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Photos That Take You on a Journey Through Brooklyn in the 1890s

Brooklyn in the 1890s was a watershed decade in the borough’s storied history. Standing on the cusp of a new century, Brooklyn faced transformative changes that would forever alter its landscape, culture, and relationship with the rest of New York City. For both historians and casual observers, this period presents a fascinating lens through which to view the evolution of a borough that today remains an essential component of the city’s rich tapestry.

The Great Consolidation of 1898

Perhaps the most defining event of this decade was the consolidation of Brooklyn into Greater New York City in 1898. This move was met with mixed feelings; many Brooklynites were resistant to losing their independent status. However, the consolidation offered economic and infrastructural benefits that were hard to ignore. It ushered in a new era of interconnectedness and expansion, paving the way for Brooklyn to become the vibrant borough it is today.

Industrial Flourishing and Economic Growth

By the 1890s, Brooklyn’s industrial sector had matured into a robust economic engine. Neighborhoods like Bushwick and Greenpoint were bustling with factories, breweries, and warehouses. Businesses such as the Domino Sugar Refinery in Williamsburg became iconic, shaping Brooklyn’s industrial landscape and contributing significantly to the local economy.

Cultural Institutions and Public Spaces

Cultural and recreational landmarks continued to flourish in the 1890s. The Brooklyn Museum opened its doors in 1897, offering a world-class repository of art and artifacts. Additionally, the Brooklyn Botanic Garden was founded in 1897, though it would not officially open until the early 20th century. These establishments provided enriching experiences for Brooklynites, adding layers of sophistication and leisure opportunities to everyday life.

Urban Challenges and Solutions

As Brooklyn grew in both population and industry, it faced the urban challenges typical of a booming locale. Elevated railways extended their reach, but issues of sanitation, housing, and social welfare remained pressing. Civic leaders and community organizations mobilized to address these problems, laying the groundwork for social and public health reforms in the new century. Let these 1890s photographs of Brooklyn whisk you back to an era of trolley cars and gas lamps, providing a vivid glimpse into the roots of this iconic borough.

#2 Brooklyn Bridge Overlooking New York City, Brooklyn, 1890s

#3 Entrance to Luna Park on Coney Island, Brooklyn, 1890s

#5 Fire Engine of the Brooklyn Fire Department, Brooklyn, 1890

#6 Kings County Wheelmen’s Club House, Brooklyn, 1895

#7 Pierrepont House Hotel at Montague and Hicks Street, Brooklyn, late 1880s

#8 Brooklyn Bridge Station with Advertisements, Brooklyn, 1890

#9 South Brooklyn View Near the Entrance, Brooklyn, 1890s

#10 Timekeeping at Brooklyn Navy Yard, Brooklyn, 1890s

#17 Brooklyn Skyline and Brooklyn Bridge, Brooklyn, 1895

#18 High-Angle View of Prospect Park from Mount Prospect Reservoir Over Flatbush Avenue, Brooklyn, 1895

#21 Offices of Dr. Parker, a Dentist, in Brooklyn, 1895

#22 Elevated Train Approach to Brooklyn Bridge, Brooklyn, 1895

#23 East River Waterfront and Brooklyn Heights, Brooklyn, 1895

#24 Lower Manhattan View From Brooklyn Bridge, Brooklyn, 1895

#25 Brooklyn Bridge and Lower Manhattan From Manhattan Bridge Tower, Brooklyn, 1895

#26 Brooklyn Bridge With WF Powers &Co Building, Brooklyn, 1895

#27 Illuminated Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Williamsburg Bridges at Night, Brooklyn, 1895

#30 23rd Regiment Armory on Bedford Avenue, Brooklyn, 1895

#31 47th Regiment Armory on North Portland Avenue, Brooklyn, 1895

#32 St Augustine’s Roman Catholic Church in Park Slope, Brooklyn, 1895

#33 Fire Department Building on Jay Street, Brooklyn, 1895

#36 High-Angle View of Coney Island With Rollercoaster, Brooklyn, 1895

#37 Paradise of Japan in Coney Island, Brooklyn, 1895

#38 Grand Army Plaza and Prospect Park Entrance, Brooklyn, 1895

#39 Culver Terminal Railway Station in Coney Island, Brooklyn, 1895

#40 North View of Brighton Beach Hotel, Brooklyn, 1895

#41 Public School 108 on Linwood Street, Brooklyn, 1895

#42 Lawyers Title Insurance & Trust Company on Montague Street, Brooklyn, 1895

#46 Panorama of Flatbush Avenue and Eastern Parkway, Brooklyn, 1895

#47 St Patrick’s Catholic Church on Kent Avenue, Brooklyn, 1895

#49 Havemeyer & Elder Sugar Elevator and Dock on Kent Avenue, Williamsburg, Brooklyn, 1890s

