At the annual Willoughby Avenue block party this past Saturday, Bed-Stuy's beloved historic 120-year-old French Gothic mansion reappeared 366 days after developers demolished it.
It wasn't magic, though — the reappearance of the mansion at 441 Willoughby Ave. was a large-scale image projection of the building's original facade created by The Illuminator, an activist collective specializing in politically driven art.
More than 40 residents gathered for the event, which began just after sunset at 9:00pm on July 22, to pay tribute to the beloved building, which once stood on the corner of Willoughby and Nostrand avenues.
Architect Theobald Engelhardt built the mansion in the late 19th century for local businessman Jacob Dangler. In the mid-20th century, the building was purchased by the United Grand Chapter of the Order of the Eastern Star, a masonic organization for Black women. After that, it became a community center for events like weddings and public meetings.
Towards the end of 2021, the building was purchased by developer Tomer Erlich, prompting an organized community effort to protect the historic building from demolition. The group was in the process of applying for landmark status, which would have protected the unique design of the building, but the developer had already applied for demolition permits.
“This place was rented out every single weekend pre-pandemic,” said Lauren Cawdrey, vice president of the Willoughby Nostrand Marcy Block Association. “What it represented was a place for a community to rejoice, mourn, celebrate, come together.”
Residents gave speeches and were cheered on by passengers in cars driving by during Saturday evening's event. Justice for 441 Willoughby, a group of Willoughby Avenue residents, organized the event.
“I’ve turned this corner for almost 70 years, so to turn this corner and see this — it’s devastating,” said Joanne Joyner-Wells, a lifelong resident of Willoughby Avenue, about the vacant lot. Her parents' wedding reception, as well as her own, were both held at the Dangler mansion.
“We have very few venues now that we can use as a community that we can share and have fun,” Joyner-Wells said.
The especially dramatic way the building was demolished contributes to the community’s ongoing hurt. The Landmarks Preservation Commission held a public hearing on July 12, 2022, but did not vote on landmark status in time due to technical difficulties and miscommunications, LPC Chair Sarah Carroll told City Council in a hearing last year. Erlich demolished the building swiftly after his permit was approved by the city.
Since then, the Department of Buildings has developed a better online system to prevent future issues, a DOB spokesperson told THE CITY.
“Demolition plans in letters that were circulated to residents nearby said the demolition should take three weeks — it took one day,” said Molly Salas, who attended the block party.
The lot remains empty and overrun with tall weeds a year after demolition. Currently, there are plans for the lot to be developed into condos.
“Give us something for the people on the block and the people in the community,” said Michael Williams, a lifelong resident of Willoughby Avenue, who recalls attending Cub Scouts meetings in the building as a child.
Though the Dangler mansion couldn’t be saved, Justice for 441 is set on preserving the neighborhood. The group is currently advocating to landmark Willoughby Avenue and the nearby Hart Street to ensure its iconic brownstones can stay intact. The group's petition to landmark the district had 803 signatures at the time of publishing.
“There's nothing protecting someone plucking one out and sticking in something that doesn't make sense,” said Cawdrey. ”All these buildings are interconnected. You can't mess with the foundation of one brownstone and not affect those around it."
