The Sullivan Street facade of the former St. Paul’s Methodist Episcopal Chapel, 1931. An 1886 map lists the chapel as “being built” at the corner of Sullivan and Richards Streets. The church was active at least as late as 1911, when its annual three-day fundraising fair was held in November.

Coffey Park ca. 1951 Coffey Park sits snug in the middle of Red Hook. Before it was Coffey Park, it was Red Hook Park. Before that, it was a patch of land in a developing neighborhood of Brooklyn. Due to the rise of the waterfront industry and population growth of the mid to late 1800s, Red Hook grew in size. People arrived, houses were built, and a park was declared. It was named after Michael Coffey, a well-known representative of the district and long-time resident of Red Hook. The mid-1800s saw a rise in population for the small Brooklyn neighborhood of Red Hook as a result of the construction of the Atlantic Basin in 1839 and the opening of the Erie Basin in the late 1860s. Shipyards, docks, and piers were built along the waterfront and Red Hook became a bustling little neighborhood of longshore and dock workers. In 1867 the City Board of Alderman elected Michael J. Coffey to represent Brooklyn’s 12thWard. Born in County Cork, Ireland, Coffey and his family came to the United States in 1844. They lived in Chicago for five years before moving east to New York and settling in the Brooklyn neighborhood of Red Hook. Expressing interest in local politics, Coffey got involved with the Democratic Party and served as Alderman of Brooklyn’s 12th Ward from 1867 through 1874. After serving as a New York State Assemblyman from 1874 to 1892, Coffey was once again elected as Alderman of the 12th Ward, this time as Alderman President. Previously known as Red Hook Park, the land was purchased by the Brooklyn Parks Department in 1892. The new park, renamed Coffey Park, opened in 1901 and soon after in 1907, more acres of land were purchased to expand the grounds. Many years later in 1943, a third tract of land on Pioneer Street was bought and the full expanse of Coffey Park was complete.

Buttermilk Channel is the tidal strait between Brooklyn and Governors Island. The origin of its name is widely disputed, though each story gives us a sense of the historical use of this channel.

"FDNY Hook & Ladder Co. 101 and Engine 202, 1959. The two-bay firehouse was opened in 1872, on a lot purchased from Daniel Dougherty the previous year. Proximity to the waterfront kept the resident firefighting companies busy, and by the 1950s, the firehouse was worse for the wear. In 1960, the station’s services were shifted to a new building at the corner of Richards and Seabring Streets, one block east."

Bud & Packy's Restaurant, 1959. A 1924 Brooklyn Eagle classified lists a “corner store” for rent at 199 Richards Street, a “desirable location.” By 1927, the new tenants had run afoul of the law: the establishment was fined and “padlocked” for selling liquor. When Bud Fischer and Patrick “Packy” Laffan took over ownership, it became a popular drinking spot for workers of the nearby Todd Shipyards and Sucrest Refinery. It was also known as a Brooklyn Dodgers bar. Following the team’s October 1951 loss of the National League pennant, the bar put a headless effigy of Dodger manager Chuck Dressen up in the window. The bar closed in 1984 when the building was sold twice in less than a month. Sadly the bar was locked up (though the gold painted 'RESTAURANT' sign in the window was long visible through the gates). The building deteriorated terribly over the next few decades. Happily, though, a serious renovation was undertaken that same year, and the building is looking much better, the gold sign in the window remains. The ground level space though seems to still be unoccupied.

"King Street west of Van Brunt Street to Buttermilk Channel, showing in the background one of the Barber Line S.S. June 9, 1938.” At right is the rear of Pioneer Iron Works. The colossal iron manufacturer's building was first constructed in 1866, then rebuilt in 1881 after a fire. Buttermilk Channel is the narrow strait separating Brooklyn from Governor’s Island. The channel was dredged in 1902 in order to accommodate cargo and passenger ships."

On January 16th, 1954, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle reported on a fire that devastated the Atlantic Basin and injured a number of firemen.

Dougherty Restaurant at Wolcott and Richards Streets, Red Hook; June 15, 1959.

Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary Roman Catholic Church, from Red Hook Park, 1931. This is the Visitation congregation’s third church, a Gothic Revival building, built of dark Manhattan schist in 1896 after a fire destroyed the previous building on this site.