The Brooklyn Bridge is one of the most iconic places in NYC. It’s a powerful structure that sees tons of foot and vehicle traffic every single day. People love taking romantic walks across the bridge to witness some of the best views in the city. However, what most of those people don’t know is that the Brooklyn Bridge has a weird and fascinating history. From hidden rooms, to happy accidents, the story of this bridge is long and very weird. There are many fascinating aspects to this bridge, but we’ve compiled some of our favorite facts below, including:
Brooklyn Bridge History and Secrets
1. Brooklyn Bridge Engineers
Building the bridge resulted in a sort of comedy of errors. The first engineer, John Augustus Roebling, died of tetanus after a boat accident in 1869, just before construction of the bridge was supposed to begin. His son, Washington Roebling, took up the mantle of bridge builder…until he got the bends and had to stop working on it. Thankfully, the bridge eventually found its saving grace, Washington’s wife, Emily Warren Roebling. Originally, she was simply acting as a liaison. However, she soon started controlling more of the project, acting as the leader that workers needed during construction. She became the first woman to cross the bridge, and there’s even a plaque in her honor!
2. Brooklyn Bridge Opening Celebration
When the bridge first opened in 1883, it was the longest suspension bridge on Earth. It was considered an engineering marvel, which is why huge crowds gathered to witness the opening ceremony. President Chester A. Arthur even attended, marching across the bridge with the army in tow. There was live music and fireworks celebrating the achievement. This fanfare for a bridge might seem silly to us, but people had a lot less to be excited about back in those days.
3. Brooklyn Bridge Tragedy of 1883
Six days after the bridge opened, a woman tripped on the stairs near the Manhattan end of the bridge. She screamed, and people panicked, thinking the bridge was going to collapse, probably because several suspension bridges had collapsed just several years earlier. The bridge, however, was not collapsing, though it was too late. The ensuing stampede killed twelve people and injured dozens more. For a long time, faith in the bridge was shaky, as people thought it was unsafe to traverse, and it would collapse any day. However, one man proved the public wrong in a very spectacular way.
4. P.T. Barnum Led 21 Elephants Over The Brooklyn Bridge
That’s right! Infamous showman P.T. Barnum led 21 elephants over the brooklyn bridge to stop people from panicking about a possible collapse. In fact, he wanted to pull that stunt during the opening ceremony, but the city wouldn’t let him. However, once the stampeding of 1883 occurred, the city came crawling back to Barnum and asked him to bring his elephant over the bridge. This event actually did sway concerns despite the fact that the amount of people on the bridge during the stampede would have definitely outweighed 21 elephants.
5. The Secret Wine Cellars of the Brooklyn Bridge
When the bridge was first built, both the Manhattan and Brooklyn end included several rooms with cathedral style ceilings. These were meant to be used in a retail space, but they ended up being something a lot more fun. From the time the bridge was built to the early 1900’s the spaces were rented out to wine companies for storage purposes. Wine and Champagne purveyors like A. Smith and Company used the vaults for nearly 40 years until prohibition shutdown those operations. They were briefly used as cellars again in the 1930’s once prohibition ended. However, by WWII, those cellars were no longer used for wine.
6. The Art Installations of the Brooklyn Bridge Wine Cellars
Though the cellars weren’t used to hold wine anymore, they were still large empty spaces that could be utilized by the public. The good folks at Creative Time recognized this, and organized annual art installations from 1983, during the bridge’s centennial celebration, to 2001. These installations ranged from performance art to paintings, and were extremely popular while they were occurring. Sadly, after 9/11, concerns were raised about the safety of the spaces, and the art pieces haven’t been there since. Now the cellars are used for storage.
7. The Time Capsule of Brooklyn Bridge
The art installations weren’t the only part of the bridge’s centennial celebration. A time capsule was placed on the Brooklyn side of the bridge in a spot that’s mostly hidden from the public eye. Said capsule is not scheduled to be opened until the bridge’s bicentennial in 2083, so hopefully it’s not too hidden, lest people forget where it is. The contents of the capsule are a secret as well, so hopefully it’s something that makes the past look good.
8. The Brooklyn Bridge Bomb Shelter
Discovered by the public in 2006, the bomb shelter in Brooklyn Bridge was stocked full of water, food, and other supplies to help ride out a nuclear catastrophe. Hidden from the public for security reasons, many of the supplies have been in this hidden room since the 1950’s. The area was part of the original designs for the bridge, but this particular space was in a location ideal for withstanding such a massive impact. Hopefully, no one will ever have to use this place. But, should the worst case scenario happen, there will be plenty of crackers to go around.
The Brooklyn Bridge is full of wonder and magic that the public is still discovering. The forgotten rooms and hallways of the bridge have many secrets hidden in them that many people still don’t know. This structure isn’t just an architectural masterpiece. It’s also emblematic of NYC. Its history is known to many, yet is also waiting to be discovered. It’s a powerful statement to those who live here, that older structures still have much to offer, and that not every aspect of them can be seen with the naked eye. So take a trip to the Brooklyn Bridge today! You might just discover the next big secret.
