The following was submitted to the List Administrator on Friday afternoon, 
November 24:


Now almost forgotten, Evacuation Day was celebrated as a holiday long before 
the Fourth of July:

On November 25, 1783, the British Army boarded their naval vessels and 
evacuated New York City (then only coterminous with New York County), their wartime 
headquarters and their last military position in the United States during the 
Revolutionary War.

As the British sailed away south in retreat through the Narrows separating 
Staten Island on the west and Long Island on the east, the last thing they saw, 
as their ships sunk below the horizon, was the Flag of the United States of 
America flying atop the Liberty Pole (an extended flag pole) in the frontyard of 
the Dutch Reformed Church in the Hamlet of New Utrecht, Town of New Utrecht, 
in the south-central part of of Kings County.  Today this location is at 
Christopher Columbus Boulevard (18th Avenue) and Liberty Pole Boulevard (84th 
Street) in the Bensonhurst neighborhood in the south-central part of the New York 
City Borough of Brooklyn. (The NYC Borough of Brooklyn is coterminous with the 
NYS Kings County).

Replaced six times over the years, the 106' Liberty Pole is the last 
remaining Liberty Pole in the original thirteen United States.  On top of the Pole is 
the original eagle and weathervane. The eagle is made of wood and has a 5' 
wingspan. After two hundred and twenty-two years, the weather has weakened it 
considerably and it has been reinforced with iron bands.

The eagle has looked over the bay and seen many sailing vessels, steamships 
and war ships. It has been said that the eyes of this golden eagle has looked 
upon more change in the world’s history than occurred from the days of 
Nebuchadnezzar to the day when the eagle was raised.

Here's the URL for the New Utrecht Liberty Pole Association:
http://www.historicnewutrecht.org/LPA.html

Here's the URL for the Dutch Reformed Church:
http://www.newutrechtchurch.org/


I hope this information is useful or, at least, interesting.

Regards,

Walter Greenspan
Great Falls, MT & Jericho, NY