Building of the Day: 1372 Bedford Avenue
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: 1372 Bedford Avenue at Bergen St. aka 37 Grant Square Name: Washington Temple, Church of God In Christ…
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: 1372 Bedford Avenue at Bergen St. aka 37 Grant Square
Name: Washington Temple, Church of God In Christ
Neighborhood: Crown Heights North
Year Built: 1902
Architectural Style: Renaissance Revival
Architects: Unknown
Landmarked: No
This was originally the Loew’s Bedford Theatre. Before becoming a popular neighborhood movie theatre, it was a vaudeville house, whose claim to fame was the first appearance of Fanny Brice in 1906.
By 1951, it had become a church, later re-named the Washington Temple, in honor of its founder, Frederick Douglas Washington. In 1959, a four year old Al Sharpton gave his first sermon here. Today, the church is 7,000 members strong.
The building still retains many of the original theatre fixtures, including the projection booth, balcony sculptures, a domed ceiling, and 6 of the original box seats. The building occupies one of the important corners of Grant Square, Crown Heights North’s most impressive public space.
[Photos by Suzanne Spellen]
Wow – I had my PS9 elementary school graduation there decadessssss ago!
Love it: the site of the debuts of Fanny Brice AND Al Sharpton, making this a double-buffoonery landmark! Wish we had some interior shots, though.
did they strip the cornice years ago? i doesn’t seem right…
A four-year-old Al Sharpton giving a sermon in this imposing building?!? What an image!
I remember seeing old post cards of Grant Square. Is the statue of Grant still there?
This building type, the vaudeville/atmospheric theater, is so vulnerable. So many have been demolished. The conversion of these buildings into churches is one reason a handful have survived. What’s the inside like? Fancy French? Renaissance Revival?
Based on its cultural history alone, it should be landmarked.