RSS 2.0 FeedAugust 12, 2010, Featured Articles, Freeport-Baldwin Leader
Fading into the past
The Brooklyn Water Works soon to be demolished.
A piece of Freeport’s history will soon be nothing more than a memory. The Brooklyn Water Works, located on Brookside Avenue just behind the Long Island Rail Road on Sunrise Highway, is slated for demolition. A demolition permit has been issued, said the mayor’s office, and work will begin shortly. Originally, the Brooklyn Water Works had been landmarked in 1986, but the building was found to be beyond repair. Cynthia Krieg told The Leader that Freeport’s Landmarks Commission recently approved the demolition. “It’s a shame but it was dangerous, and it became a safety issue,” she said. The Brooklyn Water Works building was constructed from 1889-91, according to a plan by architect Frank Freeman. Water was supplied via a conduit to Brooklyn from 1891 until the mid-1950s. In the 1980s the 4.2 acres were purchased by Gary Melius, who originally wanted to turn the building into condos. A fire in 1988 ravaged the building, and it has been in steady disrepair since then.
Historical file photo courtesy of Freeport Historical Society.
Leader photo by Ricky Patti
More Featured Articles
Save a life, donate blood!
Two blood drives happening, you could save a life.
