Though Indigenous people and colonists were likely tanning animal hides into leather—a textile used for clothing, shoes, blankets, satchels, and more—for centuries in this area, it wasn’t until the completion of the Gowanus Canal that the first commercial tanneries opened in the neighborhood. Animal hides preserved with salt arrived on barges via the canal, and were soaked in water and lime to remove any remaining flesh and hair. Next, the hides were scraped clean and set in enormous vats of tannic acid for up to six months—acid which was later dumped directly into the Gowanus Canal, and acted as a major contributor to the pollution of the waterway. Now, Textile Arts Center is the premiere textile facility in Gowanus, and is a community-minded organization that emphasizes enivornmental sustainability.