HISTORY OF BROOKLYN. 943

The Index (weekly), independent, A. H. Rome & Bros., publishers, appeared November 20th, 1869, devoted entirely to local matters and advertising.

The Packer Quarterly, a handsome magazine, edited by the young ladies of the Packer Institute, was issued in 1868 and 1869.

PART XIII.

PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS AND BUILDINGS.

The public buildings of Brooklyn are neither numerous nor, architecturally, imposing. The City Hall, already described on page 253 of our second volume, for many years held the principal place, but is now dwarfed in size and appearance by the County Court House, more recently erected in its rear. The City Jail, in Raymond street, built after designs by Hon. Gabriel Furman, is a poor specimen of attempted gothic; and, in all its appointmerits and belongings, totally unfit for its uses. The State Arsenal on Portland avenue the hired armories of the several militia regiments ; the two dilapidated Firemen’s Halls of' the Western and Eastern Districts, are no ornaments, and all unworthy of a great city like Brooklyn. The only building worthy of' description is the

Kings County Court House. The first court house in the county was built at Flatbush, in 1685, where the courts were held until its destruction by fire, in 1832. After that period, the courts were held at various places until finally they found a resting place in the Brooklyn City Hall. The capacity of this building, in course of time, became inadequate to accommodate the legal business of the city, and on the 17th of September, 1852, a committee was appointed (on motion of Mr. Bergen), by the board of county supervisors to examine as to the propriety of procuring the passage of an act authorizing the purchase of land and the erection of a building for the use of the county courts and officers. This committee reported favorably, on January 6, 1853, and the draft of an act, approved by the board of supervisors, was forwarded to the legislature, who passed it on the 30th of June, 1853. Although a committee was appointed to select a proper site for the proposed edifice, delay was caused by the diversity of public opinion in regard to the most available location, and nothing was done until June 9, 1859, when the pressing necessity of some larger accommodations for the county offices and courts, led to renewed action by the board of supervisors,