The Brooklyn Bridge spans the East River connecting Brooklyn and Manhattan. Also reffered to as the Great East River Bridge when it opened, was the first suspension bridge to be made with steel spires and was longer then any other bridge of that time. The bridge solved the problem of the lack of housing on the narrow island of Manhattan as people are now able to live in their homes in Brooklyn and commute safely and quickly to their jobs in New York City.

After years of planning, construction of the Brooklyn Bridge began on January 2,1870, taking 13 years to complete and using dynamite for the first time in bridge construction. The bridge is famous for the two unfully designed stone masonry towers at either end, each stand 276 1/2 feet above water.

The  Brooklyn Bridge opened on May 24, 1883 at 2:00 p.m, with businesses closing to celebrate, and 150,300 pedestrians and 1,800 vehicles crossing the bridge. Today approximately 145,000 vehicles cross each day.

The Brooklyn Bridge is 1.1 miles across and 85 feet wide. There are 1,520 suspenders and 400 diagonal stays supporting the bridge. The four main cables are 15 ¾ inches wide and 3,578 feet long. Construction of the bridge cost $15 Million and involved the efforts of thousands of workers.

Today the bridge stands tall and its main span is the 44th longest of all the suspension bridges in the world. Within the walls of the towers, an art and music exhibition is held every summer. Department 56 is proud to introduce The Brooklyn Bridge as the latest addition to The Historical Landmark Series™