What Are Those Rusted Metal Ladders in Brooklyn Backyards?

Image
I was taking a walk down my residential street recently when a flash of weathered iron caught my eye. Poking up above a neighbor's inner backyard was a tall, rusted metal ladder. It stood upright, narrow and tall, reaching straight toward the sky. I stopped in my tracks to look at it. To anyone else passing by, it probably looked like a piece of industrial scrap left behind by a careless contractor. But I recognized it immediately. Growing up, we had the same rusted tower planted in our backyard. It stood two feet away from the exterior wall of the house like an unmovable monument. Through decades of changing seasons and vicious winds, it never leaned an inch. My parents never made any attempt to dismantle it or repaint it, even as thick flakes of orange rust gathered along its frame. Back then, whenever I looked out from our second-floor window, I would scan the neighboring lots. None of the other yards on our street had one. Down the enti...
Post a Comment

Honoring Dr. King's Legacy: New House Museum in Camden

 

These photos were taken in December 2017 before the March 2023 fire damaged the historical building. 



In Camden, New Jersey centered around the charred remains of a once boarded-up house on Walnut Street. This isn't just any building; it's where Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., an emblematic figure of the civil rights movement, once lived and learned, shaping his philosophy of peaceful protest. The story of this house, and the efforts to preserve its legacy, reflects a broader narrative of struggle and hope that resonates deeply in the community.


Pastor Amir Khan of New Beginnings Behavioral Health has been at the forefront of these efforts. Despite the setback of a devastating arson attack in March 2023, which left the historic site in ruins, Pastor Khan's vision remains undeterred. He envisions a new beginning for this site, proposing to erect a 10,000-square-foot museum that not only commemorates Dr. King's legacy but also serves as a beacon of learning and inspiration for future generations.


The proposed museum, inspired by the Atlanta King Center, aims to incorporate the adjacent vacant lot, transforming the space into a comprehensive tribute to King’s early and formative years.


From 1948 to 1951, Dr. King split his time between the Crozer Theological Seminary in Pennsylvania and Camden. It was here, in this unassuming New Jersey community, that he engaged in what would be one of his first acts of civil rights protest. On June 11, 1950, Dr. King and several companions walked into Mary’s Cafe on Route 73 in Maple Shade. They ordered ginger ales, fully aware of the hostile reception that awaited them.










The response was chilling. The cafe owner not only refused service but brandished a revolver, firing a shot into the air outside in a blatant threat to their lives. Undeterred, Dr. King took a stand that would hallmark his approach to civil rights: he filed a police report, leading to the owner being charged with disorderly conduct and a violation of New Jersey's 1945 civil rights law, which prohibits refusal of service based on race.


This incident at Mary’s Cafe is not merely a footnote in history; it represents the embryonic stage of Dr. King’s journey toward nonviolent protest and legal action—a dual approach that would define his leadership in the civil rights movement. The cafe was demolished in 2011, but a sign and a historical marker were installed in 2018 to ensure that this pivotal moment is not forgotten.


The efforts to memorialize Dr. King's time in Camden and his early activism are ongoing with the project but a lack of funding has become a focal concern in building out that dream. You can find more information or donate to this historic cause at the MLK Camden House.







Sources:



1. Brooks, B. (2023, March 12). Owner of Martin Luther King Jr. house that burned in Camden vows to rebuild. WHYY PBS.

2. Marshall, N. (2024, January 15). Martin Luther King Jr. lived in this burned-out N.J. house. Can it be saved?. NJ.com

3. News 12 Staff. (2024, January 14). Effort underway to turn MLK's former Camden home into museum that honors his legacy. news 12.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Inside the Abandoned Albany Central Warehouse: A Forgotten NY Industrial Giant (Photos)

Image
In the heart of Albany, nestled amidst the echoes of its bustling past, lies an abandoned warehouse, a treasure trove of stories untold until now. This isn't just any derelict structure; it's the cornerstone of my urban exploration journey, the first of many, but forever the one that initiated me into the world of forgotten spaces. Let's call it the ultimate introduction, the genesis of a passion that has since defined my adventures. Our story begins on a crisp, cold morning that promises adventure. I vividly remember the excitement bubbling up as I set off to pick up my companion, referred to here as "A," from Queens. The journey from the familiar streets of our neighborhood to the unknown mysteries of Albany stretched over three hours, a pilgrimage to our very own urban Mecca. We arrived ahead of schedule, anticipation building as we waited in the chilling embrace of dawn, our breaths visible in the air, our spirits undeterred. Our early morning venture led us t...
Read more: Inside the Abandoned Albany Central Warehouse: A Forgotten NY Industrial Giant (Photos)

