Recent from talks
23rd Regiment Armory
Knowledge base stats:
Talk channels stats:
Members stats:
23rd Regiment Armory
The 23rd Regiment Armory, also known as the Bedford Atlantic Armory, is a historic National Guard armory building located at 1322 Bedford Avenue between Atlantic Avenue and Pacific Street in the Crown Heights neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York City, United States. The building is a brick and stone castle-like structure designed to be reminiscent of medieval military structures in Europe. It was built in 1891–1895 and was designed in the Romanesque Revival style by Fowler & Hough, local Brooklyn architects, and Isaac Perry, the New York state government's architect.
The structure was originally built for the 23rd Regiment of the New York State Militia. Since the 1980s, it has been in use as a men's homeless shelter, though in the 2010s, there were plans to redevelop the armory.
The building was designated a New York City landmark in 1977, and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.
The 23rd Regiment of the New York State Militia was organized in 1861 as a relief guard of the 13th Regiment. It was meant to take over the duties of the Brooklyn City Guard, which at the time was participating in the American Civil War. The Relief Guard, later known as the City Guard Reserve, was mustered-in as the 23rd Regiment in 1862, and participated in the Civil War for one month in 1863. Concerns about the readiness of volunteer militia led to the passage of an "Armory Law" in 1862, during the Civil War, which called for the construction of armories statewide. However, the effort stagnated after the end of the war. The 23rd Regiment then moved to an armory on 165–179 Clermont Avenue in Fort Greene, which was built in 1872–1873. The still-extant building, which now includes apartments, contained windows with pointed arches and a tall mansard roof.
The regiment soon outgrew the Clermont Avenue location, and started looking for a location to build a new armory. Halstead P. Fowler, of local architecture firm Fowler & Hough, was selected as the new armory's architect. Fowler, a 23rd Regiment member, designed the building under the supervision of state architect Isaac Perry. Another armory architect, John N. Partridge, was also part of the 23rd Regiment. In June 1889, Partridge requested a $350,000 appropriation from the New York State Commission for the construction of the new armory. That August, a site was selected at the southwest corner of Bedford Avenue and Atlantic Avenue. At the time, the land was occupied by the St. Bartholomew's School, as well as two farmhouses and a rowhouse. The rowhouse belonged to H.P. Fowler, a principal at Fowler & Hough.
A budget appropriation of $300,000 was given for construction, and plans for the 23rd Regiment Armory were finalized in 1890. The ceremonial cornerstone-laying event was held on November 14, 1891. Soon after, the costs of building the armory increased greatly, and by 1892 another $100,000 was being requested for the 23rd Regiment Armory's completion. Another $50,000 was requested in May 1893. The New York Times described the armory as one of three Brooklyn armories facing extreme cost overruns, the others being the 13th Regiment Armory in Bedford–Stuyvesant and the 14th Regiment Armory in Park Slope. In 1894, during construction, the building's flagpole shattered in a lightning storm.
On November 4, 1894, the 23rd Regiment marched to its new armory to signify that it had taken possession of the building, and the Clermont armory was sold shortly thereafter. On November 15, the regiment started a two-week fundraiser to collect money for furnishings, and raised almost $70,000 for said purpose. The new 23rd Regiment Armory was not completed until 1895, and the drill room was not completed until 1902. The total cost of the armory was $550,000, almost twice the original budget, though this figure also included the funds spent on furnishings. A World War I memorial outside the armory was dedicated in 1922.
In 1923, the building was rented by William Randolph Hearst for use as studio space for his Cosmopolitan Productions after the company's own facilities were destroyed by a fire on February 19, 1923. The 23rd Regiment Armory also housed the 106th Infantry until the 1980s, when the New York National Guard vacated the premises. In addition to military use, the 23rd Regiment Armory was used by various exhibits, including home shows and car shows; as well as various sporting events such as cycling and school sports.
Hub AI
23rd Regiment Armory AI simulator
(@23rd Regiment Armory_simulator)
23rd Regiment Armory
The 23rd Regiment Armory, also known as the Bedford Atlantic Armory, is a historic National Guard armory building located at 1322 Bedford Avenue between Atlantic Avenue and Pacific Street in the Crown Heights neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York City, United States. The building is a brick and stone castle-like structure designed to be reminiscent of medieval military structures in Europe. It was built in 1891–1895 and was designed in the Romanesque Revival style by Fowler & Hough, local Brooklyn architects, and Isaac Perry, the New York state government's architect.
The structure was originally built for the 23rd Regiment of the New York State Militia. Since the 1980s, it has been in use as a men's homeless shelter, though in the 2010s, there were plans to redevelop the armory.
The building was designated a New York City landmark in 1977, and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.
The 23rd Regiment of the New York State Militia was organized in 1861 as a relief guard of the 13th Regiment. It was meant to take over the duties of the Brooklyn City Guard, which at the time was participating in the American Civil War. The Relief Guard, later known as the City Guard Reserve, was mustered-in as the 23rd Regiment in 1862, and participated in the Civil War for one month in 1863. Concerns about the readiness of volunteer militia led to the passage of an "Armory Law" in 1862, during the Civil War, which called for the construction of armories statewide. However, the effort stagnated after the end of the war. The 23rd Regiment then moved to an armory on 165–179 Clermont Avenue in Fort Greene, which was built in 1872–1873. The still-extant building, which now includes apartments, contained windows with pointed arches and a tall mansard roof.
The regiment soon outgrew the Clermont Avenue location, and started looking for a location to build a new armory. Halstead P. Fowler, of local architecture firm Fowler & Hough, was selected as the new armory's architect. Fowler, a 23rd Regiment member, designed the building under the supervision of state architect Isaac Perry. Another armory architect, John N. Partridge, was also part of the 23rd Regiment. In June 1889, Partridge requested a $350,000 appropriation from the New York State Commission for the construction of the new armory. That August, a site was selected at the southwest corner of Bedford Avenue and Atlantic Avenue. At the time, the land was occupied by the St. Bartholomew's School, as well as two farmhouses and a rowhouse. The rowhouse belonged to H.P. Fowler, a principal at Fowler & Hough.
A budget appropriation of $300,000 was given for construction, and plans for the 23rd Regiment Armory were finalized in 1890. The ceremonial cornerstone-laying event was held on November 14, 1891. Soon after, the costs of building the armory increased greatly, and by 1892 another $100,000 was being requested for the 23rd Regiment Armory's completion. Another $50,000 was requested in May 1893. The New York Times described the armory as one of three Brooklyn armories facing extreme cost overruns, the others being the 13th Regiment Armory in Bedford–Stuyvesant and the 14th Regiment Armory in Park Slope. In 1894, during construction, the building's flagpole shattered in a lightning storm.
On November 4, 1894, the 23rd Regiment marched to its new armory to signify that it had taken possession of the building, and the Clermont armory was sold shortly thereafter. On November 15, the regiment started a two-week fundraiser to collect money for furnishings, and raised almost $70,000 for said purpose. The new 23rd Regiment Armory was not completed until 1895, and the drill room was not completed until 1902. The total cost of the armory was $550,000, almost twice the original budget, though this figure also included the funds spent on furnishings. A World War I memorial outside the armory was dedicated in 1922.
In 1923, the building was rented by William Randolph Hearst for use as studio space for his Cosmopolitan Productions after the company's own facilities were destroyed by a fire on February 19, 1923. The 23rd Regiment Armory also housed the 106th Infantry until the 1980s, when the New York National Guard vacated the premises. In addition to military use, the 23rd Regiment Armory was used by various exhibits, including home shows and car shows; as well as various sporting events such as cycling and school sports.
Recent media