Christodora House
Encyclopedia
Christodora House is a historic building located at 143 Avenue B in New York, NY. It was designed by architect Henry C. Pelton, (architect of Riverside Church, Manhattan) in the American Perpendicular Style and constructed in 1928 as a settlement house for low-income and immigrant residents, providing food, shelter, education and health services. The building as originally conceived included a gym, swimming pool, music school and theatre. It was financed by Mr and Mrs Arthur Curtiss James, at a cost over $1 million dollars. Reputedly George and Ira Gershwin played at the grand opening. It is fair to say that the building was the most impressive building of its kind, at the height of the American Settlement House Movement
.
Initially the 16 stories of the building housed a music school, a pool and gymnasium, a library, clubhouses, workshops, offices, and two kitchens. These spaces were on the lower five floors of the building, and open to the public and settlement members. One floor housed the settlement workers, the top 9 floors were rented out as residences to provide income for the work of the settlement. The opening of the building was an event, widely covered in the newspapers of the day. The building, particularly its height and style, were seen as symbolic and inspiring: towering, modern, up to date, airy, clean and fireproof. its character representing the best in the character of the neighborhood.
The difficulties, not foreseen, of operating a settlement community and a "residential" community created complications for the Christodora Board of Managers. These financial burdens, coupled with the expansion of public housing, led the building to sold via condemnation to the City of New York in 1948 for $1.6 million dollars. The city planned to house delinquent boys in the building, operated by the Dept. of Welfare. However, the building remained empty or underutilized through 1956.
In the mid sixties, a variety of unsanctioned community activity took place in the lower floors of the buildings. This led to a police raid and closure in 1969. This did not stop the activities in the building, as it is reputed that the national headquarters of the Black Panthers was housed in the building. The building also was the site of several pornographic films. The city sold the property for $62,500 in 1975.
In 1986 the building had by sold numerous times, and began a conversion process to a condominiums.
Christodora House was added to the National Register of Historic Places
on March 20, 1986.
On August 7, 1988 the Tompkins Square Park Riot spilled over into the Christodora House. Rioters chanted "Die Yuppie Scum" in reference to the residents of the building. The front doors were smashed and rioters ransacked the lobby area of the building.
Today, the building hosts a diverse group of residences. Many are active in community groups such as The East Village Community Coalition, which has an office in the building.
Though it was operational at one point the swimming pool and gymnasium are no longer in use. Zoning for these facilities stipulated "community access", and they have been left in a state of disrepair, until the building management can reverse the zoning.
Famous past or present residents include Iggy Pop
, Sigrid Rothe, Vincent D'Onofrio
, Freedy Johnston
, Marisa Monte
, George Pendle
, Andres Levin
, Douglas Rushkoff
, and Michael Rosen
.
Settlement movement
The settlement movement was a reformist social movement, beginning in the 1880s and peaking around the 1920s in England and the US, with a goal of getting the rich and poor in society to live more closely together in an interdependent community...
.
Initially the 16 stories of the building housed a music school, a pool and gymnasium, a library, clubhouses, workshops, offices, and two kitchens. These spaces were on the lower five floors of the building, and open to the public and settlement members. One floor housed the settlement workers, the top 9 floors were rented out as residences to provide income for the work of the settlement. The opening of the building was an event, widely covered in the newspapers of the day. The building, particularly its height and style, were seen as symbolic and inspiring: towering, modern, up to date, airy, clean and fireproof. its character representing the best in the character of the neighborhood.
The difficulties, not foreseen, of operating a settlement community and a "residential" community created complications for the Christodora Board of Managers. These financial burdens, coupled with the expansion of public housing, led the building to sold via condemnation to the City of New York in 1948 for $1.6 million dollars. The city planned to house delinquent boys in the building, operated by the Dept. of Welfare. However, the building remained empty or underutilized through 1956.
In the mid sixties, a variety of unsanctioned community activity took place in the lower floors of the buildings. This led to a police raid and closure in 1969. This did not stop the activities in the building, as it is reputed that the national headquarters of the Black Panthers was housed in the building. The building also was the site of several pornographic films. The city sold the property for $62,500 in 1975.
In 1986 the building had by sold numerous times, and began a conversion process to a condominiums.
Christodora House was added to the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
on March 20, 1986.
On August 7, 1988 the Tompkins Square Park Riot spilled over into the Christodora House. Rioters chanted "Die Yuppie Scum" in reference to the residents of the building. The front doors were smashed and rioters ransacked the lobby area of the building.
Today, the building hosts a diverse group of residences. Many are active in community groups such as The East Village Community Coalition, which has an office in the building.
Though it was operational at one point the swimming pool and gymnasium are no longer in use. Zoning for these facilities stipulated "community access", and they have been left in a state of disrepair, until the building management can reverse the zoning.
Famous past or present residents include Iggy Pop
Iggy Pop
Iggy Pop is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. Though considered an innovator of punk rock, Pop's music has encompassed a number of styles over the years, including pop, metal, jazz and blues...
, Sigrid Rothe, Vincent D'Onofrio
Vincent D'Onofrio
Vincent Phillip D'Onofrio is an American actor, director, film producer, writer, and singer. Often referred to as an actor's actor, his work as a character actor has earned him the nickname of "Human Chameleon"...
, Freedy Johnston
Freedy Johnston
Freedy Johnston is a New York City-based singer-songwriter originally from Kinsley, Kansas.Having scored several minor hits since the early 1990s, Johnston's songs are often about troubled loners, and cover topics like heartbreak, alienation and disappointment...
, Marisa Monte
Marisa Monte
Marisa de Azevedo Monte is a Brazilian popular singer. As of 2011, she has sold 10 million albums worldwide.- Biography :...
, George Pendle
George Pendle
George Pendle is a British author and journalist. He was educated at Stowe School and St Peter's College, Oxford.After working at The Times from 1997 to 2001, Pendle wrote his first book, Strange Angel: The Otherworldly Life of Rocket Scientist Jack Parsons .Pendle’s second book – The Remarkable...
, Andres Levin
Andres Levin
Andres Levin is a Venezuelan-American record producer, band leader, film maker, recording engineer and philanthropist. Levin won a Grammy award in 2009 for his production of the In The Heights Cast Recording...
, Douglas Rushkoff
Douglas Rushkoff
Douglas Rushkoff is an American media theorist, writer, columnist, lecturer, graphic novelist and documentarian. He is best known for his association with the early cyberpunk culture, and his advocacy of open source solutions to social problems.Rushkoff is most frequently regarded as a media...
, and Michael Rosen
Michael Rosen
Michael Wayne Rosen is a broadcaster, children's novelist and poet and the author of 140 books. He was appointed as the fifth Children's Laureate in June 2007, succeeding Jacqueline Wilson, and held this honour until 2009....
.
See also
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Manhattan below 14th StreetNational Register of Historic Places listings in Manhattan below 14th StreetList of the National Register of Historic Places listings in Manhattan below 14th StreetThis is intended to be a complete list of properties and districts listed on the National Register of Historic Places in Manhattan below 14th Street, which is a large portion of New York County, New York...