Spanish Camp
Encyclopedia
Spanish Camp, also known as Spanish Colony, was a private gated community
on Staten Island
. It was near the present-day Annadale
section of Staten Island, one of the five boroughs of New York City
. It existed from the 1920s to the first decade of the 21st century when it was demolished.
, most of whom were anarchists, under the name Spanish Naturopath Association. The 18 acres (72,843.5 m²) property, located on New York Harbor
and off Poillon Avenue on the southeastern shore of Staten Island, had its own streets and services, quite independent of anything having to do with the rest of Staten Island and New York City. A small pond and associated wetlands were included. A small beach faced New York Harbor, adjacent to an ornate picnic area and athletic field. Roman Catholic activist Dorothy Day
lived for years in one of the cottages. In 2000 the grandchildren and great grandchildren of the founders, against the will of most residents, sold the property for $7.1 million to a developer, John DiScala. Residents owned their homes, but the land was the property of the Naturopath Association, whose members were descendents of the founders. Residents were forced out, but the developer was blocked by various court actions brought by former residents and by refusal of the City Planning Department to issue permits for construction. The developer had promised to preserve the home Dorothy Day lived in, and a few sample other areas. However, her former home was leveled by a bulldozer
as the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission
was about to declare it a historic landmark, and the developer then claimed there was no evidence she had ever been near the property.
As of 2006 DiScala's firm has declared bankruptcy
, and he is trying to sell the otherwise vacant land to other developers.
s. Camp life included tan canvas tents on raised wooden platforms with open-air kitchens under canopies in the back; common showers, latrines, and water pumps; plentiful clamming and fishing, seasonal performances by celebrated Flamenco
dancers and musicians in the Salon—a lantern-strung hall with barn-like doors in the center of the Camp. In the late 1930s and early 1940s the tents were transformed to became small summer bungalows; later, many were winterized. In 1972, Catholic Worker
co-founder Dorothy Day bought a bungalow near the beach. She spent the last eight summers of her life in Spanish Camp, enchanted by the sound of breaking waves through her kitchen window, and the simple, cooperative living of her neighbors.
in southeast Annadale on Staten Island. It had sold the site to a developer John DiScala in 1999. John DiScala of Volpe-DeSimone, Inc., planned to build mini-mansions on lots on the site and called it "Central Park East Estates"; reminiscing Central Park
in Manhattan
.
Up until the time of the demolition, the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission was in talks with John DiScala regarding landmarking the cottages and having Friends of Dorothy Day Cottages maintain them.
Gated community
In its modern form, a gated community is a form of residential community or housing estate containing strictly-controlled entrances for pedestrians, bicycles, and automobiles, and often characterized by a closed perimeter of walls and fences. Gated communities usually consist of small residential...
on Staten Island
Staten Island
Staten Island is a borough of New York City, New York, United States, located in the southwest part of the city. Staten Island is separated from New Jersey by the Arthur Kill and the Kill Van Kull, and from the rest of New York by New York Bay...
. It was near the present-day Annadale
Annadale, Staten Island
Annadale is a neighborhood or section of New York City in the borough of Staten Island, New York, USA, situated on the island's South Shore. Annadale Station serves the community....
section of Staten Island, one of the five boroughs of New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. It existed from the 1920s to the first decade of the 21st century when it was demolished.
History
Spanish Camp was started in 1923 by emigrants from SpainSpain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, most of whom were anarchists, under the name Spanish Naturopath Association. The 18 acres (72,843.5 m²) property, located on New York Harbor
New York Harbor
New York Harbor refers to the waterways of the estuary near the mouth of the Hudson River that empty into New York Bay. It is one of the largest natural harbors in the world. Although the U.S. Board of Geographic Names does not use the term, New York Harbor has important historical, governmental,...
and off Poillon Avenue on the southeastern shore of Staten Island, had its own streets and services, quite independent of anything having to do with the rest of Staten Island and New York City. A small pond and associated wetlands were included. A small beach faced New York Harbor, adjacent to an ornate picnic area and athletic field. Roman Catholic activist Dorothy Day
Dorothy Day
Dorothy Day was an American journalist, social activist and devout Catholic convert; she advocated the Catholic economic theory of Distributism. She was also considered to be an anarchist, and did not hesitate to use the term...
