Brooklyn Historical Society honors National Grid & Brooklyn Brewery

Fall Gala Lays Emphasis on History, Education

November 16, 2016 By Andy Katz Special to the Brooklyn Daily Eagle

From left: BHS trustee Wes Jackson, BHS President Deborah Schwartz, Brooklyn Brewery’s Robin Ottaway and Eric Ottaway. Photos by Andy Katz

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Abolition, suffrage, the struggle for equal rights under the law, and, most importantly, education, were the predominant themes of the Brooklyn Historical Society’s Fall Gala. In order to accommodate the number of supporters, the event took place “off campus” in Liberty Warehouse’s gorgeous Red Hook setting.

Before presenting awards to honorees National Grid and Brooklyn Brewery for their efforts promoting the Brooklyn Historical Society (BHS), surprise guest speaker Madison Zephyr, a fifth grade student at P.S. 312, told of her experience at Freedom For One: Freedom For All, a National Endowment for the Humanities summer program led by BHS and the Museum of the City of New York: “When we went to the Brooklyn Historical Society we saw documents on how slaves were treated,” Madison told the audience, “and it felt upsetting.”

BHS President Deborah Schwartz acknowledged the tumultuous nature of history when she said, “Every day our educators work with students to investigate and understand the messy, complicated history of American democracy.”

“Agitate, agitate, agitate!’” added Kanene Ayo Holder, quoting Frederick Douglass. Holder, a teacher and activist, was part of the program’s summer scholars forum. “The Brooklyn Historical Society allowed me to advocate for my students,” she told the audience. “With knowledge, you can make a difference.”

“Doing this project helped me love and understand history more than I ever did before,” Madison concluded.

History continued to resonate throughout the evening as Eric Ottaway of Brooklyn Brewery reminded the audience that a building he owns on 57 Henry St., once a part of the Underground Railroad, had also been the residence of Civil War Gen. John Blackburn Woodward. After an unsuccessful run for mayor, Woodward had gone on to head the Brooklyn Institute of Arts & Sciences, an institution that eventually gave birth to the Brooklyn Academy of Music, the Brooklyn Museum of Art, Brooklyn Botanic Gardens and the Brooklyn Children’s Museum.

“That was his passion,” Ottaway continued, “to give back to Brooklyn … and that sprit comes down to us … to give back to our communities, to help make them more vibrant, better places to live.”

Brooklyn Brewery’s relationship with the BHS started when the company, struggling to make payroll, but wanting to contribute to local culture, discovered that beer is a pretty good currency. The Brewery supported BHS events by donating their signature product, long renowned as a tool to open both hearts and checkbooks.

James Rossman, chairman of the BHS board of trustees, took a turn at the podium to praise UK-based National Grid: “The dedication and commitment of the local team here in New York to the Brooklyn community has just been phenomenal,” Rossman declared. He went to describe National Grid’s proposal to form a working group to raise funds to celebrate the 70th anniversary of Jackie Robinson’s signing with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947.

“It’s just great to see that, rather than pulling from our corporate sponsors,” Rossman said, “to have them come to us and say, ‘we’ve got a great idea’!”

“Tonight is a special evening, for me and my colleague, Ken,” Rudolph Wynter, president of FERC Regulated Businesses, National Grid, told the audience. “Both of us were born and raised in Brooklyn … We have really special memories of growing up in Brooklyn and of the Brooklyn Historical Society as well.”

President of New York Operations for National Grid Ken Daly traced the company’s roots in Brooklyn to 1824. “Whether it’s the 1800s to the 1900s to today,” Daly continued, “the one thing that’s common is our commitment to Brooklyn.”

After the awards were presented and speeches were made, BHS trustee Wes Jackson invited the audience to remain for an after party with cocktails and DJ music.

Founded in 1863 as the Long Island Historical Society, BHS has had its fortunes mirror those of the wider borough. Emerging from a mid-century era of declining prosperities, the BHS headquarters at 128 Pierrepont, a four-story Queen Anne mansion designed by renowned architect George B. Post, has been recognized as National Historic Landmark. The BHS’s stunning Othmer Library is regarded as national center for the study of urban history.