Building of the Day: 180 Bainbridge Street

Photo: Susan Elkins

The BOTD is a no-frills look at interesting structures of all types and from all neighborhoods. There will be old, new, important, forgotten, public, private, good and bad. Whatever strikes our fancy. We hope you enjoy.

Address: 180 Bainbridge Street, between Stuyvesant Ave. and Malcolm X Blvd.
Name: Holy Rosary Catholic School
Neighborhood: Bedford Stuyvesant
Year Built: 1922
Architectural Style: Renaissance Revival
Architects: Helmle & Corbett
Landmarked: Not yet

Why chosen: Since I’ve written earlier today about architect Frank Helmle, I’d like to highlight one of his lesser known buildings. In 1889, Holy Rosary parish was established by the Rev. D. Monteverde, and in 1894, a new church was dedicated, which stands at 141 Chauncey Street, between (then) Reid and Stuyvesant Avenues. The parish was very successful and popular, and a school building was commissioned. From indications in the Brooklyn Eagle, it appears there was another school building before this one, but in 1922, the prestigious firm of Helmle and Corbett was commissioned to design this building. It is a rather austere (for them), but handsome, white and cream colored brick and limestone Renaissance Revival building with collegiate Gothic detailing, and it cost the diocese $250,000. Holy Rosary Church is right behind it on the next block, on Chauncey. As the demographics of Bedford Stuyvesant changed, so too did the student body, and the school was predominantly African-American and Latino when it closed in 1995, during a period when the Brooklyn diocese closed over twenty schools, that year alone. Among its many successful graduates are Assemblywoman Annette Robinson and basketball great, Lenny Wilkins. The building was sold, and now belongs to the NYC Partnership Housing Development Fund/Community Preservation Corporation. Local Bed-Stuy residents are actively trying to get it declared an individual landmark, in order to preserve the building, which is now bricked up. They would like to protect the school from being torn down, and would like the Partnership to open it up and rehab it into necessary housing, without destroying one of this neighborhood’s most prominent landmarks. If you’d like to support their efforts, please send a postcard of support. Frank Helmle’s buildings are certainly worthy of support.

Photo: Susan Elkins

Photo: NYC Dept of Records, 1939 Tax photo.