What is the history and present use of 920 Park Pl at NY Ave? — Brooklynian
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What is the history and present use of 920 Park Pl at NY Ave?

whynot_31whynot_31
edited 7:14AM in Crown Heights/Prospect Lefferts Gardens

I have always wondered what this big building was originally, and suspected it was once an orphanage. So today I looked it up, and am now sharing it with you.

Spoiler alert: It was institutional, but not an orphanage.



photo: bucmh.org

A. It was built as a home for indigent elderly people in 1889.

The Methodist Episcopal Home for the Aged was founded on May 10, 1883, by Methodist Church members to provide a comfortable residence for their "indigent" elderly. The first Home was situated on McDonough Street and Stuyvesant Avenue. As a result of the tireless efforts of some 200 women and men from virtually every Methodist Episcopal church in Brooklyn, the number of applicants for admission grew so large that expansion was essential. In 1889, a larger Home was built at 920 Park Place at the corner of New York Avenue. Around 1914, the facility was expanded to include Brown Memorial Chapel.

http://www.bumch.org/pages/history.htm

B. In 1976, it stopped being used for that purpose, because the entity constructed a modern nursing home, and moved its operations and residents there.

http://www.bumch.org/pages/history.htm

C. It now is presently partially occupied by a private, bilingual elementary school, which is religious in nature: 7th Day Adventist. Many of its students have a Haitian heritage. ...the "bilingual" is French and English.

http://www.hebronsdabilingual.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=81:hebron-sda-bilingual-tuition&catid=1:latest-news&Itemid=97

According to a guy I talked to, most of the buildings in the complex are connected to each other. However, the school does not use most of the space because it is in a state of disrepair.

D. It is a massive property. The lot size is255.58 feet x 350 feet

Land Area: 89,453 sqft

We are talking about half of a city block. To get an idea of its size, check out the aerial view: https://maps.google.com/maps?q=920+Park+Place,+brooklyn&hl=en&gbv=2&ie=UTF-8

Comments

  • xlizellxxlizellx

    Wow, thanks! I also assumed it was an orphanage....

  • xlizellxxlizellx

    Wow, thanks! I also assumed it was an orphanage....

  • eastbloceastbloc

    It is a beautiful building. It is a shame that most of it is unoccupied, as that lends itself towards further deterioration.

    Thanks for the history lesson.

  • eastbloceastbloc

    It is a beautiful building. It is a shame that most of it is unoccupied, as that lends itself towards further deterioration.

    Thanks for the history lesson.

  • whynot_31whynot_31

    The building and complex is so large, it would cost a lot of money to keep up.

    I've also done some more thinking and digging on the subject. Here's my progress....

    I suspect three things:

    1. That the home for older adults was not meeting basic codes back in 1970s, and that is part of why they vacated the space.

    2. The building was landmarked as part of the the establishment of the Crown Heights North district, but I haven't done any research on that yet.

    3. That I would get some strange looks if I tried to get a tour of the space that is accessible, under the guise of potentially enrolling my child.

    I've found some more somewhat interesting info about the old age home:

    The Methodist Episcopal Church Home for the Aged and Infirm was established for the care of elderly men and women who were members of the Methodist Episcopal Church. The Home, incorporated on May 10, 1883, sought to provide a comfortable residence for the elderly residents. This included room and board, clothing, employment, medical aid, religious privileges, and a respectable burial upon death.

    Requirements for admittance included that residents must be at minimum 65 years old, have no means of adequate financial support, nor have living relatives who could provide for them. Further, to be admitted, a resident must have been a member, in good standing, of the Methodist Episcopal Church for 10 years, five of which as a member of a Brooklyn Methodist Episcopal Church. Finally, no person could be admitted who had a physical or mental condition, such as insanity or epilepsy, that could be considered detrimental to the interests of the Home. If a person acquired such illnesses after admittance, the Home would find a more appropriate facility for the resident and would bear no further legal responsibility for the care of the person.

