Public School 76, ca. 1930.

St. John's Lutheran, ca. 1905. Completed in 1898 for the German-speaking congregation of St. John's Lutheran Church, the English Gothic building was designed by an unknown architect. The community here thrived for the next six decades, but by the 1960s the German parishioners had largely moved away. The church was disbanded in 1972 and the structure was sold to the Grace Baptist Church of Christ, an African American congregation, which still occupies it.

Brooklyn, like any bustling urban center, is (and has always been) home to a diverse variety of venues constructed and operated with the express purpose of entertainment: from theatres to pools to baseball fields. In the late 19th and early 20th century, vaudeville theatres were constructed in the most populous areas of Brooklyn, bringing popular entertainment to the working-class masses. In the early decades of the 20th century, the changes in technology altered the way Brooklynites were entertained. Vaudeville waned in popularity as moving pictures were introduced. Some of the early theatres evolved with the times, adding a movie screen and changing their operations, others closed and were razed in the boom of the building that overtook the borough in the first half of the 20th century. This massive development growth meant the former sleepy rural areas of south Brooklyn were becoming vibrant communities. New movie theatres, often designed by well-known architects, popped up everywhere, offering cheap entertainment (and snacks!) to generations of first dates and family outings. As technology once again evolved in the second half of the 20th century and television allowed for similar entertainment within one's home, theatres suffered. In the financially depressed years of the 1970s, many movie theatres closed or transitioned to more "adult" entertainment. Very few of Brooklyn's early 20th century venues remain operating movie theatres today. Those structures—not an inconsiderable number, particularly in South Brooklyn—that survive have largely been re-purposed as music venues, big-box retailers, churches, and is a popular conversion for these large spaces, as fitness centers and chain pharmacies. If you keep your eyes open, the architectural features of the old Brooklyn theatres occasionally pop out from the streetscapes, hiding behind Rite Aids and Walgreens.

The Gotham Theatre, seen here at the far right, was originally the William Bennett's Casino, an entertainment hall at the corner now referred to as Broadway Junction. After a construction collapse during the initial building phase, the Casino opened in June 1890, only to be destroyed by fire in 1893. Rebuilt and opened in 1896 as the Brooklyn Music Hall, a vaudeville house, the business struggled and closed a few years later. By 1901, the building was the Gotham Theatre and unlike many of the other theatres, it banned smoking in the lobby and the auditorium. It was billed as a family venue with the advertising slogan "Clean Shows in Clean Houses." In the 1920s the venue switched from live shows to silent movies. The silent movie house lasted less than a decade. It attempted to open again with sound films in 1932 but closed in 1934 and was demolished before 1940.

Public School 76 was constructed in 1888 and originally known as the Wynona School before being given the designation as P.S. 76. The primary or elementary school was built with high ceilings and tall windows because, like many of the buildings constructed at the same time, it had no electricity for lights. Electric lights would only be installed in 1925. The school closed in 1979 and the building was damaged by a fire in the early 1980s. For many years it was a neighborhood eyesore and a venue for illicit activities. A local retiree and community board member named George Walker Jr. was a tireless advocate for the community and particularly for the safe and productive reuse of the school site on Wynona Street. After a long process the school building was eventually demolished in 1996 and a park was created and named after Walker who passed away in 1992.

"Gotham Theatre, East New York, Brooklyn, N. Y." Mae West once performed on the stage of the Gotham as part of Hal Clarendon's Stock Theater company.

The building on the far right of this 1922 photograph is the Tyrian Temple. Built between 1905 and 1907, it was the home of Tyrian Lodge #618, an organization of Free Mason. The lodge was established in 1867 and originally met in some rooms on Atlantic Avenue. This sect of the fraternal organization had over 400 members by 1900 and as such this more substantial building was constructed as their headquarters. Pennsylvania Avenue was one of the major thoroughfares in this neighborhood at the turn of the 20th century. It was lined with large, fine homes as well as important civic and social institutions, such as police stations, post offices, banks, and social clubs. The membership of this particular social club was a well-heeled group of doctors, lawyers, businessmen, and real estate developers. The building remained the social club until at least the 1940s, and it maybe have been used as a factory at some point after that. In 1971 the surviving #618 trustees sold the building to the Prince Hall Masons, an African-American Masonic body, which certainly reflected the demographic shift in the neighborhood. Though it still bares the name of that Masonic group, it has been owned by another organization and used as a community center since 2012.

