Story
Wallabout Market
In 1884, a market grew out of the bustling up-and-coming neighborhood adjacent to the Brooklyn Navy Yard. The wholesale market sold produce, meat, fish, and provisions until the 1940s when it was shut down. This was in part to make room for factories to produce weaponry and war materials for World War II, but also due to fear that spies could infiltrate the yard next door.
Wallabout Market
Wallabout Market was designed by William B. Tubby as a village-like complex to host vendors selling all kinds of wholesale groceries. The stepped roofs and decorative spires on the brick garage-like building reference the area's Walloon and Dutch past, for which the market was named.
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Wallabout Market
The center of the complex was marked by a clocktower and an expansive plaza. This space made room for pushcarts and other vendors.
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Wallabout Market
After the Civil War, grocers and other food-related industries flourished. Bartering and haggling were to be expected on a day at the market, but places like Wallabout were teeming with produce.
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Wallabout Market
In the early 20th century, Wallabout Market was the second-largest wholesale food market in the world. Vendors would come in from throughout the area to peddle their wares.
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Wallabout Market
The location at Wallabout Bay made for easy access for workers by ferry or trolley.
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Wallabout Market
However, often people resorted to more nefarious means to get their way. Thieves would wait until the end of the day when farmers were packing up and then hold up the exhausted merchants as they left the markets.
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Wallabout Market
Crimes at the Wallabout market ranged from simple robbery by lone criminals to extortion by the Mafia.
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Wallabout Market
When farmers tried to band together to stop organized crime, a series of "accidents" occurred. The Mafia's hold was strong and the farmers had it hard enough as it was.
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Wallabout Market
The market was located just on the periphery of the Brooklyn Navy Yard. With World War II approaching in 1940, the market was closed for fear of spies. The entire complex was razed to make way for factories that would supply the military.
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