5. It Served as a Red Cross Center During World War I
The Great Hall of the building has undergone many changes throughout its over 140-year history. The Great Hall started out as a lecture hall with 600-seat sloping seats. The space saw such illustrious guests as Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and woman’s activist Julia Ward Howe speak. During World War I, the cast iron auditorium seats were covered by a level wood floor, and the hall was transformed into a Red Cross Headquarters and Office. The workers at the Red Cross station helped not only in the war effort but also aided the community during the 1918 outbreak of the Spanish flu which killed thousands of people in Brooklyn.
After the war, the Great Hall transformed once again. Falling on hard financial times, the Historical Society rented out space to local businesses like a door store and a dentist practice and the Red Cross moved out. The Great Hall was split up and commercial entrances were installed along Clinton Street. Today, the Great Hall serves as an event and exhibition space.
