Adams Street and Boerum Place Line

The Adams Street and Boerum Place Line was a public transit line in Downtown Brooklyn, New York City, United States, running along Boerum Place and Adams Street. It served as access for the Atlantic Avenue Railroad to the City Hall area.

History

In 1873, the New York State Legislature passed a law authorizing the Atlantic Avenue Railroad, which included tracks through Atlantic Avenue from South Ferry to Flatbush Avenue, to build a branch north on Boerum Place and Adams Street to Front and Water Streets, where it would run to Fulton Ferry, using Water Street westbound and Front Street eastbound. It would use some Brooklyn City and Newtown Railroad (DeKalb Avenue Line) trackage in Front Street and Coney Island and Brooklyn Railroad (Smith Street Line) trackage in Water Street. [cite BDE|title=More Railroad Accommodation|md=July 22|y=1873|page=4] [cite BDE|title=Boerum Place Railroad|md=August 11|y=1873|page=3] [cite BDE|title=Local Railroads - The New One|md=August 12|y=1873|page=2] After some delay caused by disagreements over the grade of the street [cite BDE|title=The Adams Street Railroad|md=November 24|y=1873|page=2] and an injunction from the DeKalb Avenue Line over the use of its tracks in Front and Fulton Streets, [cite BDE|title=The Railroad Corporations Fighting|md=May 12|y=1874|page=4] the new line opened on May 13, 1874. [cite BDE|title=Railroad Facilities|md=May 13|y=1874|page=4] By 1880, both directions had moved to Front Street, and the track on Adams Street between Front and Water Streets was unused. [Geo. W. Bromley & E. Robinson, Atlas of the Entire City of Brooklyn Complete in One Volume, 1880, plates [http://www.wardmaps.com/viewmap.php?map_id=811 1] and [http://www.wardmaps.com/viewmap.php?map_id=812 2] ] [cite BDE|title=Protesting Property Owners|md=November 22|y=1884|page=2]

On February 2, 1885, the Atlantic Avenue Railroad leased the South Brooklyn Central Railroad (Bergen Street Line), which ran from the Hamilton Ferry along Sackett Street, Hoyt Street, and Bergen Street to Albany Avenue. [Brooklyn Daily Eagle, In New Hands, February 2, 1885, page 4] Tracks were laid in Boerum Place and Bergen Street, connecting this new acquisition to the junction at Atlantic Avenue and Boerum Place, and a new crosstown routing (the Hoyt and Sackett Streets Line) between Hamilton Ferry and Fulton Ferry, along Sackett Street, Hoyt Street, Bergen Street, Boerum Place, Smith Street, and Front and Water Streets, began operations on December 14, 1885. [cite BDE|title=South Brooklyn and the Bridge|md=December 14|y=1885|page=4] [cite BDE|title=Walks About the City|md=December 20|y=1885|page=10] The line was changed to electric trolley operations on July 10, 1893. [cite BDE|title=To Operate by the Trolley|md=July 8|y=1893|page=10] [cite BDE|title=Trolley Cars in Adams Street|md=July 10|y=1893|page=10]

References