Hundreds Gather For Lott House’s First Tree Lighting Ceremony In 15 Years
More than 600 people lined up along East 36th Street in Marine Park Friday evening to enter the newly renovated grounds at the Hendrick I. Lott House and herald in the holidays at the property’s first Christmas tree lighting ceremony in 15 years.
The landmarked, historic property, which still retains some of the materials from the original 1720 farmhouse, has undergone several renovations since it was purchased by the city in 2001 and turned into a public park. Most recently, a project to restore the grounds was completed this spring, allowing the property to host its first tree lighting since the city took over the land.
State Senator Marty Golden, who hosted the ceremony, said the Lott House provided the community with a place to connect to the very beginning of the neighborhood.
“This is the roots of the community. This is where it all started,” he said. “People can bring their kids here and look at how things used to be hundreds of years ago.”
A line of people waiting to tour the grounds stretched more than half a block. After the tree was lit, people were allowed to file in, warm up with some hot beverages, and take pictures with Sinterklaas, the Dutch version of St. Nick, who was brought to the ceremony as a tribute to the Dutch colonialists who first settled the area.
The house is named after the Lott family, who owned and lived in the property until the 1980s.
“For one family to own that property for that long is extraordinary,” said Paul Link, a member of the Board of Trustees for the Hendrick I. Lott Preservation Association. “It’s special because in New York City we are always tearing stuff down and removing it. So the fact that this place is still around is really important to the community.”
Link said the next step was to finish renovating the home’s interior. Once complete, the inside would be open to the public and could also be rented out for weddings and other special occasions.
Marine Park resident Tim Ries said he brought his family to the Lott House tree lighting to get in the holiday spirit at the neighborhood’s greatest historical treasure.
“It’s a wonderful cultural resource. It reminds us that these were once all working farmhouses in Southeast Brooklyn,” he said.