#50 Temple Bar Building and Dime Savings Bank on Court and Joralemon Streets, Brooklyn, 1895

#51 Seney Hospital on Seventh Avenue Between 6th and 7th Streets, Brooklyn, 1895

#52 St Phebe’s Mission House on 125 DeKalb Avenue, Brooklyn, 1895

#53 Swedish Evangelical Congregational Church on Atlantic Avenue, Brooklyn, 1890s

#54 High-Angle View of Brooklyn Bridge Approach and Sands Street Viaduct, Brooklyn, 1895

#55 Manhattan Beach Hotel with Verandah and Billiard Room, Brooklyn, 1895

#56 Unidentified Old House on Nostrand Avenue, Brooklyn, 1895

#57 Monaton Company at Southeast Corner of Unidentified Clinton Street Intersection, Brooklyn, 1895

#58 14th Regiment Armory on Eighth Avenue, Brooklyn, 1895

#59 Peoples’ Bank on Broadway and Green Avenue, Brooklyn, 1895

#60 United States Post Office Main Building in Brooklyn Heights, Brooklyn, 1895

#61 Collegiate and Polytechnic Institute on Livingston at Court Street, Brooklyn, 1895

#62 Balmer’s Beach and Bathing Pavilion in Brighton Beach, Brooklyn, 1895

#63 The Oriental Hotel in Manhattan Beach, Brooklyn, 1895

#68 Touraine Hotel on 21 Clinton Street, Brooklyn, 1895

#69 Household of Faith on Greene Avenue, Brooklyn, 1895

#70 Flatbush Avenue LIRR Station Under Construction, Brooklyn, 1895

#72 Entrance to Prospect Park with Bicyclists, Brooklyn, 1895

#73 Sheepshead Bay Rowing Club and Olagner’s Ocean View Hotel, Brooklyn, 1895

#74 Bedford Reform Church on Bedford Avenue and Madison Street, Brooklyn, 1895

#75 George P Hall Family in the Backyard of 642 Putnam Avenue, Brooklyn, 1895

#76 Steeplechase Tower at Coney Island, Brooklyn, 1895

#77 View of Triumphal Arch at Grand Army Plaza, Brooklyn, 1895

#78 Downtown Brooklyn View from Temple Bar, Brooklyn, 1895

#80 Coney Island Beach and Bathing Pavilion, Brooklyn, 1895

#81 Unidentified Old House on Flatbush and Evergreen Avenues, Brooklyn, 1895

#83 Rooftop View of Brooklyn Academy of Music, Brooklyn, 1895

#84 Garfield Building on Court Street, Brooklyn, 1895

#85 Lockwood Academy on South Oxford Street, Brooklyn, 1895

#86 Old Brighton Beach Station and Melrose Hotel, Brooklyn, 1895

#87 Brighton Beach Park and Bathing Pavilion, Brooklyn, 1895

#88 East River View North of Brooklyn Bridge, Williamsburg Bridge in Distance, Brooklyn, 1896

#89 High-Angle Shot of Brooklyn Navy Yard, Brooklyn, 1896

#90 Entrance to Brooklyn Bridge Elevated Train Station, Brooklyn, 1896

#91 Olagner’s Ocean View Hotel Garden, Brooklyn, 1896

#92 Midwood Club, Formerly Clarkson Mansion, Brooklyn, 1896

#93 High-Angle View of Borough Hall and Surrounding Buildings, Brooklyn, 1890s

#94 Grace Reformed Church on Bedford Avenue, Brooklyn, 1896

#95 Entrance to Prospect Park at Grand Army Plaza, Stranahan Statue and Triumphal Arch Visible, Brooklyn, 1896

#96 High-Angle View of Prospect Park and Future Site of Brooklyn Botanical Gardens, Brooklyn, 1896

#97 YMCA at the Corner of Bedford and Monroe Streets, Brooklyn, 1896

#99 Downtown Brooklyn View from Elevated Railroad at Fulton Street, Brooklyn, 1896

#100 Hall of Records with Borough Hall Visible, Brooklyn, 1896

#103 Path Through Woods at Bergen Beach, Brooklyn, 1896

#104 Rooftop View of Brooklyn Heights, Remsen Street and Holy Trinity Church Visible, Brooklyn, 1896

