Howard Malls

Blake Ave., Tapscott St., Howard Ave.

Brooklyn, 11212

This text is part of Parks’ Historical Signs Project and can be found posted within the park.

These malls and the nearby avenue honor William Howard (1725-1777). Howard was the owner of the Revolutionary War-era Rising Sun Tavern, at the intersection of Bedford and Jamaica Turnpikes (now the corner of Broadway and Jamaica Avenue). Also known as the Howard Halfway House, because of its location between Brooklyn Village and the Town of Jamaica, the tavern lodged travelers, served as a gathering place, and sold basic supplies to area farmers. Its design was unusual for America in that it had two bars: one for the tavern’s Dutch patrons and another for their slaves.