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15 Ways to Remember 240th Anniversary of Battle of Brooklyn

 Revolutionary War reenactors bring the Battle of Brooklyn alive at Green-Wood Cemetery in 2015.
Revolutionary War reenactors bring the Battle of Brooklyn alive at Green-Wood Cemetery in 2015.
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Robert Levine

PARK SLOPE — Visitors can heft a 9-pound cannon ball, see beavers on the Gowanus and learn about the slaves who lived in the middle of Park Slope two centuries ago at the Old Stone House's new permanent exhibit.

Opening Aug. 26, "Witness to War" will explore the 1776 Battle of Brooklyn, when the Maryland 400 held off some 2,000 British soldiers so the rest of the Continental Army could retreat to Manhattan and eventually win the war.

But the exhibit will also show visitors daily life in Revolutionary War era Brooklyn, including lesser-known aspects such as the area's large slave population, said Old Stone House executive director Kim Maier.

“It’s a common misconception that slavery happened in the South,” Maier said. "But Brooklyn was the largest slave-holding community in the North and one out of three Brooklynites was enslaved at the time of the Revolutionary War."

Some of them worked and lived at the original Old Stone House, a 17th century Dutch farmhouse. In researching "Witness to War" — which took five years and $350,000 to create — historians uncovered the names of the Dutch farmer's slaves in a will. The names will be displayed in the new exhibit.

The exhibit is also full of features designed to appeal to kids age 9 and under, including a Chutes and Ladders-style 3D board game with a Battle of Brooklyn theme.

Because of its location inside a park and playground, many of the Old Stone House's visitors are families with young kids and the house also hosts school groups daily, Maier said.

"Our previous exhibit was great and had a lot of wonderful information, but it was two-dimensional and text heavy and not necessarily appealing for kids," Maier said.

"We really wanted to make a family-friendly exhibit."

The exhibit's opening is just one of several events across Brooklyn that will mark the 240th anniversary of the Aug. 27, 1776 Battle of Brooklyn.

New events on this year's schedule include an Aug. 25 "immersive multi-media concert production" inspired by the writing that founding father Benjamin Franklin did under a woman's name.

There will also be a Revolutionary War encampment complete with campfire and costumed soldiers at Green-Wood Cemetery, but the event was sold out by mid-August.

Here's a look at the full line-up of Battle of Brooklyn events:

WEDNESDAY, AUG. 17

Exhibit Opening: "Appropriating Revolution"
Where: Old Stone House, 336 Third St., Park Slope
When: 7 to 9 p.m.

"Appropriating Revolution" looks at how artists use symbols of past revolutions in their contemporary, "socially engaged" work, according to an announcement from Old Stone House. Curated by Katherine Gressel, the show includes work by Lauren Adams, Robert Gould, General Howe and the Aaron Burr Society. The show will be on view through Oct. 8, 2016

THURSDAY, AUG. 18

Lecture: "1776: Revolution and Emotion with Historian Nicole Eustace"
Where: Brooklyn Historical Society, 128 Pierrepont St., Brooklyn Heights
When: 6:30 p.m.
Nicole Eustace, author of "Passion is the Gale: Emotion, Power and the Coming of the American Revolution," discusses "the pivotal role of emotion in reshaping power relations and reordering society in the critical decades leading up to the Revolution." This event is free, but pre-registration is required.

FRIDAY, AUG. 19
Battle of Brooklyn Neighborhood Walk
Where: Sites throughout Prospect Park and Park Slope
When: 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Hunter College archeology professor William J. Parry leads this walk, which costs $12 per person ($10 for Old Stone House members.) Meet at the northwest corner of the Grand Army Plaza entrance to Prospect Park.
 
SATURDAY, AUG. 20
Maryland 400 Remembrance Ceremony
Where: Old Stone House & Washington Park, 336 Third St., Park Slope
When: Noon to 2 p.m.

The names of the Maryland 400 soldiers who died will be read aloud and there will be music and a color guard at this remembrance ceremony.

