Dunbar Apartments
Encyclopedia
Constructed in 1926, the Dunbar Apartments are a set of buildings in North-Central Harlem
in New York City
, built by John D. Rockefeller, Jr.
, to provide housing for African Americans. The apartments were designed by architect Andrew J. Thomas, noted for his designs in the community of Jackson Heights
, NY. The complex consists of six independent buildings with 511 apartment
s (as constructed) that occupy an entire city block, between 149th St to the South and 150th St to the North, and between Frederick Douglass Blvd to the West and Adam Clayton Powell, Jr Blvd to the East, with the Northwest corner of the building cut off by Macombs Place. The apartments are a registered landmark, listed on the National Register of Historic Places
.
The complex's buildings center around an interior garden courtyard
, and each building is "U"-shaped so that every apartment receives easy air flow and direct sunlight at some point during the day. The Dunbar is considered the "first large garden-complex
in Manhattan."
The buildings were constructed as an experiment in housing reform
, and according to the New York City Landmarks Commission, was "the first large cooperative built for "Peoples of African Descent." Rather than being set up as rental apartments, the complex was a housing cooperative
. Tenants were required to pay a down payment of $50 per room, and then $14.50 per room per month, much of which went towards a mortgage
on the space. In 22 years, if payments were all made on time, the tenant would own the apartment.
The original tenants were by and large middle class, and inexpensive childcare
was provided on-site to support working mothers. However, the building opened in 1928, and the Great Depression
hit only one year later. The management of the complex was forced to loosen a number of cooperative rules in order to allow people to, for example, take in lodger
s. Even so, too many tenants failed to make their payments and the buildings defaulted on their mortgage to Rockefeller. He foreclosed
in 1936, and a year later the buildings were converted to rental.
The Dunbar Apartments are named in honor of the famous African American poet Paul Laurence Dunbar
.
Famous personalities to live in the Dunbar include leaders of the Civil Rights movement such as W. E. B. Du Bois, Paul Robeson
, and Asa Philip Randolph, entertainer Bill "Bojangles" Robinson and the explorer Matthew Henson
.
Harlem
Harlem is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Manhattan, which since the 1920s has been a major African-American residential, cultural and business center. Originally a Dutch village, formally organized in 1658, it is named after the city of Haarlem in the Netherlands...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, built by John D. Rockefeller, Jr.
John D. Rockefeller, Jr.
John Davison Rockefeller, Jr. was a major philanthropist and a pivotal member of the prominent Rockefeller family. He was the sole son among the five children of businessman and Standard Oil industrialist John D. Rockefeller and the father of the five famous Rockefeller brothers...
, to provide housing for African Americans. The apartments were designed by architect Andrew J. Thomas, noted for his designs in the community of Jackson Heights
Jackson Heights, Queens
Jackson Heights is a neighborhood in the Northwestern portion of the borough of Queens in New York, New York, United States. The neighborhood is part of Queens Community Board 3...
, NY. The complex consists of six independent buildings with 511 apartment
Apartment
An apartment or flat is a self-contained housing unit that occupies only part of a building...
s (as constructed) that occupy an entire city block, between 149th St to the South and 150th St to the North, and between Frederick Douglass Blvd to the West and Adam Clayton Powell, Jr Blvd to the East, with the Northwest corner of the building cut off by Macombs Place. The apartments are a registered landmark, listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
.
Courtyard
A court or courtyard is an enclosed area, often a space enclosed by a building that is open to the sky. These areas in inns and public buildings were often the primary meeting places for some purposes, leading to the other meanings of court....
, and each building is "U"-shaped so that every apartment receives easy air flow and direct sunlight at some point during the day. The Dunbar is considered the "first large garden-complex
Garden city movement
The garden city movement is a method of urban planning that was initiated in 1898 by Sir Ebenezer Howard in the United Kingdom. Garden cities were intended to be planned, self-contained communities surrounded by "greenbelts" , containing proportionate areas of residences, industry and...
in Manhattan."
The buildings were constructed as an experiment in housing reform
Reform movement
A reform movement is a kind of social movement that aims to make gradual change, or change in certain aspects of society, rather than rapid or fundamental changes...
, and according to the New York City Landmarks Commission, was "the first large cooperative built for "Peoples of African Descent." Rather than being set up as rental apartments, the complex was a housing cooperative
Housing cooperative
A housing cooperative is a legal entity—usually a corporation—that owns real estate, consisting of one or more residential buildings. Each shareholder in the legal entity is granted the right to occupy one housing unit, sometimes subject to an occupancy agreement, which is similar to a lease. ...
. Tenants were required to pay a down payment of $50 per room, and then $14.50 per room per month, much of which went towards a mortgage
Mortgage loan
A mortgage loan is a loan secured by real property through the use of a mortgage note which evidences the existence of the loan and the encumbrance of that realty through the granting of a mortgage which secures the loan...
on the space. In 22 years, if payments were all made on time, the tenant would own the apartment.
The original tenants were by and large middle class, and inexpensive childcare
Childcare
Child care means caring for and supervising child/children usually from 0–13 years of age. In the United States child care is increasingly referred to as early childhood education due to the understanding of the impact of early experiences of the developing child...
was provided on-site to support working mothers. However, the building opened in 1928, and the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
hit only one year later. The management of the complex was forced to loosen a number of cooperative rules in order to allow people to, for example, take in lodger
Lodger
Lodger may refer to:* Lodger , a 1979 art rock album by David Bowie* Lodger , a Finnish indie rock band* Lodger , a short-lived supergroup comprising members of Powder, Supergrass, and Delicatessen...
s. Even so, too many tenants failed to make their payments and the buildings defaulted on their mortgage to Rockefeller. He foreclosed
Foreclosure
Foreclosure is the legal process by which a mortgage lender , or other lien holder, obtains a termination of a mortgage borrower 's equitable right of redemption, either by court order or by operation of law...
in 1936, and a year later the buildings were converted to rental.
The Dunbar Apartments are named in honor of the famous African American poet Paul Laurence Dunbar
Paul Laurence Dunbar
Paul Laurence Dunbar was a seminal African American poet of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Dunbar gained national recognition for his 1896 "Ode to Ethiopia", one poem in the collection Lyrics of Lowly Life....
.
Famous personalities to live in the Dunbar include leaders of the Civil Rights movement such as W. E. B. Du Bois, Paul Robeson
Paul Robeson
Paul Leroy Robeson was an American concert singer , recording artist, actor, athlete, scholar who was an advocate for the Civil Rights Movement in the first half of the twentieth century...
, and Asa Philip Randolph, entertainer Bill "Bojangles" Robinson and the explorer Matthew Henson
Matthew Henson
Matthew Alexander Henson was an African American explorer and associate of Robert Peary during various expeditions, the most famous being a 1909 expedition which it was discovered that he was the the first person to reach the Geographic North Pole.-Life:Henson was born on a farm in Nanjemoy,...
.