Brooklyn's Liberty Pole stands as enduring symbol of U.S. defiance ahead of America 250
Before there was a Brooklyn, there was a flagpole, and since the earliest days of our country, it stood as a symbol of freedom and self-determination.
It's still drawing crowds and historians more than two centuries later.
"The townspeople were going to 'stick it' to the British"
In the Bensonhurst section of Brooklyn, the New Utrecht Liberty Flagpole continues to be raised in ceremonies that echo the earliest days of the United States. The current structure is the sixth replacement of the original pole, standing 106 feet tall in the same historic location it was erected at the end of the Revolutionary War in 1783.
New Utrecht Liberty Pole Association President Lawrence Forni said the tradition carries deep national meaning.
"I really believe it's really the beginning of our independence for our country," he told Brooklyn reporter Hannah Kliger.
Historians say the original Liberty Pole was erected as British forces withdrew from New York following their defeat in the Revolutionary War, a symbolic act meant to assert American independence and taunt departing troops.
Forni described the history of these poles as the fight for American independence raged on.
"During the war, the Sons of Liberty tried to put up poles and the British kept chopping them down," Forni said.
According to Keith Muchowski, a librarian and professor of history at CUNY NYC College of Technology, the pole in New Utrecht carried particular importance for local residents.
"The townspeople were going to 'stick it' to the British and so they put up a large symbolic pole that you can see from far away," Muchowski said.
"This is the last liberty pole that stands in the original spot," he said of its unique status among Revolutionary War landmarks in the city.
Historic congregation
Each year, the historic association organizes a Liberty Day event, including programming at the nearby New Utrecht Dutch Reformed Church, which was rebuilt near the flagpole in 1828. The congregation itself dates back to 1677 and was occupied by British forces during the war.
Pam Ander, chairperson of the church, described its wartime use.
"In 1776, when they took over the area, they took over the church ... First, they had horses and used it as a stable, but then they set up a base there and also they used it as a hospital," she said.
The church grounds also contain artifacts that connect the site to earlier centuries, including a weather vane dating to 1700.
Legend has it, the vane is covered in bullet holes from the American Revolution, while some historians argue it's just American farmers using it for target practice.
Today, the Liberty Pole remains a focal point for remembrance and ceremony, especially as the nation approaches its 250th anniversary – a reminder of what it took to earn those stars and stripes.
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