    The Home's first location was a rented building on the corner of McDonough Street and Stuyvesant Avenue in what is today the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn. When the Home outgrew this facility, a new building was constructed. The new building, designed by Brooklyn architect Mercein Thomas and completed in 1889, was located at Park Place and New York Avenue on the border between today's Brooklyn neighborhoods of Bedford-Stuyvesant and Crown Heights. As of 2010, the building is the home of the Hebron Seventh-day Adventist Bilingual School.

    http://dlib.nyu.edu/findingaids/html/bhs/arms_1985_102_methodist_episcopal_church_home/arms_1985_102_methodist_episcopal_church_home.html

    I remain curious as to how the property was used between when the old age home left (1976) and when the elementary school arrived (2010). That is a period of 34 years.

    Did it survive the pretty brutal period of Crown Heights (the 1980s and 1990s) without getting homeless/unauthorized people in the property?

    ...are some parts of the property so derelict that homeless and other unauthorized people still find their way in?

  • whynot_31whynot_31

    The building and complex is so large, it would cost a lot of money to keep up.

    I've also done some more thinking and digging on the subject. Here's my progress....

    I suspect three things:

    1. That the home for older adults was not meeting basic codes back in 1970s, and that is part of why they vacated the space.

    2. The building was landmarked as part of the the establishment of the Crown Heights North district, but I haven't done any research on that yet.

    3. That I would get some strange looks if I tried to get a tour of the space that is accessible, under the guise of potentially enrolling my child.

    I've found some more somewhat interesting info about the old age home:

    The Methodist Episcopal Church Home for the Aged and Infirm was established for the care of elderly men and women who were members of the Methodist Episcopal Church. The Home, incorporated on May 10, 1883, sought to provide a comfortable residence for the elderly residents. This included room and board, clothing, employment, medical aid, religious privileges, and a respectable burial upon death.

    Requirements for admittance included that residents must be at minimum 65 years old, have no means of adequate financial support, nor have living relatives who could provide for them. Further, to be admitted, a resident must have been a member, in good standing, of the Methodist Episcopal Church for 10 years, five of which as a member of a Brooklyn Methodist Episcopal Church. Finally, no person could be admitted who had a physical or mental condition, such as insanity or epilepsy, that could be considered detrimental to the interests of the Home. If a person acquired such illnesses after admittance, the Home would find a more appropriate facility for the resident and would bear no further legal responsibility for the care of the person.

    The Home's first location was a rented building on the corner of McDonough Street and Stuyvesant Avenue in what is today the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn. When the Home outgrew this facility, a new building was constructed. The new building, designed by Brooklyn architect Mercein Thomas and completed in 1889, was located at Park Place and New York Avenue on the border between today's Brooklyn neighborhoods of Bedford-Stuyvesant and Crown Heights. As of 2010, the building is the home of the Hebron Seventh-day Adventist Bilingual School.

    http://dlib.nyu.edu/findingaids/html/bhs/arms_1985_102_methodist_episcopal_church_home/arms_1985_102_methodist_episcopal_church_home.html

    I remain curious as to how the property was used between when the old age home left (1976) and when the elementary school arrived (2010). That is a period of 34 years.

    Did it survive the pretty brutal period of Crown Heights (the 1980s and 1990s) without getting homeless/unauthorized people in the property?

    ...are some parts of the property so derelict that homeless and other unauthorized people still find their way in?

  • homeownerhomeowner

    Whynot, the answer to your last question is no. The school has done a good job of keeping a huge money pit from falling into such disrepair that it becomes a place people attempt to break into. They maintain it and keep the fencing and outer structures in good condition. It is secured and safe for the kids that attend there.

    My understanding is that the church (located on NY Avenue) purchased the property.I know that the school originally opened on Eastern Parkway in the mid-70's, and this site is the second location. It was vacant for a couple of years after the purchase and then they moved the school into the facility. I don't know if anyone had it between the old age home and the church purchase.I'd check your dates because the school was open and operating on Park Place when I purchased in the neighborhood in the early 2000's. The story circulating the neighborhood at that time was that some of the CHNA folks who lived in close proximity became concerned about the state of the school when a tree started growing on the roof, after the school failed to remove some weeds up there. They were able to approach local politicians who worked with the school to get them some help doing maintenance on the building. Sometime around 2002-2004 they did a project to replace the roof, trim trees, clean out the back area (Sterling Street) and replace the playground equipment in the front.

