History

Present day Bushwick is only a fraction of its original size. The areas of Williamsburg, Greenpoint and fringes closer to the East River were part of the original settlement. The area was divided based on the divergence of development, and in fact the current day Bushwick did not develop until the late 1850’s. Its merger with the City of Brooklyn played a major role into thriving the town’s population and commerce

Bushwick has a strong Dutch influence. It was chartered by Peter Stuyvesant in 1661 and became a prominent neighborhood. Bushwick, which was once called “Boswijck”– derived from Dutch for a little town in the woods –was in fact one of the original six towns established in New Netherlands. The town was originally purchased from the Canarsie Indians in 1638, and became a refuge for the early Dutch, Scandinavian, French and even English settlers from the Plymouth Bay Colony in the new world. The area thrived in agriculture and possessed one of the largest slave holdings in the north up until the 1820’s.

During the industrial revolution, the neighborhood developed a notable chemical industry and became a prominent ship construction and shipping hub. Ironworks, pottery, printing and clothing became major production goods. Later in the nineteenth century, the town forged a synergy of farmers and brewers because of its Austrian and German influx and created a remarkable brewing marketplace.  The Austrian-German influence was particularly felt in the northern region of the town and became an important cultural site. The area was dubbed “Little Germany” and thrived with breweries, restaurants, beer halls and bars. By 1904, the area hailed over forty-four breweries and the Brooklyn lager– a special kind of German inspired beer became an award-winning hallmark of region, however in the 1920’s the thriving industry was abruptly halted by prohibition.

The neighborhood was significant and formed the second largest community in Brooklyn, (Brooklyn History) however after the Second World War, Bushwick transitioned into a phase of degradation, which peaked in the late 1970’s followed by blackouts, rising crime, population exodus and declining incomes.