The southern shore of Kingsborough Community College appears on all its maps (including Google) as John Berry Boulevard, named after the Revolutionary War naval commander John Barry-spelled B-A-R-R-Y not B-E-R-R-Y.
It appears a mistake was made with the original map makers in the spelling of the name and it has continued on till today. It also seems to have appeared as Berry and not Barry since it first showed up on maps in the 1940’s and has stayed that way for more than 65 years -finally, it seems no one has noticed or cared enough to change it-?
Barry not Berry was the first American to attain the rank of Commodore. The title was no longer assigned after 1947.
It appears the road running along the southern shore of Kingsborough whose name is unknown to all those who were questioned at the college has been mis-spelled since it was originally named during World War Two when the college was a military facility for the US Merchant Marine and Navy .
The southerly road which runs approximately from the college power plant past its ball fields to its cafeteria and private beach, then goes past its classroom buildings,library and out towards it marine Academic Center with a Coast Guard certified lighthouse on top has no official markings on it identifying it as either John Barry or John Berry Boulevard-yet that is the way it appears on all official maps.
The Boulevard/Road was named after is Commodore John Barry the man who created the Brooklyn Navy Yard on the other side of the Borough
Barry, a native of County Cork, Ireland, was the first commander of American naval forces was born on March 25, 1745 and died in September 13, 1803.
He was an officer in the Continental navy during the American Revolutionary War and later in the US Navy.
He is widely credited as “The Father of the American Navy” (and shares that moniker with John Paul Jones) and was appointed a captain in the Continental navy on December 7, 1775. He was the first captain placed in command of a US warship commissioned for service under the Continental flag.
After the war, he became America’s first commissioned naval officer, at the rank of commodore, receiving his commission from President George Washington in 1797.
Commodore Barry Park in Brooklyn. It is the oldest park in the borough. It was renamed for Commodore Barry in 1951, due to its location next to the Brooklyn Navy Yard that Barry helped found.
In World War II, the United States Liberty Ship SS John Barry was named in his honor. The men of the Barry trained at the Merchant Marine Base that is today Kingsborough.
It seems the Barry/ Berry dilemma will continue to befuddle all of us as long as it goes uncorrected and unmarked at KCC.
The Kingsborough Blog 