Walter I forwarded this message to the others in my genealogy group. While they don't all have personal research involving the NY Metro area, they ARE all involved with Revolutionary history in one way or another. I thought it timely and thank you for putting it on the Listserver. Jan Displaced from NY to California ----- Original Message ----- From: <Soyamaven@aol.com> To: <GEN-NYS-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Friday, November 25, 2005 6:38 AM Subject: Today is 222nd Anniversary of Evacuation Day > > On November 25, 1783, the British Army boarded their naval vessels and > evacuated New York City (then coterminous with New York County), their > wartime > headquarters and their last military position in the United States during > the > Revolutionary War. > > As they sailed away in retreat through the Narrows separating Long Island > and > Staten Island, the last thing they saw, as their ships sunk below the > horizon, was the Flag of the United States of America flying atop the > Liberty Pole > (an extended flag pole) in the frontyard of the Dutch Reformed Church in > the > Hamlet of New Utrecht, Town of New Utrecht, Kings County. Today this is > at 18th > Avenue and Liberty Pole Boulevard (84th Street) in the neighborhood of > Bensonhurst in the Borough of Brooklyn (Kings County), New York City. > > Replaced six times over the years, the 106' Liberty Pole is the last > remaining Liberty Pole in the original thirteen United States. On top of > the Pole is > the original eagle and weathervane. The eagle is made of wood and has a 5' > wingspan. After two hundred and twenty-two years, the weather has weakened > it > considerably and it has been reinforced with iron bands. > > Here's the URL for the New Utrecht Liberty Pole Association: > http://www.historicnewutrecht.org/LPA.html > > Here's the URL for the Dutch Reformed Church: > http://www.newutrechtchurch.org/ > > > I hope this information is useful or, at least, interesting. > > Regards, > > Walter Greenspan > Great Falls, MT & Jericho, NY > > > ==== GEN-NYS Mailing List ==== > Have you seen the USGenWeb New York Page? > http://www.rootsweb.com/~nygenweb/ > >