Day 179

The Altar to Liberty, a 1919 commemoration of the Battle of Long Island, stands on Battle Hill, an American defensive position taken by the British as the first major conflict of the Revolutionary War unfurled across Brooklyn. The Roman goddess Minerva stands upon the altar, facing the Statue of Liberty across the harbor. A few years ago, there was a controversial development being proposed just outside the cemetery, and, to ensure that the new four-story buildings would not obstruct the line of sight between the two ladies, a worker at the site was hoisted 40 feet into the air in a cherry picker while cemetery officials looked on from Minerva's side. They were still able to see Miss Liberty above the worker's head, and so they gave their approval to the developer's plans.