Abandoned Brooklyn jumping jack station

(Coal pump house)

The atmosphere of this abandoned pump house is extremely Gothic due to the fact of this being an abandoned dark and decrepit industrial site. When inside you get this unshakable sublime feeling with all this heavy rusty sharp dangerous machinery all around you and above your head. All while standing on piles of decades old coal while exposed to all of the elements of the outside world. Especially, while walking on wobbly rusty metal walkway suspended two stories in the air.

It’s dark and spooky with all the rusty and heavy machinery all over the place. On one hand you feel like a tiny pawn in the whole factory. On the other hand, you feel like such an advanced human being because you feel as if you are so much more advanced than the previous past human beings that were reduced to using coal for electricity. And thus relates to Frankenstein, for Victor Frankenstein tries to surpass the old with the new, trying to create progress for humanity in his own egotistical way.

Lowest accessible area of the pump house is the basement. Nearly all of the basement is submerged under this foggy unclear contaminated water. its a bit nightmarish to an extent which relates to the Gothic feature of anxiety. the anxieties being dirty for some or for others the anxiety of fear of drowning.

There is an isolated boxed in car for no apparent reason on the first floor, which was used as a chop-shop after the coal house was shutdown. This is post-apocalyptic looking, to an extent and thus brings a fear of immersing ones-self to an unknown environment, where anything can happen. There is no opening for the remains of the car to get out and thus invokes the fear of claustrophobia or of being trapped. plus, a more recent picture of the entombed car.

The center main piece of resistance of the whole pump house is a part which resembles a man doing a jumping jack. which brings the sublime into mind for it resembles a man and yet its not a man, but brings a familiar image of a man doing jumping jacks. Another thing to note is that the jumping-jack figure makes people feel inferior and small.

These are some of the decayed, rusted, broken stairs which lead upstairs to more ruins of the abandoned jumping jack station. Another thing to note, is that many of the things in this jumping-jack station are falling apart. Much like Victor Frankenstein throughout the whole story. An example of this, is as soon as the monster was created and brought to life by Frankenstein. The monster decides its creator is its enemy, but that’s not where everything starts to go downhill. It’s when the monster kill Victor’s younger brother, William Frankenstein, that everything starts to go down crashing. For Victor did not intend this to happen, much like how the building is falling apart. chapter 16(pg. 153) is where the murder is committed and starts the unraveling of many events that eventually lead to Frankenstein going insane for revenge.

This is the doorway leading to locker room/bathroom…

Locker room/Bathroom covered in graffiti, desecrated and lockers are piled on one another as well. And well it brought light on a thought of the queer that lies within the Gothic genre. So, men worked in these places up until 1963. This invokes the idea of homosexuality.

This is a pile of forgotten, smashed-up coal in front of a giant metal container, but this coal is not only here, it’s everywhere!

Broken dial left in ruins after the abandonment of the factory

This is that window we saw cemented up from the outside.

The inside from the window

These are the another set of decayed, rusted, broken stairs which lead upstairs to more ruins of the abandoned jumping jack station. It looks desecrated and destroyed as if someone or a bunch of people tried to disrespect the place or just didn’t care anymore about it. Forgotten and falling apart. To be forgotten is another strong fear that exists within many people. For certain people seek recognition and to be remembered. One such example of this was Victor Frankenstein. In chapter 2(pg.39), Victor states, “Wealth was an inferior object, but what glory would attend to the discovery if I could banish disease from human frame and render man invulnerable to any but a violent death!”, which therefore shows he would rather have glory or in other words, be remembered and be recognized by his peers (the rest of humanity), than to be wealthy and thus, does not want to be forgotten.

Another metallic container… its strange to be in here.

Picture of inside the building itself as proof.

Area that is only accessible from a rooftop box like room, where coal was stored in piles up still to this very day. And also invokes a fear of heights and even a fear of falling from that height.

Picture from the outside…

Another picture of the top from below

 
We were in the industrial side of Brooklyn. Although the buildings around it looked very abandoned. We believe some of these place were still active, well at least some to an extent. while others looked

somewhat abandoned by tragedy. a perfect example is a cafe or restaurant that we had seen nearby…

Another place was what we now know as “The Abandoned Grain Factory”…

This abandoned grain factory reminded us to an extent of a prison or a citadel. And the atmosphere of entrapment is strong near this factory. For you even see a gate and a wall as shown and even seems hard to get in or even out to an extent much like a real prison. It even looks like a ship crashed on the side of it or  a part of the structure fell off over time.

