Welcome to the Center for Brooklyn History (CBH). CBH is a research library and community hub dedicated to public history.
Formerly known as the Brooklyn Historical Society, CBH became part of Brooklyn Public Library in 2020 and is now free and accessible to all for research, education, culture and more. Our freshly renovated landmark building—home to the Othmer Library's magnificent reading room—is a trove of special collections, archives, ephemera, art exhibits and programs that bring our borough's rich history to Brooklynites of all ages.
Brooklyn Is ...
The Center for Brooklyn History reopened on September 14th with an exhibition that celebrates the people and neighborhoods of our diverse, richly textured borough. What captures Brooklyn for you?
Search our collections
The Center for Brooklyn History makes its collections available to all researchers. Browse our books, photographs, oral histories, maps collections and more.
Upcoming Public Programs
CBH hosts a wide range of free weekly programs to delight and engage our many audiences. See what's happening next, both virtual and in person.
Visit the Othmer Library
Located on CBH’s second floor, the Othmer Library and its reading room are home to special collections and archives for public use. Researchers are encouraged to make appointments in advance.
CBH Education Programs
The Center for Brooklyn History education department connects students, educators, and archivists in New York City and beyond to unique collections, programs, and events that bring the history of Brooklyn to life.
Brooklynology
Fascinating Brooklyn stories from our local history archivists, featuring our popular Photo of the Week posts.
Private Event Rentals
The Center for Brooklyn History is a perfect blend of a national historic landmark featuring timeless architectural details and state-of-the-art modern facilities to meet all your event needs.
Our History
The story of the Center for Brooklyn History began in 1863 with the founding of the Long Island Historical Society (LIHS) during a time of tumultuous change. In only a few decades, Brooklyn had grown from a tiny agricultural backwater to the third largest city in the country. Civic pride was at an all-time high. Many of Brooklyn’s citizens believed they needed to commemorate their city’s rural past before it quickly faded from memory. Founders also envisioned the LIHS as a center for dialogue about history. In the nineteenth century, the society’s roster of speakers included newspaper editor and reformer Horace Greeley, writer Arthur Conan Doyle and abolitionist and women’s rights activist Julia Ward Howe.
Over the next century, the fortune of LIHS mirrored that of Brooklyn: it navigated the consolidation into the City of Greater New York, played a part in historic conflicts such as its use as a Red Cross headquarters during World War I, and faced its own struggles as the city grappled with deindustrialization, economic decline and social change.
Upcoming Events
CBH Talk | “The Presidents and the People” with Corey Brettschneider and Alexis Coe
History shows that American presidents have often pushed the boundaries established for them by the Constitution. In The Presidents and the People: Five Leaders Who Threatened Democracy and the Citizens Who Fought to Defend It, Brown University politics and constitutional law…
New York City History Day Kickoff & Info Session
Brooklyn Public Library’s Center for Brooklyn History (CBH) is the host of NYC History Day! NYCHD 2025 is the regional contest for National History Day (NHD). New York City middle and high schoolers get to do original research on a historical topic of their choice and make their own exhibition,…
CBH Talk | NYC’s Jewel Streets and the Hazards of Climate Change
For decades New York City has neglected a twelve-block area that lies on the border of East New York, Brooklyn and Lindenwood, Queens. It’s known as “The Jewel Streets” for the street names Ruby, Emerald, Amber and Sapphire.
Built on low-lying wetlands, lacking…
Introduction to History Day 2025
In this virtual workshop we will discuss what you need to know to enter the 2025 History Day contest and learn more about the theme "Rights and Responsibilities in History." Bring any questions you have for a Q&A with our NYCHD Coordinator!
Open to all NYC teachers and students.…
CBH Talk | “Excited Delirium: Race, Police Violence, and the Invention of a Disease” with Aisha Beliso-De Jesús and Elizabeth Hinton
“Excited delirium syndrome” is a controversial medical diagnosis often used in cases of police encounters that end in sudden death, especially those involving Black and Brown people. It was famously used by Derek Chauvin’s legal defense team to justify his killing of George Floyd.…
University Open Air: Daily Objects Altered
This is a sculpture workshop where we’ll reinterpret ordinary objects through sculpting and casting. We'll delve into sculptural methodologies that offer personal interpretations of the mundane aspects of our daily lives. By examining and reimagining the objects that surround us,…
University Open Air: What's in the Day-to-day?
This workshop is conversation seen through the work of female artists and writers about all that surrounds us on our day to day. We’ll talk about our approach to the expected and predictable; our home, our work, our body, our roles in life, our image, our family, our care, and how all that…
NYCHD 2025: Choosing a Topic
In this virtual workshop we will consider how to choose a topic for this year's History Day theme, "Rights and Responsibilities in History." Come ready with ideas and questions the NYCHD Coordinator!
Open to all NYC teachers and students. Teachers will be eligible for 1 CTLE credit. This…
CBH Talk | The Remarkable Story of Brooklyn’s Nineteenth Century Free Black Communities
The widely held belief that New York was one of the first states to abolish slavery is a myth. In fact, New York was almost the last Northern state to put slavery to an end. Brooklynites, with their farming economy, were especially vested in the perpetuation of enslaved labor. That…
CBH Talk | The Meaning of Everyday Places
Much of the work of being human happens in everyday places.~ Dr. Gabrielle Bendiner-Viani
Sometimes the places we take most for granted are the heart and soul of our communities. For two decades Gabrielle Bendiner-Viani has studied the…
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Whether through membership or a one-time gift, your support helps connect the past to the present and makes Brooklyn's vibrant history tangible, relevant, and meaningful for today's diverse communities—and generations to come.
Contact Us
For general inquiries regarding the Center for Brooklyn History, you can call or email us, or submit a research request.
About CBH
Staff Picks
- Family Genealogy
- Brooklyn Literary Walking Tour
