Now known as the Opera House Lofts (and located in East Williamsburg, at least on paper), this stately building’s original name was Arion Hall, the headquarters for the Arion Singing Society, a German men’s choral group (or “Mannerchor”) whose musical selections catered to a working-class audience in Bushwick.
Some of the decorative elements on the fire escapes and roof (below) make it clear that this 1886 structure, on Arion Place (formerly called Wall Street) and Broadway, was all about music.
In the 19th and early 20th centuries, when Bushwick was a predominantly German neighborhood, the Arion Singing Society regularly performed for local crowds. Apparently they were very well-received, as this Brooklyn Daily Eagle blurb notes.
Tags: Arion Place, Arion Singing Society, Bushwick, Opera House Lofts
July 14, 2008 at 4:05 pm |
[...] Mansion: A nice little bit on the history of the Opera House Lofts on Arion [...]