During the nineteenth century, Brooklyn earned the nickname "Borough of Churches" as thousands settled here and brought their beliefs with them. Spirituality has always been a major part of life for Brooklynites. Peter Stuyvesant established the Flatbush Dutch Church in 1654, and freed slaves worshipped in their sanctuaries since 1766. Fatih Mosque calls Moslems to prayer five times a day, Dorje Ling Buddhist temple fills visitors with peace, and more than 150 temples minister to many branches of Judaism. Spirituality is also visible in historic sites and monuments, from Fort Greene Park's Revolutionary War memorial to a Japanese shrine in Botanic Gardens. Discover some of the more than two thousand havens that have overflowed with people who were determined to prevail in faith and hope in New York's most populous borough.
Terri Cook lives in New York and runs her own marketing company, servicing small business owners in the NYC area. She is a tour guide for the Municipal Arts Society, the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation, and Open House New York.