On January 1, 1898, the City of Brooklyn, along with various other towns and villages and their respective police departments, were consolidated into the City of Greater New York, consisting of the five boroughs that comprise the city today. Prior to Consolidation, the City of Brooklyn PD, maintained a Precinct Station-house designated as the 7th Precinct located on the northeast corner of Greenpoint & Manhattan Aves. The building was constructed in 1861 at the street address 145 Greenpoint Ave.
In 1899, the precinct was re-designated as the 61st; in 1914, the 161st; in 1924, the 105th; and finally in 1929, as the 94th which remains its designation today.
In 1920, a report cited the station-house & jail as “one of the worst in the borough” and a “wretched building.” The report concluded with a statement that money had been budgeted for a new station-house to be built on the site at 145 Greenpoint Ave. In October 1920, Police Commissioner Richard Enright decided to sell the existing site and apply the funds to demolish seven existing buildings and to construct a new building on a new site at Meserole & Lorimer Aves., the present location of the 94th Precinct Station-house. In 1923, the project went out to bid with a cost of $200,000.
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Of significant historical note was a mention that the records of the precinct indicated that on the date of the launching of the Ironclad Class Ship, the USS Monitor, the men of the precinct assisted in its launching. “On Jan. 30, 1862, around 10 a.m. on a cold, rainy day, the ship slid into the East River. Many in attendance feared the ship would be top-heavy and sink, but it soon righted itself. After being commissioned in late February, the newly christened U.S.S. Monitor set out for Hampton Roads, Va., on March 6, intent on “purging the harbor of traitors.” (NYTimes)
For more on the USS Monitor, visit: http://greenpointmonitormuseum.org
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On September 18, 1924, PC Enright presided over the opening ceremonies of the new Greenpoint Precinct Station-house, designated as the 51-A Precinct. A parade took place and with great fanfare, the new station-house was dedicated.
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The new boundaries of the 51-A Precinct would encompass some of the area of the 104th/51st Herbert Street Station-house (43 Herbert St.), which was summarily closed at 10:00 am on the same date.
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The new precinct was staffed by a Captain, four Lieutenants, ten Sergeants, sixty-three Patrolmen, and one Patrolwoman.
Current 94th Precinct Station-house
In 1925, the old 105th Precinct Station-house, which had been closed for several years, was leased by NYC to the Church of St. Alphonsus to be used as an elementary Catholic parochial school. An American Legion Post (Greenpoint #241) appears to have used the address in the 1930s, 40s and 50s. At some point, the building was demolished.
The Herbert St. Station-house survived and stands to this date.
A McDonald’s Restaurant exists at the location of 145 Greenpoint Ave. today.
McDonald’s Restaurant – Northeast corner of Greenpoint & Manhattan Aves.
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