Vinegar Hill in Brooklyn, New York City, is named after the Battle of Vinegar Hill, a major clash between the United Irishmen and British forces that took place in Ireland during the Irish Rebellion of 1798.
The neighborhood was named by John Jackson who was developing his land holdings on this stretch of the East River waterfront in the early 19th century. The name was a nod to his Irish heritage and to appeal to the growing population of Irish immigrants settling in New York City at the time.
The origin of the name is from the hill where the battle was fought near Enniscorthy, County Wexford, Ireland. The Irish name Cnoc Fhiodh na gCaor, meaning ‘berry-wood hill’, became anglicized to Vinegar.
