Shadowed by a wastewater treatment plant, this corner of Greenpoint was once a bronze foundry so famous it is rumored to have been visited by President Theodore Roosevelt. The Roman Bronze Works specialized in the lost-wax casting technique, which allowed artists to produce masterfully detailed sculptures.

Williamsburg was incorporated into Bushwick as the "Village of Williamsburgh" within the Town of Bushwick in 1827. After two years, it had a population of over 1,000, a fire department, and a post office. Its prime location on the East River encouraged industrialists to build shipyards around Williamsburg. As such, it became a hub of industry. In 1840, Williamsburg separated from the Town of Bushwick and became the Town of Williamsburg. Edmund Smith Driggs, a Williamsburg resident, was elected the first president of the Village in 1850. Driggs Avenue is named after him. It became the City of Williamsburg (then discarding the 'h' in 1855 and was organized into three wards. Finally, in 1898 Brooklyn became one of the high boroughs within NYC and so Williamsburg became part of the City of Greater New York. The Williamsburg Bridge was opened shortly after.

ca. 1975 George Washington at Valley Forge is the name of the sculpture by Henry Shrady that stands in Brooklyn near the approach to the Williamsburg Bridge. It commemorates the months Washington and his army spent in a camp northwest of Philadelphia over the course of a deadly winter. Washington did, of course, also spend some time in Brooklyn during the Revolutionary War, although Shrady opted, perhaps understandably, not to memorialize Washington escaping capture following his defeat in the Battle of Brooklyn. Although it might not have seemed like a statue-worthy moment, that escape, made possible by dense fog and strong winds over the East River, is what allowed Washington to continue to lead the Continental Army to eventual victory.

“George Washington at Valley Forge,” at Continental Army Plaza at the foot of the Williamsburg Bridge. The plaza has been decorated by the Mayor’s Committee to Welcome the British and French War Commissions. May 1, 1917. The bronze statue by Henry Mervin Shrady was cast at Roman Bronze Works in Greenpoint, Brooklyn and installed ahead of the park’s opening in 1906.

Take a walk from the Williamsburg Bridge to admire the neighborhood as it was and still is.