Our History

Now in its second century of operation, The Buckhorn Association of Brooklyn was initially founded in 1916 to support home-missionary projects that the Lafayette Avenue Presbyterian Church had undertaken in Appalachia. In 1902, the church had sent Rev Harvey Murdoch to Kentucky where he built a church, established Witherspoon College (actually a K-12 school) that provided basic education to thousands of children over the years. Murdoch also established a hospital and facilitated the creation of agricultural cooperatives in the region. After Rev Murdoch’s death in 1935, his work was continued by his successor, Rev Elmer Gabbard. These projects eventually became self-supporting and by the 1960s, the Buckhorn Associated changed its mission to support activities closer to home, in the Fort Greene and Clinton Hill neighborhoods of Brooklyn. In 1992, the Buckhorn Association of Brooklyn was officially reincorporated in compliance with contemporary New York State charity regulations.
Thanks to the generosity of the estate of the late Katherine Bissell, the Buckhorn Association is proud to help support artistic, educational, and social-service endeavors by awarding small grants to worthy projects in the local community.