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In 1895, Brooklynite James Dunne (1842-1915) commissioned the manufacture of several miniature bells like this one. Inscribed "Brooklyn City Hall, Feb. 26, '95," they were forged from the remnants of the great bronze bell that once hung in Brooklyn's City Hall (today known as Borough Hall). Originally hung in 1859, the bell weighed 8,626 pounds and was cast in Boston by the ironworks of Henry N. Hooper & Company. Tragedy struck in the early morning hours of February 26, 1895, when the building caught fire.
The blaze originated from a malfunctioning gas light fixture on an upper floor. Within hours, the fire had destroyed the roof. It spread to the City Hall cupola, which housed the building's large clock and its bell. Subjected to the intense heat, the bell cracked and fell thirty feet down into the building, where it shattered.
Dunne, a Brooklyn City Alderman elected City Hall's "Keeper" in 1883, was supposedly in the building that day and may have salvaged bits of the bell. Later, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle wrote he gifted his souvenir bells to prominent friends.
Recently cataloged and photographed, this item is just one of over 5,700 objects currently being processed by BHS collections staff. We are excited to begin making these items available online for the first time! Explore more artifacts in our Digital Collections.
This blog post reflects the opinions of the author and does not necessarily represent the views of Brooklyn Public Library.
Dear Friends & Lovers of
Dear Friends & Lovers of Brooklyn,
How many of these bells remain extant? Does this one belong to the library? A different tradition passed down in our family about my ancestor - a volunteer Brooklyn fire chief there on that day with his men has him receiving one of many pieces of the bell - a large fist-sized cross-section hunk - as a gesture of thanks for his company's efforts in saving what they could. Inside & outside surfaces are immediately identifiable as such. The outside surface is engraved 'BKLYN CITY HALL BELL FEB. 26/95. A portrait of the firechief in full regalia was also handed down to us.
Our family story did reference the little bells, but only as rather posh souvenirs of the bell's fiery end, an event expansively covered in the local news. These were offered as expensive political gifts, many perhaps sold on to others afterwards, but not made of the bell itself. The actual bell pieces were, if necessary, further broken down and all were similarly stamped.
I can hold it in one hand, but my fingers only get halfway round. It's 2" thick from inner to outer surface and weight 1.5lbs. I know the details of our story didn't change from generation. But whether that proves their veracity or just testifies to my family's stubborness in such matters is beyond my judgment.
But as Brooklyn at the time was still in influenced by Dutch thrift, I rather think the cost of melting & recasting the pieces into tiny bells speaks against that tale. Yet both may be true.
I'd appreciate hearing from anyone with more to offer on the matter. I intend going to the Fire House museum in downtown Brooklyn soon as the heat lets up. Hopefully, I may find more clarification there.
I see no way to include a photo of the piece along with this comment, but if you would like one, give me a way send or upload it & it's yours.
Kind Regards,
Richie Smith
Sat, Jul 30 2022 8:09 pm
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Hello, you can email us about
Hello, you can email us about this at cbhreference@bklynlibrary.org and a member of our staff will assist you.
Mon, Aug 15 2022 5:32 pm
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