed under the weight of 15 feet of landfill in 1910. In 1935, builders remade the Old Stone House near its original location using stones found in rubble from the original site and other architectural elements appropriate for a seventeenth-century Dutch farmhouse. Today the Old Stone House is included on The National Register of Historic Places.

The Old Stone House in Brooklyn: Community Events

The Old Stone House Brookyn Community events

The Old Stone House and the park surrounding it, Washington Park, invite the community for recreation as well as education. Washington Park is the perfect place to bring kids to play, especially in summer when play areas become small water parks. 

Every Sunday, a bustling farmers market and other vendors gather around Washington Park. Come buy local produce, pickles, olive oil, baskets, street food, jewelry, and clothing if you visit Old Stone House on Sundays! 

Find out about events such as talks, dinners, performances, and family programming on the Old Stone House calendar!

The Old Stone House is located at 336 3rd St. Call 718-768-3195 or visit theoldstonehouse.org for more information.

About the Author

Merrill Lee Girardeau lives and writes in Brooklyn.

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