Blog Archives

By Suzanne Spellen (aka Montrose Morris) We have the Great Depression and Robert Moses to thank for one of New York City’s biggest public swimming pools, the Sol Goldman Pool in the Red Hook Play Center at 155 Bay Street in Red Hook. Designed to accommodate more than 4,462 people at a time, the …

By Suzanne Spellen (aka Montrose Morris) Red Hook is one of Brooklyn’s oldest neighborhoods, with a history that is unique. With that in mind, it should come as no surprise that Coffey Street, located between the Atlantic and Erie Basins should have a unique history as well. Here is the story of Red Hook’s …

Rich with industrial charm, waterfront views and quirky character, Red Hook was transformed for a few days by a whirling, blustering storm that blanketed the neighborhood with snow. The first substantial accumulation of the winter provided a perfect opportunity to hike through the slushy streets and capture the atmospheric scenes. Shop owners shovel their …

Iconic features at the Red Hook waterfront. Iron door shutters are found on all of the O’Connell properties here in Red Hook, Brooklyn. The arched casements and doors are typical of the era in which these properties were built, just before and after the American Civil War in the 1860’s. The arches provide strength, …

  When the O’Connell Organization first came to Red Hook, it set out to preserve and protect the history of the South Brooklyn waterfront.   Over the past 45 years, the organization has rehabilitated dozens of residential and commercial properties in the Red Hook, Columbia Street Waterfront, Carroll Gardens and Cobble Hill areas of …

Charles Flickinger began his career as a stained glass designer and craftsman. Early on, he worked for several leading glass studios in New York City including Rambusch Decorating and Ernest Porcelli Art Glass Studio. After helping to restore the Statue of Liberty’s bent glass torch in 1984, he began a series of apprenticeships with …

Classic signage on the exterior of the Liberty Warehouse.

Take a look at the iron work of Oleg Shyshkin. Toronto’s Wrought Iron Art LTD. maintains a workshop at the O’Connell Organization’s German American Stores in Red Hook, Brooklyn. In 1996, Oleg Shyshkin, an architect by profession, opened a creative studio in Toronto, Canada, for the design and artistic forging of wrought iron. “Iron is …