Brief Information

From the mid-1800s into the 1980s Hell’s Kitchen was a tough neighborhood filled with violence and gangs. Most people in Hell’s Kitchen lived in tenements and during the early 1900s people’s tenements were packed, which resulted in the youth to roam the streets then later create gangs. Not only was the neighborhood had roaming gangs it also had roaming prostitutes. The block of West 39^th Street between 10^th and 11^th Avenue was considered Battle Row because of all the fights that took place here. 11^th Avenue was called Death Avenue because of all the deaths caused from train accidents; the trains rode in the middle of the streets without any warnings to pedestrians. Hell’s Kitchen was a playground for mobs in the 1980s. They controlled the streets with murder, theft, drugs and all sorts of destruction. Throughout Hell’s Kitchen history there was violence and mayhem.

How Hells Kitchen Got its Name

There are many theories on how Hell’s Kitchen got its name, one of them being it was named after a building and another being it was adopted from the similar violent and deprived part of London. Which makes the most sense because Hell’s Kitchen was the slum.

“As the cab drew up before the address indicated, the fog lifted a little and showed him a dingy street, a gin palace, a low French eating house, a shop for the retail of penny numbers and two penny salads, many ragged children huddled in the doorways, and many women of many different nationalities passing out, key in hand, to have a morning glass; and the next moment the fog settled down again upon that part, as brown as umber, and cut him off from his blackguardly surroundings.”

A Quote from the Strange case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. It describes how the slums look and it questions who would want to live there. Most people that live there had no choice. Just like the streets of Hells Kitchen

Gangs of Hells Kitchen

Throughout 19^th century, Hell’s Kitchen got its tough reputation as being one of the most violent neighborhoods in New York. With gangs such as The Hell’s Kitchen Gang, the Gorillas, the Parlor Mob, the Gophers, and The Westies. Had led the neighborhood to be known for its murder site. This all started in 1851, when the Hudson River Railroad opened a station at West 30th Street, soon after the development of the railway, factories, lumberyards, slaughterhouses and tenements were homes to numerous immigrant workers. They lived in penury and close quarters bred existed between neighbors, and rampage erupted between the Irish Catholics and Protestants as well as between the Irish and African-Americans. Furthermore, gangs such as the Gophers and later the Westies ruled the streets of Hell’s Kitchen.

The Westies who were known as the Lords of Hell’s Kitchen, were consider to be the most savage organizations in the history of New York gangs. The gang is accused of a criminal enterprise involving eight murders and dozens of other cases of attempted murder, kidnapping, loan-sharking, extortion, gambling and drug dealing. And responsible for more than 30 murders during the last 15 years. ”This is the most violent gang we’ve seen,” states Michael Cherkasky, the head of the Rackets Bureau of the Manhattan District Attorney’s office. Unfortunately, the gangs start to break off in 1986 when Francis T. Featherstone known as ‘Mickey’, the Westies’ fearsome enforcer, decided to become a singer. Federal and state prosecutors had already been investigating the Westies, when Featherstone was convicted of the 1985 gangland-style execution of Michael Holly, a construction worker. Francis T. Featherstone, 38-year-old, had been charged with at least three other murders during the previous 17 years, yet was not pled guilty. Suddenly, the Westies appear to be collapsing under the weight of a series of anger and hatred towards Featherstone. Working with information that was provided by Featherstone, the District Attorney’s office has indicted members of the gang on charges of killing Holly. The gang’s leader and its gang members were charged with murder. Over the last decade, the Westies had an alliance with Gambino family of the Mafia. During that time, officials charge, gang members to help the executions of the Gambinos, and shared in profits from the mob’s traditional control over New York’s docks. This led the Westies to cease on the streets of the West Side. Surprisingly, Joseph Coffey, principal investigator with New York State’s Organized Crime Task Force states ”has pretty much taken the heart out of the Westies.”

Hell’s Kitchen has change a lot thought out the years.  Now the area bounded by 42d and 59th Streets, Eighth Avenue and the Hudson River is known as Clinton and Midtown West. The Irish bars are replaced by French bistros and the tenements are now co-op. Walking through Hell’s Kitchen today, it’s hard to visualize how it was in the 19th century, consisting of bars and fancy restaurants. It was a home to the gangs, and a murder site. Even though, the Westie cease from Hell’s Kitchen, eventually there still lies generation of criminal violence.