lived for years in one of the cottages. In 2000 the grandchildren and great grandchildren of the founders, against the will of most residents, sold the property for $7.1 million to a developer, John DiScala. Residents owned their homes, but the land was the property of the Naturopath Association, whose members were descendents of the founders. Residents were forced out, but the developer was blocked by various court actions brought by former residents and by refusal of the City Planning Department to issue permits for construction. The developer had promised to preserve the home Dorothy Day lived in, and a few sample other areas. However, her former home was leveled by a bulldozer
Bulldozer
A bulldozer is a crawler equipped with a substantial metal plate used to push large quantities of soil, sand, rubble, etc., during construction work and typically equipped at the rear with a claw-like device to loosen densely-compacted materials.Bulldozers can be found on a wide range of sites,...
as the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission
New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission
The New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission is the New York City agency charged with administering the city's Landmarks Preservation Law. The Commission was created in April 1965 by Mayor Robert F. Wagner following the destruction of Pennsylvania Station the previous year to make way for...
was about to declare it a historic landmark, and the developer then claimed there was no evidence she had ever been near the property.
As of 2006 DiScala's firm has declared bankruptcy
Bankruptcy
Bankruptcy is a legal status of an insolvent person or an organisation, that is, one that cannot repay the debts owed to creditors. In most jurisdictions bankruptcy is imposed by a court order, often initiated by the debtor....
, and he is trying to sell the otherwise vacant land to other developers.
Spanish Camp Life
Spanish-American immigrants founded Spanish Camp in 1929 as a seaside summer retreat from various New York City barrioBarrio
Barrio is a Spanish word meaning district or neighborhood.-Usage:In its formal usage in English, barrios are generally considered cohesive places, sharing, for example, a church and traditions such as feast days...
s. Camp life included tan canvas tents on raised wooden platforms with open-air kitchens under canopies in the back; common showers, latrines, and water pumps; plentiful clamming and fishing, seasonal performances by celebrated Flamenco
Flamenco
Flamenco is a genre of music and dance which has its foundation in Andalusian music and dance and in whose evolution Andalusian Gypsies played an important part....
dancers and musicians in the Salon—a lantern-strung hall with barn-like doors in the center of the Camp. In the late 1930s and early 1940s the tents were transformed to became small summer bungalows; later, many were winterized. In 1972, Catholic Worker
Catholic Worker
The Catholic Worker is a newspaper published seven times a year by the Catholic Worker Movement community in New York City. The newspaper was started by Dorothy Day and Peter Maurin to make people aware of church teaching on social justice...
co-founder Dorothy Day bought a bungalow near the beach. She spent the last eight summers of her life in Spanish Camp, enchanted by the sound of breaking waves through her kitchen window, and the simple, cooperative living of her neighbors.
Spanish Camp and Dorothy Day
On February 9, 2001, the cottage where Dorothy Day lived at Spanish Camp on Staten Island was demolished. The cottage was among the last remains of Spanish Camp. Dorothy Day, a founder of the Catholic Worker movement, was a part-time resident of one of the cottages during the 1970s. Dorothy Day is under consideration for sainthood by the Vatican because of her work for the poor.Legacy of Spanish Camp
The not-for-proft, Spanish Naturopath Society had owned Spanish Camp's 17 acres (68,796.6 m²) on Raritan BayRaritan Bay
Raritan Bay is a bay located at the southern portion of Lower New York Bay between the U.S. states of New York and New Jersey and is part of the New York Bight. The bay is bounded on the northwest by New York's Staten Island, on the west by Perth Amboy, New Jersey, on the south by the Raritan...
in southeast Annadale on Staten Island. It had sold the site to a developer John DiScala in 1999. John DiScala of Volpe-DeSimone, Inc., planned to build mini-mansions on lots on the site and called it "Central Park East Estates"; reminiscing Central Park
Central Park
Central Park is a public park in the center of Manhattan in New York City, United States. The park initially opened in 1857, on of city-owned land. In 1858, Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux won a design competition to improve and expand the park with a plan they entitled the Greensward Plan...
in Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
.
Up until the time of the demolition, the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission was in talks with John DiScala regarding landmarking the cottages and having Friends of Dorothy Day Cottages maintain them.