Locals Race to Buy Historic Bed Stuy Mansion as Sale Looms

"The Renaissance Revival brick mansion at 375 Stuyvesant Avenue, on the corner of Decatur Street, was built in 1914-1915 by Henry P. Kirby and John J. Petit in what is now the Stuyvesant Heights Historic District. It was purchased by Dr. Josephine English in 1973, the state's first Black woman gynecologist and the first to open a private practice. For years, the eye-catching mansion has served as a hub for local businesses and nonprofits."

"The building is classed as a "community center," and contains one residential unit and one commercial unit, according to PropertyShark. The interior has Arts and Crafts details and should be preserved, said a recent story in the Amsterdam News. From the 1970s through the 1990s, it was used as a community center for seniors, a certificate of occupancy from 1976 shows, and more recently it has housed a school, Seasons plant nursery, cafe, and exercise and art classes."

"But since English's death in 2011, the future of the mansion, and other properties she owned, including the landmarked Paul Robeson Theater at 40 Greene Avenue and the former Adelphi Medical Center at 54 Greene Avenue, has been uncertain. All of the properties have fallen into states of disrepair. Disputes between her sons and grandson over the management, ownership, and sale of the properties have resulted in yearslong court fights."

Bed Stuy residents are organizing to take community ownership of the Renaissance Revival mansion at 375 Stuyvesant Avenue after a court-ordered sale. The mansion was built in 1914–1915 and purchased by Dr. Josephine English in 1973; she was the state’s first Black woman gynecologist and opened a private practice. The building has served as a community hub with commercial and residential units, a senior center, school, nursery, cafe, and arts and exercise classes. Since English’s death in 2011 the mansion and other English-owned properties have deteriorated amid family disputes and yearslong court fights. Court documents show a stipulation calling for the properties to be sold together for at least $9.2 million, and residents are working to form a community land trust and raise millions to buy and repair the mansion before a private sale.

Read at Brownstoner