#105 Olagner’s Ocean View Hotel Garden, Brooklyn, 1896

#106 Unidentified Old House at Mill Lane and E 48th Street, Brooklyn, 1896

#107 Queen of All Saints Catholic Church, Brooklyn, 1896

#109 Heights Casino on Montague Street, Brooklyn, 1896

#110 View from Elevated Railroad Platform at Fulton Street, Brooklyn, 1896

#111 Manhattan Beach Estates at Coney Island, Brooklyn, 1896

#112 Brighton Beach Hotel Garden and Verandah, Brooklyn, 1896

#115 Plymouth Church on Orange Street, Brooklyn, 1896

#116 St Paul’s Catholic Church on Court Street, Brooklyn, 1896

#117 Brooklyn Warehouse and Storage Company, Brooklyn, 1896

#118 Montague Street-Wall Street Ferry Terminal, Brooklyn, 1896

#119 Brooklyn Institute of Arts and Sciences, Eastern Parkway Visible, Brooklyn, 1896

#120 Brooklyn Institute of Arts and Sciences Viewed from the East with Eastern Parkway Visible, Brooklyn, 1895

#121 Entrance to Prospect Park at Grand Army Plaza on Flatbush Avenue, Brooklyn, 1895

#122 Telephone Building on Smith Street, Brooklyn, 1895

#123 Flatbush Reformed Church at Flatbush Avenue and Church Lane, Brooklyn, 1895

#124 High-Angle View of Brooklyn Museum, Mount Prospect Reservoir, and Eastern Parkway, Brooklyn, 1895

#125 Cemetery at Flatbush Dutch Reformed Church on Flatbush and Church Avenues, Brooklyn, 1895

#126 Unidentified Greek Revival House in Flatbush, Brooklyn, 1895

#127 Montauk Club at Lincoln Place and Eighth Avenue, Brooklyn, 1895

#128 Oriental Hotel at Manhattan Beach Estates, Coney Island, Brooklyn, 1895

#131 Putnam Avenue in Bedford-Stuyvesant, House Number 642 and Large House on Corner, Brooklyn, 1895

#133 High Angle on Coney Island with Dreamland and Balmer’s Bathing Pavilions, Leapfrog Railroad in Foreground, Brooklyn, 1895

#134 Triumphal Arch at Grand Army Plaza, Brooklyn, 1895

#135 High-Angle Shot of Coney Island with Sea Beach Palace and Ferris Wheels, Brooklyn, 1895

#136 Rockaway Beach on Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn, 1895

#137 Unidentified House at Clinton and Pierrepont Streets, Brooklyn, 1895

#138 Trains on Atlantic Avenue and Nostrand Avenue with LIRR and Lorimer Street Trolley, Brooklyn, 1895

#139 High-Angle View of Grand Army Plaza, Brooklyn, 1895

#140 McElvery House on Flatbush Avenue Opposite Fenimore Street, Brooklyn, 1895

#141 Unidentified Old Wooden House on Flushing Avenue, Brooklyn, 1895

#142 Real Estate Exchange Building and Brooklyn Public Library on Montague Street, Brooklyn Heights, Brooklyn, 1895

#143 Unidentified Greek Revival Mansion in Flatbush, Brooklyn, 1895

#144 Vernon House at Lafayette and Clinton Avenues, Brooklyn, 1895

#145 Unidentified School and Crowd of Schoolchildren on Vanderbilt Street, Brooklyn, 1895

#146 McElvery House on Flatbush Avenue Opposite Fenimore Street, Side View, Brooklyn, 1895

#147 Statue of Henry Ward Beecher at Court, Fulton, and Washington Streets, Brooklyn, 1895

#149 John Schenck House on Mill Island, Avenue U and E 63rd Street, Brooklyn, 1895

#150 Statue of Ulysses S Grant at Bedford Avenue and Dean Street, Brooklyn, 1895

#151 Dr Nelson’s Memorial Presbyterian Church at Seventh Avenue and St John’s Place, Brooklyn, 1895

#152 Thomas Jefferson Building at Court Square Near Fulton Street, Brooklyn, 1895

#153 Train Crossing at Atlantic Avenue and Bedford Street, Brooklyn, 1895

#154 Old Dutch Farmhouse on Flushing Avenue, Brooklyn, 1895

#155 James Sheridan Hall and Friends by Ornamental Urn in Prospect Park, Brooklyn, 1895

#156 Statue of Beethoven in Prospect Park, Brooklyn, 1895

#158 Ticket Booth for the Algerian Theatre at Coney Island, Brooklyn, 1896

#159 Observing a Man on a Camel and Ferris Wheel at Coney Island, Brooklyn, 1896

#160 Fun Seekers at Coney Island Funicular Railway, Brooklyn, 1896

#161 End of Water Chute Ride at Coney Island, Brooklyn, 1896

#162 Boardwalk Strollers on Surf Boulevard at Coney Island, Brooklyn, 1896

#163 Overcrowded Cable Car on Smith Street-Coney Island Avenue Line, Brooklyn, 1897

#164 Pedestrians Among Ads at Coney Island, Brooklyn, 1897

#165 ‘Streets of Cairo’ Attraction at Coney Island, Brooklyn, 1897

#166 Strolling Along the Boardwalk at Coney Island, Brooklyn, 1897

#167 South Bushwick Reformed Dutch Church from Stanhope Street, Brooklyn, 1897

#168 George P Hall’s Residence on Putnam Avenue, Brooklyn, Late 1890s

#170 Operator Feeding Letters Into Pneumatic Mail Tube at Brooklyn Post Office, Brooklyn, 1899.

