Andrew Freedman Home facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Andrew Freedman Home |
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| General information | |
| Type | House |
| Location | 1125 Grand Concourse The Bronx, New York |
| Coordinates | 40°49′58″N 73°55′13″W / 40.832742°N 73.920142°W |
| Construction started | 1924 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Friedlander Jacobs |
The Andrew Freedman Home is a special historic building in The Bronx, New York City. It was built for a man named Andrew Freedman. Today, it's a lively place where artists live and work. It also helps the community with different programs.
This beautiful building is a New York City Designated Landmark. This means it's an important historical site. Andrew Freedman left money in his will to build this home. It was first designed as a retirement home for rich people who had lost their money.
The trust that ran the home faced money problems in the 1960s. So, in 1983, the home reopened for all elderly people. Now, the Andrew Freedman Home is a daycare center and a place for events.
Why the Home Was Built
Andrew Freedman was a very rich man. In 1907, there was a big financial crisis called the Panic of 1907. During this time, Andrew Freedman almost lost all his money. This made him think about what would happen if he became old and poor.
He decided he wanted to help others who might face this problem. So, he came up with an idea for a special charity. This charity would build a home for older people who had lost their wealth. They could live there comfortably in their retirement.
When Andrew Freedman passed away in 1915, he was worth over $4 million. In his will, he left money to build the Andrew Freedman Home. It was meant to be a home for older people, both men and women, who used to be wealthy but had become poor. Residents could live there for free and even had servants.
Building the Home
Plans for the home were made in 1922. The land on Grand Concourse was bought. Architects Joseph H. Friedlander and Harry Allan Jacobs designed the building. They thought it would cost about $500,000 to build.
The home was built in a beautiful French and Italian Renaissance style. It used soft gray and yellow limestone. The final cost was about $1 million.
The Andrew Freedman Home officially opened its doors in 1924. Later, between 1928 and 1931, two new sections were added. The building had lovely English gardens and a well-kept lawn. Inside, there were public rooms with cozy fireplaces and fancy oriental rugs. Each private room even had a white marble shower!
Life as a Retirement Home
The home could house up to 130 residents at a time. When it first opened, some residents weren't from the wealthy backgrounds it was meant for. But after the Wall Street Crash of 1929 in the 1930s, many rich people who lost their money moved in. After World War II, many Jewish people from Europe also found a home there.
Life at the home had some rules. For example, people had to wear formal dress for dinner. Also, residents were not allowed to sleep on couches or put their feet on furniture in the public areas.
By the 1960s, the money for the home started to run low, just like some of its residents' fortunes. By 1965, residents had to start paying rent. As the area around Grand Concourse changed, people began to move out of the home.
What's Happening Now
In 1982, the Mid Bronx Senior Citizens Council bought the home. They moved the remaining 30 residents. In 1983, they reopened the home as a place for elderly and poor people to live.
The Andrew Freedman Home was officially named a New York City Designated Landmark in 1992.
As of 2012, the Andrew Freedman Home works as a daycare center and a place for events. In 2012, an art show called "This Side of Paradise" opened there. It featured art like photos and videos. Artists like Sylvia Plachy and Daze showed work about the home's history. They also explored themes like immigration and memory.
Since then, the Andrew Freedman Home has started an Artist In Residency program. Artists get a studio space and can show their art in the home's galleries. These artists also offer workshops to the local community. They teach things like art-making and music lessons, including Afro-Puerto Rican drum classes.
Some current artists and groups working there include Renée Cox, En Foco, Jennie West, and Meguru Yamaguchi.
The Andrew Freedman Home often shows art in its galleries and throughout the building. An interactive exhibit called Undesign the Redline looked at how city planning affects people.
In Fall 2017, a big art show called STATE PROPERTY opened. It was held at the Andrew Freedman Home and other places. This show explored how Americans use products made by prison labor. It made people think about their daily choices.