Kings Park Psychiatric Center: The Abandoned Long Island Asylum

Image
Kings Park and the Education of an Explorer Every pursuit has a place where beginners go first. Skateboarders have their parking lots and curbs. Climbers have their local crags. And if you are just finding your way into the world of urban exploration on Long Island, sooner or later someone points you toward Kings Park. The former Kings Park Psychiatric Center has become, over the years, something like a finishing school for people who don't yet know they're enrolled. Getting onto the grounds is straightforward. Finding a way inside the remaining buildings, if you know where to look, is not much harder. Which is exactly why the Parks Police have written thousands of trespassing tickets here in a single calendar year, why security visibly tightens every Halloween, and why local photography groups have been known to show up with large, enthusiastic crowds of people who want to take what they call "creepy" photos of old hospital asylums. The place attracts everyone, which...
Read more: Kings Park Psychiatric Center: The Abandoned Long Island Asylum

Crown Heights' 73-99 Empire Boulevard Erased for Luxury Housing

Image
Photo courtesy of NYC Municipal Services / 1940s.nyc From Mack Trucks to Apartments: A Century on Empire Boulevard For most of the twentieth century, the block at 73-99 Empire Boulevard in Crown Heights handled the heavy work of the city. Trucks came in for service. Tires were swapped out. Parts were stocked and sold. The buildings on this stretch of Brooklyn were built for vehicles, and for about sixty years, that's exactly what they served. The site directly neighbors the much taller Ebbets Field Apartment complex, which is the housing that replaced the ballpark. By 2025, both were rubble. By September 2026, the foundation of a 13-story apartment building was going in. A hundred years of industrial and automotive history on a single block, cleared in a matter of months. The main building at 73-99 Empire Boulevard went up in 1925 and opened as a Mack Truck auto service facility. At 29,000 square feet, it was built for the scale of commerc...
Read more: Crown Heights' 73-99 Empire Boulevard Erased for Luxury Housing

Inside the Abandoned St. Michael and St. Edward Church in Brooklyn

Image
For weeks, I had been orbiting the perimeter of the impending demolition of the Church of St. Michael and St. Edward, a once revered church in the heart of Fort Greene, like a moth drawn to a flame. The neighborhood, a patchwork of tight project housing, seemed indifferent to the fate of this historic edifice. The intel I had received suggested that entry was as simple as scaling a wooden fence, yet the timing had never felt right. Until one day, it did. With a mission in New Jersey looming, I knew it was now or never. The demolition was advancing at a startling pace, the church's twin steeples already reduced to rubble. The skeletal remains of timber beams and rusted steel frames peeked out from the ruins, a testament to the relentless march of progress. Summoning a surge of courage, I seized a moment of quiet in the bustling housing project and vaulted over the fence. My heart pounded in my chest as I slipped unnoticed into the church grounds. The once grand entrance now stood as...
Read more: Inside the Abandoned St. Michael and St. Edward Church in Brooklyn

Former H. J. Mills Paper Box Company

Image
The Box Man's Legacy: How H. J. Mills Went from Match Boxes to a Parking Lot There is a community parking lot in downtown Bristol, Connecticut, that does not look like much. Cars pull in, cars pull out. The lot sits in the middle of the business district, unremarkable by any measure, crossed underneath by a culverted stream called Ivy Brook that runs east to west beneath the pavement. For twenty-three years before the asphalt went down, this ground held a burned ruin, then a vacant lot, then weeds so thick and deep that homeless people took shelter in them. Before any of that, for 120 years, it held a factory. The man who built that factory also ran a newspaper, served in the state legislature, belonged to the Masons, the Knights of Pythias, the Bristol Lodge of Elks, and the Hartford Gun Club, and died in 1933, leaving behind a house that still stands on Summer Street. His name was Herbert J. Mills. His company made cardboard boxes. And al...
Read more: Former H. J. Mills Paper Box Company