Bedford was originally a Dutch hamlet established in 1663.

Bedford and Stuyvesant were two separate communities until the middle of the 20th century. The combined name has been in use since the 1930s.

Bedford was one of the only free-Black communities before the 1827 abolition of slavery.

The Bridge Street African Wesley, a Methodist Episcopal Church, is the oldest African-American church in Brooklyn, dating from 1818.

Bedford was also home to the Brooklyn Howard Orphan Asylum and The Zion home for Colored Aged.

In 1931, a racial conflict broke out between Blacks in Bedford and Whites in Stuyvesant.

Bed-Stuy is the second largest African-American community in the nation, smaller only than the South Side of Chicago.

African-Americans now are the proud owners of brownstones in the landmarked district of Stuyvesant.

Bed-Stuy has the largest stock of Gothic, Victorian, French and other classic brownstones in New York City .