233 New Jersey Avenue Architect unknown 1898 This stately Gothic Revival style church was originally built for the German congregation of St. John’s Evangelical Lutheran Church, which referred to itself as St. Johannes Evangelisch-Lutherische Kirche – a name memorialized in stone at the base of the church’s tower. From its formation in 1847, this German immigrant congregation worshipped in a wooden church building at the corner of New Jersey and Liberty Avenues, making it one of East New York’s earliest institutions. The new church, constructed just south of the original building, was dedicated in 1898. Committed to staying connected to their heritage, the members of the church spoke German and for many years refused to conduct services in English. This was largely in response to the early 20th century trend of German congregations switching to English-speaking services. This eventually led to a schism in the congregation, wherein a group broke off to form the English-speaking Lutheran Church of the Reformation on Barbey Street. By the mid-20th century, most of the German population had moved out of East New York, so in 1972, the parish voted to disband and sold the building to the congregation of Grace Baptist Church of Christ, which continues to worship here. The structure is adjoined by a charming rectory building, faced in the same rough-hewn brick as the church.

This stately Gothic Revival style church was originally built for the German congregation of St. John’s Evangelical Lutheran Church, which referred to itself as St. Johannes EvangelischLutherische Kirche – a name memorialized in stone at the base of the church’s tower. From its formation in 1847, this German immigrant congregation worshipped in a wooden church building at the corner of New Jersey and Liberty Avenues, making it one of East New York’s earliest institutions. The new church, constructed just south of the original building, was dedicated in 1898. Committed to staying connected to their heritage, the members of the church spoke German and for many years refused to conduct services in English. This was largely in response to the early 20th century trend of German congregations switching to English-speaking services. This eventually led to a schism in the congregation, wherein a group broke off to form the English-speaking Lutheran Church of the Reformation on Barbey Street. By the mid-20th century, most of the German population had moved out of East New York, so in 1972, the parish voted to disband and sold the building to the congregation of Grace Baptist Church of Christ, which continues to worship here. The structure is adjoined by a charming rectory building, faced in the same rough-hewn brick as the church.

The Piel Brothers Brewery was founded in 1883 by four brothers. They purchased Landser Brewery and began brewing a German pilsner - which Americans were partial to at the time over heavier English ales. Michael Piel, the brewer of the family, had already made a name for himself in Germany by inventing a centrifuge for processing honey. With a keen eye and a knack for innovation, Michael prompted the family's investment in the brewery in East New York. Its access to the softer waters of Long Island made it a premier location for brewing pilsner beers. Utilizing modern refrigeration to brew their beer, the Piel brothers were wildly successful. Prior to prohibition they hosted various experts and scientists who were interested in Michael's work. The Piel's company eventually expanded to encompass the entire block between Georgia and Sheffield, north of Liberty Avenue. The plant closed in 1973, after Americans began to favor brands stronger flavored beer.

This wood-frame corner building with the eye-catching peaked roofline was the local chapter of the Y.M.C.A. Opened in 1893, this structure served its original function until the late 1920s, when the larger, more modern Y.M.C.A opened on Jamaica Avenue near Highland Park. The building then housed the Polish Democratic Club and later the Polish Falcon Club, a catering hall. The building was demolished in the 1950s following a fire.

St. John's Lutheran Church, ca. 1890. Established in 1847 with the formal name of St. Johannes Evangeliach-Lutheriache Kirche, the first church building was a simple wood chapel on the on the southeast corner of New Jersey and Liberty Avenues. Serving the small but growing population of Germans in East New York, the church was enlarged in 1868 with a bell tower and an extension. The church replaced the wooden chapel with a brick edifice, constructed in 1898 just south on New Jersey Avenue from the original building. The wood-frame church was replaced with a Borden Milk plant.