    I know that several years ago CHNA was interested in getting it on the house tour, but that didn't work because the tour was on the Sabbath. My understanding is that its actually a pretty good school and its small size is great for kids who need individualized instruction. After the earthquake in Haiti, the church and school even took in students that relocated to NY be

  • whynot_31whynot_31

    Yes, anytime a tree grows out of the roof it is a bad sign.

    However, I can't say I was worried about safety of the part of the building that is used by the school. The FDNY, Dept of Buildings, and the various entities that inspect private schools have my trust in that regard.

    Yes, I believe that NYC received a lot immigrants after the Haiti earthquake, and that the present school caters to this subset of NYC's Haitian population.

    In light of the circumstances, I imagine/hope that the school is subsidized by donations from outside the Haitian community.

    If CHNA gets this property on its annual house tour, I will go.

  • whynot_31whynot_31

    A friend posted these photos today on her facebook feed. Apparently, the school has an event going on. Note the size of that building...


  • manticmantic

    This area had lot of retirement homes. There was another one massive like this where David Chavis is now on Kingston - St Johns/Sterling. Across the street is, to my understanding the first Negro Home in the country.

    Back in the day all the bats from both places would swarm into a Brower Park at night. The one on NY I think there was abandoned for a long while. I still have a drill press we got at the auction when they closed it down in the the 70s. There were also Orphan Homes here to. I think one still stands on Herkimer, not sure tho. Bad memory.

  • whynot_31whynot_31

    Thanks mantic. I think this one might be the most intact of those you mention. It should be interesting to see what happens to the site. As a result of being owned by a church, it is likely exempt from most taxes.

    No one seems to be in any rush.

  • whynot_31whynot_31
    edited April 2014
    I am just bumping this thread because of the huge development potential this property presents, in light of the escalating prices in the area.

    As readers are aware, a developer has recently successfully purchased a church complex on Rogers, and is in the process of clearing the site for apartments.
  • clayfilmsclayfilms
    I hope that it remains a church/school. This neighborhood can't afford to lose good primary schools. 
  • DawndewDawndew
    Are the buildings landmarked? If they are, then they must remain the same. Let us hope so, the open space is refreshing.
  • laura palmerlaura palmer
    Yes, they are landmarked!
  • whynot_31whynot_31
    My suspicion is that the land is also zoned "Special Use", meaning that a developer would either need to continue to use the buildings as an institution (hospital, school, etc).

    These restrictions are likely behind why much of the property sits dormant.

    ....I wonder if any of the well endowed universities desire a satellite graduate campus.
  • Shorttrini2002Shorttrini2002
    The school has been in residence, since the early 80's, not 2010, ( as was stated earlier) I know because, my younger brother attended their through, 8th grade. The children who attend the school, start from nursery right up to 8th grade.
  • capt. planetcapt. planet
    Interestingly a friend of mine who lives on same block as the school wrote them a nice check to replace the broken backboard on the basketball court that graces the front of the building.  The check was returned.  That was several years ago and last I checked the backboard was still broken.
  • DawndewDawndew
    The large chimney is home to a large flock during Chimney Swallow migration
  • whynot_31whynot_31
    A small tree has figured out how to grow on the wall.

