WGPA

USS Monitor, Watercolor by Oscar Parkes (via Wikipedia)

Today marks the anniversary of the launching of the USS Monitor, the first iron-clad warship of the U.S. Navy, from Greenpoint's Continental Iron Works. The (new) Brooklyn Eagle has a nice little write up of the Monitor. Wikipedia also has a long article on the ship, including the above image (which we like because its one of the view pictures of the Monitor that gives one a sense of the scale of the vessel - it was not small).

Continental Iron Works was located near the Bushwick Inlet, roughly where Quay Street meets Franklin Street. The buildings of the ironworks are long gone. There is a museum dedicated to the history of the vessel - it is currently without a home, although hopefully someday soon it will open as part of Bushwick Inlet Park (where exactly is a matter of some controversy).