It never spanned a mighty river. No ships ever passed beneath it. Nevertheless, Great Barrington residents in the early 1900s called it the “Brooklyn Bridge.” Why such a big name for such a little bridge?
In the 1870s, hotel owner and land developer Mark Humphrey had an idea. With partners, he purchased undeveloped land in what is now the present-day neighborhood that encompasses part of East Street, Pine Street, and the connecting side streets. Apparently, many of the guests at Humphrey’s downtown hotel were from Brooklyn, N.Y., and he hoped to persuade them to buy land and build homes in the section of town he cleverly named “Brooklyn.” To access his property, Humphrey built a bridge over the Housatonic River. His bridge was called, logically, “Humphrey’s Bridge.” Once the neighborhood was established, a small wooden pedestrian bridge was erected over a rocky ravine, providing access from Bentley Road and Crosby Street to Grove Street Park. This crossing was christened “Brooklyn Bridge” by a resident with a good sense of humor. The name stuck.
Before long, the little wooden bridge weakened as it rotted away. It was replaced many decades ago by a sturdier steel structure which still bridges the ravine.
