by Geoff Cobb 
The first Greenpointer was a woodworker: Norwegian immigrant, ship’s carpenter and master carpenter of the City of New Amsterdam, Dirck Volckertszen, built the first house here Near Franklin and Calyer Streets in 1645. Before settling locally, Volckertszen had often crossed the East River from Manhattan to cut local stands of timber used to build some of the first houses in New Amsterdam. Saftuikis a local woodworking shop that follows an old tradition…
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Another incredible detailed important historical post by Geoff Cobb. Ironically as more things change the more they remain the same as the old saying goes.
In the 1800s, Greenpoint was basically WASP ish with the Irish beginning to come after the first half of that era, followed by Polish, other slavic, Spanish and countless other ethnic and religious groups.
Each group continued to let Greenpoint strive with industry with improvements along the way ie child labor laws, fire safety laws, the eight hr day, unions, etc. etc.
Now we have the “hipsters”, ironically many of them WASP ish and Irish and white, the original guys from the 1800s.
They will continue to let Greenpoint strive with industry and tech advancement and advancement in society just like what was done since the first native Americans inhabited Greenpoint.