#171 American Film Crew at Coney Island Clubhouse, Brooklyn.

#172 People Strolling in Green-Wood Cemetery, Brooklyn, 1899.

#173 Funeral Procession Exiting Greenwood Cemetery, Brooklyn, 1899.

#174 Feltman’s and Ziz Roller Coaster Sign at Corner of W 10th & Surf Avenue, Brooklyn, late 1890s.

#175 Revolving Soldiers’ Monument at Fort Greene Park, Brooklyn, late 1890s.

#176 BRT Railway Depot and Potter’s Candy House in Coney Island, Brooklyn, late 1890s.

#177 Myrtle Avenue Entrance to Fort Greene Park, Brooklyn, late 1890s.

#178 The Riccadonna Hotel on Ocean Parkway & Sea Breeze Avenue, Brooklyn, late 1890s.

#179 Zoo Entrance in Coney Island, Brooklyn, late 1890s.

#180 Albemarle Hotel in Coney Island, Brooklyn, late 1890s.

#181 James Mills Carpenter Shop, Brooklyn, late 1890s.

#182 Court Street at Joralemon Street, Brooklyn, late 1890s.

#183 Brighton Beach Transit Circle, Brooklyn, late 1890s.

#184 Sailors and Soldiers Arch in Grand Army Plaza, Brooklyn, 1920s.

#185 Brooklyn Bridge Over East River, Brooklyn, circa 1890.

#186 Steamship Docks Above Brooklyn Bridge, Brooklyn.

#187 Brooklyn Bridge View from the Southwest, Brooklyn, 1895.

#189 Germania Club on Schermerhorn Street, Brooklyn, 1895.

#190 Real Estate Office of R Burgess in Flatbush, Brooklyn, 1895.

#191 Brighton Beach Hotel and Boardwalk, Brooklyn, 1895.

#192 Flatlands Dutch Reformed Church, Brooklyn, 1895.

#193 Triumphal Arch in Grand Army Plaza, Brooklyn, 1895.

#194 Hotel Bossert on Montague Street, Brooklyn, 1895.

#196 Navy Street Near Brooklyn Navy Yard, Brooklyn, 1895.

#197 Ulysses S Grant Statue at Bedford & Dean Street, Brooklyn, 1895.

#198 Teunis Bergen House in Flatbush, Brooklyn, 1895.

#199 Eagle Savings & Loan on Remsen Street, Brooklyn, 1895.

#200 23rd Regiment Armory on Bedford and Atlantic Avenues, Brooklyn, 1895.

#201 Performance for Sunshine Society at Lee Avenue Theatre, Brooklyn, 1895.

#204 Temple Bar Building and Dime Savings Bank, Brooklyn, 1895.

#205 Downtown Brooklyn View from Fulton Street EL, Brooklyn, 1895.

#206 High-Angle View of Manhattan Beach Land Co Property, Brooklyn, 1895

#207 Statue of George Washington at Continental Army Plaza, Williamsburg, Brooklyn, 1895

#208 Queen of All Saints Catholic Church on Lafayette and Vanderbilt Avenues, Brooklyn, 1895

#209 Wooden Greek Revival House on Flushing Avenue, Brooklyn, 1895

#210 Rear View of Teunis Bergen House at Flatbush and Cortelyou Roads, Brooklyn, 1895

#211 Interior of Unidentified Church, Possibly at Flatbush and Church Avenues, Brooklyn, 1895

#212 Parkway Baths at Coney Island, Brooklyn, Late 1890s

#213 Ditmas-Suydam House on 1160 Flatbush Avenue, Brooklyn, late 1880s

Ditmas-Suydam House On 1160 Flatbush Avenue, Brooklyn, Late 1880S

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#214 Ritter Painless Dental Company in Brooklyn, 1890s

Ritter Painless Dental Company In Brooklyn, 1890S

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#216 George Stacey Davis Warming Up in Washington Park, Brooklyn, 1892

George Stacey Davis Warming Up In Washington Park, Brooklyn, 1892

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Written by Henry Parker

Content writer, SEO analyst and Marketer. You cannot find me playing any outdoor sports, but I waste my precious time playing Video Games..

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