    image
  • whynot_31whynot_31
    Screen Shot 2016-10-30 at 11.19.07 AM
  • BryceTCBryceTC
    Honestly I'm just waiting for the school to go under so someone can snatch it up and restore it/make better use out of it. I would feel bad for all of the children but it's obvious that the school simply can't manage the large plot of land effectively. The grass is almost always overgrown and in the winter they basically don't shovel snow at all. Not to mention the sidewalk is filled with cracks and wholes that have made my laundry art fall over numerous times while coming home.
  • whynot_31whynot_31
    I believe the school merely rents space from the religious organization that owns and runs the property.
  • JMarsJMars
    The church owns the building and operates the school. A new principal was recently hired with a mandate to upgrade the facility and increase enrollment.
  • FlatfixFlatfix
    Oh JMars, that explains the sky blue paint possibly a protest color to the landmarked color of dark blue.
  • crownheightstercrownheightster
    It could be an amazing school plant. Could you imagine "Crown Heights Montessori School" or "The Crown Heights School," with some kind of great curriculum (like Berekely Carroll)? People would stampede to be a part of it...if it was not Seventh Day Adventist.
  • BryceTCBryceTC
    I definitely feel like the school's religious ties are holding them back. A lot of the people moving in are recent college grads and young people starting a family with little to no religious affiliation whatsoever. So when looking at a school, not only the current shape the building is in, but also its ties to SDA probably put off a lot of families.

    I personally went to school at LREI which is in the Village/SoHo area and the building that the high school is in used to be church but the school has no religious affiliation and has no problem bringing in students regardless of background. I'm definitely in support of this building becoming something like Berkley Carroll (where a number of my friends went) or Brooklyn Friends which has a really loose religious affiliation.
  • whynot_31whynot_31
    It would also make an amazing Charter school, if you could find one with as deep of pockets as Harlem Children's Zone.

    They might have to renovate the whole building before DOE signed off on it.

    I suspect the present "not publicly funded, church run school" might get some leeway that others do not.
  • homeownerhomeowner
    The school caters to the community of French speaking Haitian Seventh Day Adventists in Brooklyn. I doubt that they think that they are being "held back" by not having a bunch of young non-religious families knocking on their door to admit Bryson and Emily for pre-K. 

    School choice in NYC should include space for religious institutions that cater to smaller, niche communities. I don't see anyone suggesting that Beth Rivka on Brooklyn or St Gregory the Great on St. Johns would be "better" as another independent non-religious school. Just because this is a less well-known community of faith doesn't mean that it shouldn't be respected for what they do. There are tons of small independent schools in Brooklyn already with many new entrants into this space in the last ten years including The Waldorf School and Basis. Having schools that serve people at the $3,500 level rather that the $40,000 of a Brooklyn Friends or Berkley Carroll is important and should not be dismissed out of hand just because you don't see yourself sending your kid there. 
  • whynot_31whynot_31
    We live in a weird reality; it may be easier to find fortunate parents who will come up $40k than struggling parents who can come up with $3.5k
  • crownheightstercrownheightster
    I didn't think that St. gregory's actually operated that building as a school anymore because of structural damage to the building and no way to pay for the necessary repairs.
  • crownheightstercrownheightster
    And, @whynot, i think the sweet spot for private education tuition in Crown Heights is like $13-15,000/year, with generous financial aid programs available. The private preschool/elementary schools many send their kids to -- Coop School, Maple Street, Lefferts Montessori, Union Temple, and frankly most daycares -- seem to be in that range. 
  • BryceTCBryceTC
    Another thing worthy of consideration is that due to the amount of high income families moving into the area, the number of Haitian SDA families in the area is likely decreasing over the next 5-10 years which could prove troublesome for Hebron.

    It could be interesting however if they could position themselves as a bilingual school much like Lyceé Français. That would do well for attracting longtime Haitian families in the neighborhood as well as new residents scouting out schools for their kids. A building of that size could easily position itself as one of the best schools in the area if they had enough money to restore/renovate and attract a lot of students of all backgrounds.

