Bethune Gardens

Bethune Gardens
Bethune Gardens
NYCHA Property
	Interactive map of Bethune Gardens
Country	United States
State	New York
City	New York City
Borough	Manhattan
Area
• Total	1.49 acres (0.60 ha)
Population
• Total	238
Zip Code	10032
	Mary McLeod Bethune Gardens
	U.S. National Register of Historic Places
	U.S. Historic district – Contributing property
	New York State Register of Historic Places
	Location within Manhattan Location within New York City Location within New York
Location	1945 Amsterdam Ave., Manhattan, New York
Area	1.49 acres (0.60 ha)
Part of	Dominican Historic District (ID100011048)
NRHP reference No.	100007411
NYSRHP No.	06101.021424
Significant dates
Added to NRHP	February 14, 2022
Designated CP	January 24, 2025
Designated NYSRHP	December 9, 2021

The Bethune Gardens is a NYCHA housing project building with 22 stories. It is located between Amsterdam and St. Nicholas Avenues and also between West 155th and 157th Streets in Washington Heights, Manhattan.^[5]

History

Plans for the development were filed in 1964 by the architectural firm of Pomerance & Breines.^[6] This building was completed on March 31, 1967.^[1] The development is named after Mary McLeod Bethune.^[7] It was the first federally-funded senior housing vest-pocket development.^[8] Compared to NYCHA's superblock projects, such as those that line the west side of the FDR Drive south of 14th Street (the Riis Houses, Lillian Wald Houses and Baruch Houses), vest-pocket projects were smaller in design and only contained one to four buildings.^[9]

21st century

The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) on February 14, 2022.^[4] Residents of the local community had speculated that the nomination of the property for listing on the NRHP might have been driven by the investment tax credits available for the rehabilitation of the historic structures, which would make privatization under the Permanent Affordability Commitment Together (PACT) program more attractive to developers.^[10]

In January 2023, NYCHA closed on the financing of the PACT conversion of Bethune Gardens, along with Audubon Houses and Marshall Plaza. These complexes will be included in Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD) part of section 8 to modernize the buildings through extensive renovations and replacements, invest in community spaces, and preserve affordability and residents' rights.^[11]^[12]

References

1 2 3 "NYCHA Development Data Book 2025" (PDF). New York City Housing Authority. p. 213, c. 1. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2026-01-13. Retrieved 2026-02-12.
↑ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. June 24, 2025.
1 2 3 4 "Cultural Resource Information System (CRIS)". New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation. November 7, 2014. Retrieved July 20, 2023.
1 2 "Weekly List 2022 02 18". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. 2022-02-18. Retrieved 2026-02-13.
↑ "Bethune Gardens" (PDF). New York City Housing Authority. Retrieved 2026-02-12.
↑ "Building Permit Search". Office for Metropolitan History. NB 36-1964. Retrieved 2026-02-14.
↑ "NYCHA Developments Named after Black Americans". The NYCHA Journal. 2020-02-11. Retrieved 2026-02-13.
↑ Mackey, Linda (2021-05-17). Bethune Gardens Building Inventory (Report). New York State Historic Preservation Office. Unique Site Number 061-01-021424.
↑ "Public Housing to Get New Look". The New York Times. 1957-05-05. p. 76. Retrieved 2026-02-14.
↑ Buttenwieser, Charlotte (2022-02-02). "Two housing units in West Harlem are nominated for the National Register of Historic Places. Residents are questioning why". Columbia Spectator. Retrieved 2026-02-14.
↑ "Bethune Gardens PACT". preserveabm.com. Retrieved 2026-02-13.
↑ "NYCHA and Partners Begin $137.6 Million PACT Modernization Project at Audubon Houses, Bethune Gardens, and Marshall Plaza in Upper Manhattan" (Press release). New York City Housing Authority. 2023-01-11. Retrieved 2026-02-14.

External links

Design for the Mary McLeod Bethune Houses in Harlem, Manhattan, c. 1960's – at the La Guardia and Wagner Archives

[NYCHA_Data_Book_2025-1] 1 2 3 "NYCHA Development Data Book 2025" (PDF). New York City Housing Authority. p. 213, c. 1. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2026-01-13. Retrieved 2026-02-12.

[nris-2] "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. June 24, 2025.

[Cultural_Resource_Information_System-3] 1 2 3 4 "Cultural Resource Information System (CRIS)". New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation. November 7, 2014. Retrieved July 20, 2023.

[weekly-list-4] 1 2 "Weekly List 2022 02 18". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. 2022-02-18. Retrieved 2026-02-13.

[5] "Bethune Gardens" (PDF). New York City Housing Authority. Retrieved 2026-02-12.

[6] "Building Permit Search". Office for Metropolitan History. NB 36-1964. Retrieved 2026-02-14.

[7] "NYCHA Developments Named after Black Americans". The NYCHA Journal. 2020-02-11. Retrieved 2026-02-13.

[8] Mackey, Linda (2021-05-17). Bethune Gardens Building Inventory (Report). New York State Historic Preservation Office. Unique Site Number 061-01-021424.

[9] "Public Housing to Get New Look". The New York Times. 1957-05-05. p. 76. Retrieved 2026-02-14.

[10] Buttenwieser, Charlotte (2022-02-02). "Two housing units in West Harlem are nominated for the National Register of Historic Places. Residents are questioning why". Columbia Spectator. Retrieved 2026-02-14.

[11] "Bethune Gardens PACT". preserveabm.com. Retrieved 2026-02-13.

[12] "NYCHA and Partners Begin $137.6 Million PACT Modernization Project at Audubon Houses, Bethune Gardens, and Marshall Plaza in Upper Manhattan" (Press release). New York City Housing Authority. 2023-01-11. Retrieved 2026-02-14.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]

[10]

[11]

[12]

History

21st century

See also

References

External links