VOLUME ONE - NUMBER ONE OUR LITTLE MONITOR PAGE TWO Continental Iron Works, Builders of the U.S.S. Monitor Cargo Exchange Along The East River & Newtown Creek Along Bushwick Inlet and the East River LOOKING BACK TO THE GOOD OLD DAYS. when Greenpoint was an agricul- Pratt Oil Works - Once located on tural community surrounded by clean No. 12th Street and the East River, waterways;when Greenpoint’s East produced Pratt’s Astral Oil, reputed River shore was the home of one of to be the safest. Astral Oil was the greatest shipbuilding centers of the shipped around the world. To accom- world (home of such great vessels as modate his workers, Pratt constructed the U.S.S. Monitor,the first Union iron- worker housing for his employees. The clad that turned the tide of the Civil Astral Apartments still stand today on War, and the steamship Fraklin Street. Adirondack);when Greenpoint’s Continental Iron Works - Once lo- Newtown Creek surpassed the Missis- cated between Quay& Oak Sts., West sippi River in cargo tonnage and value St. and the East River, earned its place of merchandise shipped; when in history as the builder of the Union Greenpoint was open to the world’s ironclad U.S.S. Monitor. manufacturing market with ships un- John Englis & Sons - Once located loading and loading cargo from around on Greenpoint Ave. was known for the the world at piers leading to streets ap- construction of elegant Hudson River propriately named Java Street, India steamships. Street, etc. Union Porcelain Works - Located on Greenpoint is a unique early Eckford St. produced porcelain which industrial community. In close prox- is now on display at such world re- imity to one another one finds a com- nowned museums as the Metropolitan bination of homes formerly owned by Museum of Art, the Brooklyn Museum shipbuilders and industrial entrepre- and the Smithsonian Institute in Wash- neurs, housing for the workers, their ington, D.C. places of worship and the industrial Bedi-Rassy Foundry (now known structures in which they worked. as Bedi Makky Art Foundry Though best known for ship- Corp.)- building and maritime Located on India St. fabricated the industries,ironworking, boxmaking, World War II famed Iwo Jima Monu- pottery, cordage, glass production, oil ment. refining and pencilmaking all flour- To preserve this heritage the ished here. Greenpoint Historic District was des- Greenpoint manufacturers were in the ignated on Sept. 14, 1982 and The past or have become world renowned. Greenpoint Monitor Museum was pro- American Manufacturing Com- visionally Chartered on April 24, 1996. pany - Once located at West and Today the Museum is assisting in ef- Noble Streets was the largest manu- forts to extend Greenpoint’s Landmark facturer of rope in the world. District to include remaining struc- Eberhard & Faber Pencil Company (Above) Greenpoint’s Landmark District tures and property that once were vi- - manufactured lead pencils on (Below Left) S.S. Adirondack under Construction in tal to the community’s growth and live- Greenpoint Avenue. Greenpoint (Below Right) Sailors on the U.S.S. Monitor. lihood..