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Bradford StreetFormerly known as Butler Street, after Massachsetts governer Benjamin Franklin Butler. |
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Temple Sinai, 24 Arlington Linda (Schnell)Leonardi first reminded me about Temple Sinai. Located on the southeast corner of Bradford and Arlington, it was constructed in 1920, and now serves a Spanish Pentecostal church, Mision Cristiana Bethesda. For more history and interior views, visit the Temple Sinai page. Thanks to William Davis for corrections and additions. Tim O'Reilly sent over the 1941 tax photo and what really caught my eye was the glass front window of the building on the left. |
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Jamaica and Bradford The reason that window caught my eye is because there is nothing there in the triangle that forms at the intersection of Jamaica, Arlington, Bradford and Wyona, at least not anymore. The Local Live shot is a view south across that triangle towards Temple Sinai. I dug up the tax photo of that lot and though the image is poor, we can see there was a full 3 story structure on that lot at tone time. |
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Bradford by Jamaica and Arlington, 1950s From Joann Montgomery, 2 great views. The first is a view east down Arlington from Bradford. All of those garages you see on the left are gone. The Second is a view looking east on Jamaica Avenue between Wyona and Bradford in 1951. The description was "in front of Joe's Ice Cream". |
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| 109 Bradford These two images are taken from the "Good Old East New York" Publication. The structure was built in 1873 on a lot purchased from Horace Miller for $1400 and served as the Town Hall and Police Station for the 17th precinct. The jailhouse was in the cellar. In 1889 the building became the 26th Ward Homeopathic Hospital and Dispensary. The picture on the right is from the 1930s, I'm not sure when the porch front was added. The building eventually became the Bradford Hospital. |
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| 109 Bradford, Bradford Hospital In this 1937 image from the NYPL archives, the building is identified as the Bradford Hospital. It is located on the East side of Bradford between Fulton and Atlantic. What's most amazing is this building is still standing; it is the white building in the middle of the Local Live picture on the right. |
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P.S. 62 OK, I'm cheating a little because I've crossed Atlantic Avenue but I'm trying to keep the Bradford material together. This area develops first because the El is not running yet to the east. One of the first schools is built here on Bradford Street. In the picture on the right taken from "Good Old East New York" it lists the building as having been built in 1850 but some research suggests it was built between 1856 and 1860. Heidenreich in his 1948 book "Old Days and Old Ways in East New York" notes that it had become a Welfare Station. The building is no longer standing, knocked down in 1980. |
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Now, the mystery of P.S. 62. This BPL photo identifies the building as P.S. 62, a 5 story limestone building on Bradford Street near Liberty Avenue. However, the 1905 Plat maps clearly indicate P.S. 62 is a two story building and the picture on the right above is from the 1930s. Heidenreich attended the school at that time and described it as a two story structure. So what is this building? | |
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| Pig Tail Alley The 1905 plat map on the left shows the location of P.S. 62, sitting on the east side of Bradford between Atlantic and Liberty. North of the school (left hand side) was Pig Tail Alley, pictured on the right. |
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Turn Hall Across from P.S. 62 on the west side of Bradford Street was Turn Hall. Built in 1864, Heidenreich writes in "Old Days"; "Adolph Heidenreich, my father, was one of the organizers. Later, my brothers and I joined the Turner Society and were given instruction in turning." Several folks have pointed out that German Turnvereins (a form of gymnasium) were popular then but I have no evidence yet that this building was used for that purpose. | |