370 Jay St. off Willoughby St.

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WWII Memorial

The memorial was built in honor of NYC Transit workers who lost their lives in WWII. The memorial is a wall of granite stones carved with a map of the world and the names of the men. It is composed of 15 stones, each weighing approximately 500 pounds.

365 Jay St. near Willoughby St.

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An Architectural Masterwork in Brooklyn

In 1892, the independent city of Brooklyn erected a spectacular new headquarters for its fire department on Jay Street. The Romanesque Revival-style building is a masterpiece designed by architect Frank Freeman, one of Brooklyn's most talented late 19th-century designers. Fire engines passed through a massive red sandstone arch once emblazoned with the words "FIRE HEADQUARTERS." The upper facade of golden brick and matching terra cotta is capped by a steep roof and a tall watch tower. In 1988, as part of the MetroTech development, the vacant building was converted into subsidized apartments for lower-income house-holds displaced by the new construction.

Duffield St. between Myrtle Ave. and Willoughby St.

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Relocating History

As part of the MetroTech development, the sponsors agreed to save four of the most significant historic houses in the area. In February 1990, steel beams were placed beneath the ground floors of each of these houses and they were jacked up 17 feet so that they could be relocated. The three adjoining houses at 106 - 110 Johnson Street were lifted together and placed on a flatbed truck which rolled them to their new home on Duffield Street, between Myrtle Avenue and Willoughby Street. Each was placed on a new foundation and all have been extensively restored.

6 MetroTech Center (Between Jay St. and Duffield St. where Myrtle Ave. was de-mapped.)

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Brooklyn's First African-American Church

In 1818, African-American worshipers at the Sands Street Methodist Church withdrew in response to the demand that each pay a fee of $10 for seats restricted to the balcony. The result was the organization of the Brooklyn African Wesleyan Methodist Episcopal Church, Brooklyn's first African-American church. The congregation grew and, in 1854, purchased the 1847 Greek Revival-style sanctuary of the First Free Congregation Church ("free" because pews were not rented). The name was changed to Bridge Street A.W.M.E. Church. The church harbored runaway slaves before the Civil War and continued to be a mainstay of Brooklyn's African-American community. After the congregation moved to Bedford-Stuyvesant in 1938, the building served many uses, including the Albertype Company's post card factory. In the 1990's the exterior was restored as part of a conversion into the Wunsch Student Center for Polytechnic University.

Between Jay Street and Duffield St. where Myrtle Ave. was
de-mapped.

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The MetroTech Commons

This 3 1/2 acre park-like private space with public access is surround by MetroTech's main corporate tenants, The Commons is a bustling environment with seating in warm weather months, concerts and events. The site is also home to the Public Art Fund which displays two shows per year on the Commons.

81 Willoughby St., corner of Lawrence St.

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The Old American Telegraph & Telephone Building

In 1898, architect R.L. Daus designed the New York and New Jersey Telephone Company's office building on Willoughby Street. The building boasts dramatically curved corners and carvings depicting telephones with characteristic wires and earpieces.