The Missing History of Brooklyn Borough Hall: Why We Launched a Petition to Honor a Cat

We're petitioning Brooklyn Borough Hall to honor Jerry Fox, the cat who saved the building from fire in 1904. Here's why this story matters.

On our Brooklyn Heights tour, one story always gets the same question: "Is there a statue of him?"

There is not. We are trying to change that.

Jerry Fox was the cat who saved Brooklyn Borough Hall from a fire in 1904.

An artist's rendering of Jerry Fox.

The Cat Who Worked at Borough Hall

In the early 1900s, Jerry Fox wandered into Brooklyn Borough Hall and stayed. The gray stray caught mice, greeted visitors, and sat in on meetings. When his eyesight began to fail, a local optometrist fitted him with a custom pair of spectacles. Yes, Jerry Fox was a cat who wore glasses to work.

On a quiet night in 1904, Jerry smelled smoke and ran through the corridors until he woke the night watchman. The alarm was raised, the fire was contained, and Borough Hall was saved.

Read the full story of Jerry Fox →

Why We Are Petitioning Now

Jerry died in April 1905, and The New York Times ran his obituary. More than a century later, there is still no marker at Borough Hall telling his story.

As Brooklyn Borough Hall approaches its 175th anniversary, we have launched a petition asking Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso to install a commemorative plaque or small statue in Jerry's honor.

Peggy Gavan, author of The Cat Men of Gotham, recovered Jerry's story through archival research. The petition asks the city to mark that history where it happened.

Please sign the petition and help us show the Borough President that New Yorkers want Jerry remembered at Borough Hall.

Sign the Petition: Honor Jerry Fox at Brooklyn Borough Hall →