    Someone made a comment about the price of schools. Private schools do offer financial aid and often hold art auctions, etc. in order to raise funds to go toward financial aid. But like @crownheightser said, $13-15,000 does seem like a nice sweet spot.
  • whynot_31whynot_31
    edited November 2016
    Because Haitian children do not speak traditional French, I am not sure the parents paying $14k would view it as a desirable 2nd language.
  • crownheightstercrownheightster
    if i were principal of Hebron SDA school, I would create a long term plan to transform it into a Lycee Francaus (a la @BryceTC), with big financial aid and recruitment of Haitian families and an emphasis on both classic French and Haitian Creole. It would be a touch balancing act, but a strong academic program, bi-lingual instruction, emphasis on Haitian and French colonial history and culture, could make it something awesome. And if I were the principal, I'd consider making religious instruction an after-school activity that students could opt into (like catechism), so that attracting non-SDA families could become a more real possibility. And like in Jewish schools, have family celebrations for holidays and follow the SDA rules when it comes to things like cafeteria food (I think SDA are vegetarian). 

    This is all speculation on my part! And "what ifs!"
  • homeownerhomeowner
    edited November 2016
    crownheightster said:
    I didn't think that St. gregory's actually operated that building as a school anymore because of structural damage to the building and no way to pay for the necessary repairs.
    Nope. They are open and have students this year. The school relocated to Church Avenue. 
  • crownheightstercrownheightster
    Yes; what I meant to point out was that the building that housed St. Gregory's school at St. John's has not been in operation for some time (the past three years at least).
  • BryceTCBryceTC
    edited November 2016
    whynot_31 said:
    Because Haitian children do not speak traditional French, I am not sure the parents paying $14k would view it as a desirable 2nd language.
    There are people paying $32,000 just so their child can speak French as a second language already. https://www.lfny.org/en/index.php/admissions/tuition/

    Additionally while most Haitian people do not speak French, most do have some form of competency in it since formal education has been taught in French there for some time.
  • whynot_31whynot_31
    As a result of being owned by a religious organization, this site is exempt from taxes.

    So, the church may not be in any rush to get the site fully utilized.

    I wonder how hard it would be to get working elevators in it.
  • homeownerhomeowner
    Building is landmarked, so it would need to be completely internal without any changes to the exterior for a shaft or mechanicals. 
  • whynot_31whynot_31
    Without an elevator, I doubt this building could get any city, state or federal funds for capital improvement.

    I believe all of those sources require ADA compliance.
  • homeownerhomeowner
    Are you sure it doesn't have one? Many of the other school buildings of similar age were retrofitted with them in the 30's & 40's.
  • whynot_31whynot_31
    I would like to think that DOH required elevators in nursing homes prior to this one closing in 1976.

    I think we can infer that if there is one, it is broken.
  • whynot_31whynot_31
    edited September 2017
    nn https://twitter.com/joseluisdp
  • DawndewDawndew
    great photo whynot!. the photo hides the recent sky blue paint applied to the lower part of the walls by maintenance. Great kids I have encountered coming and going to school.
  • crownheightstercrownheightster
    Does anyone seem to notice that the backyard has become a kind of storage lot for dead cars with no license plates?
  • BryceTCBryceTC
    A few months ago the grass was getting overgrown and was making the block look gross. I complained online and it was cut about week later so it's apparent that they're willing to do little things. But I don't think they have the funds to fix things like the sidewalk or anything else about the school. For a building so huge, it's sad so much of it is unused. I'm afraid that by the time they decide to give it up, if they ever do, it'll be too late and whoever buys the building will be forced to take it down.
  • crownheightstercrownheightster
    The super from my building across the street often ends up sweeping up garbage that ends up on the Sterling Place side of the school. I'm glad he does that, but it sucks that the school can't take care of its property.
  • whynot_31whynot_31
    I view the school as mere renters. The responsibility should fall on the owners.
  • Pua12Pua12
    The school isn't renting the building. The building was bought by Hebron&NEC with the sole purpose of being a school. There is a small church, however, called River Jordan SDA that rents out the chapel for services.
  • Pua12Pua12
    The bright blue paint was painted by members from the church and school
  • crownheightstercrownheightster
    The bright blue paint is quite bright.
  • whynot_31whynot_31
    The school's Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/Hebron-SDA-Bilingual-School-HBS-256302934447828/
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