Dreaming of escaping the city’s frenzy? Bergen Beach offers a tranquil residential escape in southeastern Brooklyn.
Bergen Beach got its name from Hans Hansen Bergen. He was a Norwegian immigrant. Bergen was one of the area’s earliest settlers. In the late 17th century, he purchased land from the Lenape Native Americans. He established a successful agricultural community. The area was initially called Yellow Hook. This was due to yellow clay in the soil. In the early 20th century, it was renamed Bergen Beach. This honored its founding father.
Originally, Bergen Beach was an island in Jamaica Bay. It was called Bergen Island. Most of the island was sea-level meadows. A bulkhead was built along the shore in the late 1890s. It connected to the uplands of nearby Mill Basin. This created an embankment between Mill Basin and Paerdegat Basin.
Picture Bergen Beach as Snediker’s Landing. Dutch farmers settled here in the late 17th century. By the mid-1800s, it was a summer retreat. Wealthy New Yorkers escaped the city heat here. Jamaica Bay gave easy water access. Boating and fishing became popular. The early 20th century brought new development. Homes, roads, and public transportation attracted residents.
However, Bergen Beach has no public beaches now. Nearby Floyd Bennett Field offers recreation.
Canarsie Indians first called Bergen Island Winnipague or Winnippague. They may have used it to create wampum. The location was easy to defend. The Indians saw intruders from the uplands. They formed a defense across the narrow flat to the island. The shell middens were later used for roads and fertilizer.
In 1624, the Dutch Republic formed New Netherland. In 1636, Dutch settlers founded Achtervelt now Amersfoort. They purchased 15000 acres around Jamaica Bay. The Dutch also founded a trading post on Bergen Island. They renamed it Mentelaer’s Island.
In the late 1880s, Percy G. Williams and Thomas Adams bought marshland on Bergen Island. They converted it into a resort like Coney Island. It opened in 1893 with a dance hall, concessions, rides, and a pier. The coast became known as Bergen Beach.
Imagine the boardwalk filled with entertainment. Egyptian dancing girls mix with Irish villagers. Knights in armor stroll past vendors. There was an Irish Village. The Mystic Moorish Maze challenged visitors. An Egyptian encampment enticed with dancing girls and camels. A scenic railway thrilled riders.
The Casino offered dining and entertainment. Vaudeville acts and musical comedies took the stage. The Trocadero Theatre also entertained.
A fire in 1904 caused damage. But the community saved the park. The Percy Williams Amusement Park opened. It competed with other resorts.
By 1919, the Bergen Beach resort closed. Coney Island and Rockaway Beach were more popular. Pollution from Barren Island also hurt Bergen Beach.
In 1925, developers planned a residential community. It would feature a bathing beach and amusement park. But the plan failed. The lots were sold off.
Today, Bergen Beach is a residential neighborhood. It offers a mix of single-family homes and low-rise apartments. The waterfront park provides views of Jamaica Bay. It has a playground, basketball courts, tennis courts, and a baseball diamond.