Opening the Archives: Exploring the CBH Collection - Building Research
One of the most common research topics at CBH is Brooklyn’s buildings. Join us for a hands-on workshop in the Othmer Library, led by urban data historian Jeremy Lechtzin and CBH archives manager Dee Bowers. This session will introduce you to four key collections used for building research: land conveyances, fire insurance maps, city directories, and newspaper archives.
Through teaching examples drawn from a range of Brooklyn neighborhoods and building eras, you’ll discover how these resources work together—and gain practical strategies for using them in your own research. Whether you're tracing the history of a home, block, or landmark, you'll leave with new skills and a deeper understanding of how CBH’s collections can support your work.
Space is limited. Participants are encouraged to bring a laptop or other device to explore our digital resources during the session.
Pictured above, land conveyance documents and fire insurance map from the CBH collections
Participants
Jeremy Lechtzin is an urban data historian, a licensed New York City tour guide, president of the Brooklyn Heights Association, and a technology lawyer. Jeremy serves as an advisor to the Center for Brooklyn History and the Historic Districts Council. He writes about Brooklyn’s building history for The New York Times, extensively leveraging CBH’s collections in his research and storytelling. His interactive “Brooklyn’s Big Street Address Mess” explored the City of Brooklyn’s dysfunctional effort to renumber all of its buildings in 1870 – a scheme which still stymies house researchers today. His recent Streetscapes feature, “How Eight Feet Jolted A $180 Million Real Estate Deal,” revealed how old Brooklyn land records and maps threw a wrench into plans to redevelop a Downtown Brooklyn site. Jeremy also created an interactive map of 1980s New York City street imagery, and has appeared as an on-camera expert for conducting building research. He is the author of a forthcoming book chronicling the architectural and real estate history of Brooklyn Heights through a survey of every building that ever existed in the neighborhood.
Dee Bowers (they/them) has worked as an archivist at Brooklyn Public Library for almost a decade and is currently the Archives Manager at BPL's Center for Brooklyn History. A fourth generation Brooklynite, they are devoted to making the borough’s history accessible for all.
