The Hotel Bossert is a historic hotel in

Brooklyn Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

. Opened in 1909, it was bought by the

Jehovah's Witnesses Jehovah's Witnesses is a millenarian restorationist Christian denomination with nontrinitarian beliefs distinct from mainstream Christianity. The group reports a worldwide membership of approximately 8.7 million adherents involved in ...

in 1983 and used by them until 2012, when it was sold for conversion back to a hotel. The conversion work has stalled multiple times since then. The Bossert was once known as "the

Waldorf-Astoria The Waldorf Astoria New York is a luxury hotel and condominium residence in Midtown Manhattan in New York City. The structure, at 301 Park Avenue between 49th and 50th Streets, is a 47-story Art Deco landmark designed by architects Schultz ...

". It was the site of the celebration of the

Brooklyn Dodgers The Brooklyn Dodgers were a Major League Baseball team founded in 1884 as a member of the American Association (19th century), American Association before joining the National League in 1890. They remained in Brooklyn until 1957, after which the ...

' only World Series championship.Ramirez, Anthony, (January 30, 2008)
"'Hotel Where Dodgers Celebrated a Title Is Up for Sale"
''The New York Times''. Retrieved 2008-01-30

History

Early years

The hotel was built in 1909 by Louis Bossert, a Brooklyn lumber

magnate The magnate term, from the late Latin ''magnas'', a great man, itself from Latin ''magnus'', "great", means a man from the higher nobility, a man who belongs to the high office-holders, or a man in a high social position, by birth, wealth or ot ...

, at 98 Montague Street in Brooklyn Heights. It had an Italian Renaissance Revival-style exterior. It was designed as an apartment hotel. The architects were Helmle & Huberty. During the 1920s, the Hotel Bossert was known for its Marine Roof, a two-level restaurant on the roof of the 14-story building that provided diners with a commanding view of Manhattan. Popular bandleader

Freddy Martin Frederick Alfred Martin (December 9, 1906 – September 30, 1983) was an American bandleader and tenor saxophonist. Early life Freddy Martin was born in Cleveland, Ohio, United States. Raised largely in an orphanage and by various relatives, ...

initially gained popularity through a lengthy stint performing at the Marine Roof in the early 1930s. Some of his earliest commercial recordings, which pioneered the 'tenor band' style of sweet dance music, were credited only as the 'Hotel Bossert Orchestra'. The hotel drew some attention in November, 1945, when

Charles Armijo Woodruff Charles Armijo Woodruff (January 12, 1884 – November 23, 1945) was a United States Navy officer and the governor of American Samoa from December 6, 1914, to March 1, 1915. He captained multiple ships in both the Navy and the United States Me ...

, the 11th

Governor of American Samoa This is a list of governors, etc. of the part of the Samoan Islands (now comprising American Samoa) under United States administration since 1900. From 1900 to 1978 governors were appointed by the Federal government of the United States. Since ...

, committed suicide by hanging himself in his room there. Just one month later, former Congressman Thomas F. Magner also died in the hotel. In the 1950s, the Bossert was the home of several Brooklyn Dodger players. Following the Brooklyn Dodgers' win over the New York Yankees in the 1955 World Series, Dodgers fans gathered in the Bossert lobby and serenaded Dodgers' manager

Walter Alston Walter Emmons Alston (December 1, 1911 – October 1, 1984), nicknamed "Smokey", was an American baseball player and manager in Major League Baseball He is best known for managing the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers from 1954 through 1976, and si ...

with "

For He's a Jolly Good Fellow "For He's a Jolly Good Fellow" is a popular song that is sung to congratulate a person on a significant event, such as a promotion, a birthday, a wedding (or playing a major part in a wedding), a retirement, a wedding anniversary, the birth of a ...

Purchase by Watchtower and restoration

In 1983, the

Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York A number of corporations are in use by Jehovah's Witnesses. They publish literature and perform other operational and administrative functions, representing the interests of the religious organization. "The Society" has been used as a collectiv ...

began leasing space in the Bossert for use by

. The Society bought the hotel in 1988. It required extensive restoration according to the Landmarks Preservation Commission standards for the historic district. The famed Marine Roof had collapsed, and a new roof had to be built. Also, the lobby was in poor condition, and over of the marble had to be replaced. Watchtower went to the original quarry to replace it. That effort garnered praise and awards.Buiso, Gary (2008-02-01)
"Jehovah’s Witnesses to sell Bossert Hotel"
''Brooklyn Heights Courier''. Retrieved on 2008-02-05 In late January 2008, the Society announced it would sell the building. The sale was conducted through a private-bidding process, which took nearly five years. One local realtor (Arlene Waye of Awaye Realty) estimated that the building would sell for about $100 million. Judi Stanton, the president of the Brooklyn Heights Association, remarked that “The Witnesses have done an exquisite job in maintaining the building." Timothy King, a senior partner at Massey Knakal Realty Services Brooklyn, agreed calling the hotel "one of the most unique and most well-maintained trophy assets in Brooklyn." He continued, "The Watchtower organization is well known for impeccable maintenance standards and the Bossert reflects this level of care. It will be a challenge for a new owner to run the building with the same level of care and attention to detail." Late in 2012, the Bossert was sold for $81 million to

David Bistricer David Bistricer (born August 10, 1949) is a New York-based real estate developer and the founder and principal of Clipper Equity. His firm focuses on the conversion of non-residential buildings to residential uses. One of Bistricer's latest vent ...

of Clipper Equity and

Joseph Chetrit Joseph Chetrit is an American real estate investor and developer and founder of the Chetrit Group. Early life Chetrit was born to a Jewish family in Morocco to Simon and Alice Chetrit.Tom Acitelli"Joseph Chetrit, the Most Mysterious Big Shot i ...

of the Chetrit Group, who planned to turn it into a boutique hotel with around 300 rooms. Multiple announced opening dates have come and gone since then. In May 2022, it was reported that the structure faced foreclosure, after the Chetrit Group defaulted on a $112 million mortgage. In September 2022, it was reported that the vacant hotel had been foreclosed and would be auctioned.

Barbara Cooney Barbara Cooney (August 6, 1917 – March 10, 2000) was an American writer and illustrator of 110 children's books, published over sixty years. She received two Caldecott Medals for her work on ''Chanticleer and the Fox'' (1958) and '' Ox-Cart Ma ...

was born in the hotel, which was built by her maternal grandfather.

References

{{reflist Hotels in Brooklyn Italian Renaissance Revival architecture in the United States Brooklyn Heights Hotels established in 1909 Hotel buildings completed in 1909