The Van Vechte House, ca. 1900, v1974.27.2; Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Long Island lantern slide collection, ARC.195; Brooklyn Historical Society.
The The Vechte-Cortelyou house, today known as the Old Stone House, was built in the late 1690s just a few hundred feet from Gowanus Creek near what is now 3rd Avenue. Torn down at the end of the nineteenth century, a replica was rebuilt in its present location in Park Slope’s Washington Park. Originally, the house played several key roles in the history of Brooklyn, most notably as the site of a major skirmish during the battle of Long Island, one of the most significant battles of the American Revolutionary War.
The Battle of Long Island (also known as the Battle of Brooklyn) took place on August 27, 1776. The Vechte-Cortelyou house served as an artillery house for British troops as they attacked revolutionary colonists. Since then, the house has been memorialized several times over in various paintings, drawings, and narratives.
Later, the house served as a clubhouse for the Brooklyn Superbas, the baseball team that would become renowned and beloved as the Brooklyn Dodgers.
Today, “The Old Stone House” offers educational exhibits and programs about the Battle of Brooklyn and participates in community events and celebrations. Read more about this historical spot at http://www.theoldstonehouse.org.Back to all blog posts