Remarkably Preserved Well Unearthed in Brooklyn Could Date Back to the Revolutionary War

Road work on a Brooklyn Street may have unearthed a remnant of the Revolutionary War. Construction crew recently discovered a remarkably well-preserved well during the reconstruction process of a deteriorating roadbed on the intersection of Bond and Pacific Streets (view video here).

“You can see the stones; it’s a nice round structure and down at the bottom, you can see the reflection of the water,” said restaurant owner Phil Morgan in a Spectrum News NY1 video. “…and it’s 35, 38 feet below the sidewalk…”

According to Assembly woman, Jo Anne Simon, who happens to live on the block, the discovery explains why the street was so unstable to begin with. Despite many efforts to fix it, parts of the sidewalk kept caving in over the years, prompting city workers to finally dig deep below the surface.

Because the well is located in the general location of Fort Box, a Revolutionary War fort established in 1776, and later destroyed by the British, historians are now wondering whether or not the well is a remnant of the fortification. That question will probably remain unanswered until this spring when experts from the city’s Department of Design and Construction and Landmarks Preservation Commission plan to revisit the location. In the meantime, we’ll keep an eye out for any updates.

Next, read about the Battery Park Cannon Mount, the Oldest European Artifact in Manhattan and make sure to join us for our Tour of the Remnants of Dutch New Amsterdam.