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History of Gowanus

by | Sep 18, 2016

Gowanus, today, is known as a homely neighborhood with a tight-knit community and unique local stores. However, has it always been that way? We took a look at Gowanus, Brooklyn to see if there’s more to this neighborhood than its canal.4


Originally home to Dutch farmers who settled on the marshlands of the Gowanus creek during the 1600s, Gowanus exported large amounts of oysters internationally. Fun fact: this is technically Brooklyn’s first international export.
Much later, during the early 1800s, the New York State developed the surrounding lowlands to become increasingly more industrialized. This supported barge shipping, storm drainage, and what is now the Gowanus Canal. After increasing the amount of industrialized practices within the area, Gowanus has become a hub for shipping domestic and international goods.
However, with the expansion of industrialized businesses, the Gowanus Canal, unfortunately, has suffered from massive pollution. 2Since the 1860s, the Gowanus Canal has accumulated an inordinate amount of contaminated materials from local plants, warehouses, and factories. There has been much chatter within the community to make some serious strides towards making the canal more environmentally friendly.
Thankfully in 2010, the government finally decided to make the Gowanus Canal a federal Superfund site. The project, costing $5M, involves building two tanks to collect the designated sewage. However, a controversy over the placement of these two tanks has hindered the process significantly.


3Brooklyn has been a growing “hot spot” for many New Yorkers. Gowanus is following in those footsteps of the surrounding “more trendy” neighborhoods. Attempting to make the transition from an area housing heavy industrial sites to a more local, residential, and practical community, Gowanus may be a little late to the party, but it is a notable neighborhood with deep historical value.


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