Everything old is new again.
Liberty Weekend was back again this year, sponsored by Friends of Historic New Utrecht. From Saturday, May 31 through Sunday, June 1, the New Utrecht Reformed Church was spewing red, white and blue all weekend long.The star-spangled event consisted of Revolutionary War re-enactors, historical exhibits and displays, as well as a tour of the Old New Utrecht Cemetery and several other activities. Concluding the fun-filled day was a ceremony at the Liberty Pole honoring the 231
st Anniversary of the raising of the first Liberty Pole at the end of the Revolutionary War.The event was initially created to honor the Liberty Pole, which stands in front of the church. According to Dave Elligers, vice president of the New Utrecht Liberty Pole Association and president of the Friends of Historic New Utrecht, the Liberty Pole is the sixth in a series of poles that goes back to 1783.Of all the Liberty Poles raised that time, the New Utrecht [liberty pole] is the only one that has had a continuous existence, Elligers said.I think its important to remember the history of the community and the effect on the community of great events and to draw attention to the landmark structures that still exist in the community, such as the New Utrecht Reformed Church campus, he said. So much of old Brooklyn has been lost over the years in redevelopment. We think its important our landmarks are kept up and kept in the eye of the public.
