Monumental 19th century anchor seeking suitable public spot to honor Heights shipping heritage
When Wolf Spille, owner of Sirius Ship Brokerage, decided to buy 76 Montague St. and move his business locally, he was already proud of Brooklyn Heights. He lived in a co-op overlooking New York Harbor, and he valued the link Brooklyn Heights could claim to the history of shipping in New York.
“Many ship owners lived in the Heights during the 19th century,” Spille recently told the Brooklyn Eagle. “Their ships docked below Brooklyn Heights, and they sometimes owned the warehouses along Furman Street, where goods were stored before or after shipping.”
His feelings for that historic link between shipping and Brooklyn Heights led him to buy the 19th century anchor and chain that sit outside 76 Montague St., his former headquarters. Now that the building has been sold — and re-sold — and will become a restaurant, the impending removal of the anchor leads to speculation.