SUNDAY, AUG. 21
►  Evergreens Cemetery Walking Tour
Where: Evergreens Cemetery, 1629 Bushwick Ave., Bushwick
When: 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
This walking tour shows off Evergreens Cemetery's Revolutionary War sites. Meet at Evergreens Cemetery's main gate on Bushwick Avenue and Conway Street. For more information, call (718) 455-5300.
 
THURSDAY, AUG. 25
"A/K/A Benjamin Franklin's Women" by Concrete Timbre
Where: Old Stone House, 336 Third St., Park Slope
When: 8 p.m.
Tickets are $15 for this “immersive multi-media concert production” inspired by the writing Benjamin Franklin did using a female pen name.
 
FRIDAY, AUG. 26

Exhibit Opening: "Witness to War"
Where: Old Stone House, 336 Third St., Park Slope
When: 6 p.m.
Sip colonial cocktails and taste wood-fired snacks as you take in the new permanent exhibit at the Old Stone House. "Witness to War" explores the Battle of Brooklyn, as well as family life in Brooklyn during the Revolution and Occupation.

SATURDAY, AUG. 27

Prison Ship Martyrs Memorial Ceremony
Where: Prison Ship Martyrs Monument, Fort Greene Park, Brooklyn
When: 10 a.m. sharp
Remember the 11,500 early Americans who perished while they were held prisoner on British ships anchored in the East River at this ceremony. This annual event is organized by the Society of Old Brooklynites, the American Merchant Marine Association and the Navy Armed Guard. For more information, call (718) 499-7600.

The Great Escape
Where: Pebble Cove, Brooklyn Bridge Park, Brooklyn Heights
When: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Revolutionary War re-enactors Glover’s Marblehead Regiment host a program in partnership with the Village Community Boathouse.

Rediscover Denyse Wharf
Where: Denyse Wharf, Bay Ridge
When: 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Denyse Wharf, a gated military waterfront, will be open to the public to mark the Battle of Brooklyn's anniversary. Visitors will be able to stroll the beach where the British landed in 1776 and meet Revolutionary War re-enactors. This event is on the beach underneath the Verrazano Narrows Bridge. Get there via the Fourth Avenue overpass on the Belt Parkway at Shore Road.

Family-Friendly Scavenger Hunt and Trivia
Where: BLDG 92 Brooklyn Navy Yard, 63 Flushing Ave (at Carlton Ave).
When: 12:30 p.m. to 3 p.m.
Take part in a Brooklyn vs. Britain scavenger hunt and a Battleship Memory game. This event is free and no reservations are required.
 
Dramatic Reading of The Declaration of Independence
Where: The VanderEnde-Onderdonk House, 1820 Flushing Ave., Ridgewood
When: 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Hear the Declaration of Independence "read in 18th century style" at 2 p.m. and 4 p.m.  Admission is $5 for adults and free for kids. Visitors will also learn about this founding document and the role it played in the Battle of Brooklyn. Other activities include “a history scavenger hunt, writing with quill pens and simulated wampum jewelry,” according to the Vander Ende-Onderdonk House website.

Battle of Brooklyn Neighborhood Walk II
Where: Sites throughout Prospect Park and Park Slope
When: 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Hunter College archeology professor William J. Parry leads this walk, which costs $12 per person ($10 for Old Stone House members.) Meet at the northwest corner of the Grand Army Plaza entrance to Prospect Park.

Encampment: Fireside Tales and Tunes (sold out)
Where: Green-Wood Cemetery, 500 25th St., Greenwood Heights
When: 7:30 p.m. to 10 p.m.
[Note: This event is sold out.] See Revolutionary War soldiers set up camp, cook at a fire and trade tales and songs at this re-enactment of a military encampment.

SUNDAY, AUG. 28

Battle of Brooklyn Commemoration at Green-Wood Cemetery
Where: Green-Wood Cemetery, 500 25th St., Greenwood Heights
When: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The 10 a.m. trolley tour is sold out, but visitors can still see re-enactors firing weapons and see demonstrations of 18th century cooking. Visitors will be invited to carry replicas of Revolutionary War flags to Battle Hill during a parade.  The grand finale is the Battle of Brooklyn Commemoration Ceremony atop Battle Hill, which has stunning views of Manhattan. Check the Green-Wood Cemetery website for more details. Events are free but registration is encouraged.

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