The Holy Cross Church

The Holy Cross church is a Roman catholic church located in 329 west 42nd St. It is located in a neighborhood called “Hell’s Kitchen”. How ironic is that?! The church was established in 1852 and unfortunately, a lightning struck it, resulting in a severe fire that damaged this establishment. Luckily, Henry Engelbert designed the new and improved church and completed his masterpiece in 1870. This church is known as one of the oldest buildings in 42nd St. The church is made out of red bricks and terra-cotta facade which descents from a Romanesque revival style. Louis Tiffany designed the stained glass of the clerestory and came up with the idea of a dome-shape ceiling upon the sanctuary. This style was and still is very popular in most of Western Europe.

The Church’s Gothic Elements

The church is made out of Georgian and Byzantine architecture, which the style is symmetric and proportionate based like those of Greek and Roman churches.Which influences the Gothic style architecture. The Byzantine architecture is most commonly seen in religious institutions. This style peaked in the 19th century and incorporates elements of Eastern & Orthodox Christian architecture.

The Church has pointed arches on the Exterior of the church. The pointed arches is at the center of the church. From the doorway and a huge window above it. Which viewers from far can see and it gives attention to enter.

Another elements on the exterior of the church is pointed towers on the top of the church which gives it a gothic feel

The interior contains some vaulted ceiling. The vaulted ceiling is shown on both sides of the church which they parallel each other.

The Supernatural 

In 1860, a bar named the Landmark Tavern opened in Hells Kitchen. It was built on the waterfront to cater dockworkers and seaman. But in the 1980’s, the bar became a favorite among a violent Irish gang called the Westies. But now the bar is a hangout for tourist and locals. But not only do people hangout in this bar but also something else lingers in the Landmark Tavern, which are at least three ghosts.

1936

One of the spirits is a man named George Raft. Who is an actor who portrays gangster roles in films. He is claimed as “the Hollywood tough guy who grew up in hell’s kitchen” His spirit haunts the bar along side a confederate civil war veteran who was knifed or shot in a bar fight. It was said that after the fight he staggered up to the second floor, knocked over books on the shelf and died inside the bathtub. Which still remains.

Lastly the spirit of an Irish immigrant girl lingers in the 3^rd floor. She died in her bed from a typhoid fever in the 19^th century. She wanders up and down the halls in the Tavern.

Gothic Elements

There are many elements in Hells Kitchen that makes it gothic such as the gothic forms of the architecture that is displayed on the exterior and interior of the Holy Cross Church.

Also  the very unsettling things that have happened throughout the history of Hells Kitchen. Like the darkness within the gang activity that has happened in the neighborhood. The crimes  and the murders, which causes humans fears.

The supernatural in the bar which also causes human fears. The bar itself is dull which gives the sense of creepiness. The fact that people have died in the bar and still haunts. wandering from floor to floor, which is unsettling. All these things is what makes Hells Kitchen truly gothic.

A Gothic Guide to brooklyn

St. James Cathedral located on 250 Cathedral place was the spot of our Gothic space in Brooklyn.

By: Brandon Dingle, Jaquasia Allende, and Francheska Benitez

St. James Cathedral is a roman catholic church located in Brooklyn, New York on Jay Street and Cathedral Place.

• It was built in 1822 and designed by George H. Streeton, in the Neo-Georgian style.
• Noe-Georgian is the name given in most English-speaking countries to the set of architectural styles between 1714 and 1830.
• St. James also known as St. James the Great is the son of Zebedee and Salome. Also the brother to St. John the Evangelist. He was one of the disciples of Jesus.
• He called himself St. James “the great” to distinguish himself from the others who were also named James.
• The first bishop of St. James Cathedral was John Loughlin.
• The first church was built between 1822-1823 in the fort Greene area of Brooklyn.
• Before construction was stopped due to lack of funds, there were walls built from 10 to 20 feet.
• It was the third church in New York City and the sixth Roman Catholic Church in New York State.
• In 1823, the site of the first catholic cemetery was established and between 1823-1849 there were 7,000 burials of clergy.
• Today the cemetery is still preserved and reserved as an urban oasis for prayer and reflection.

The entrance to this building is tall and the building is also wide. This building also has emphasis on decorative and ornate style. The building stands by itself on 250 cathedral place. And it is also one of the oldest buildings to be standing in the downtown Brooklyn area. It has the appearance of a castle with the high point at the top of the building. Walking up to this building at night gave off the feel that Mr. Utterson got when going to visit Mr. Hyde’s residence for the first. This building sits by itself on its own block with not much traffic going in and out the streets of the block. Walking to this church at night can give off a gothic atmosphere that will remind you of Jekyll and Hyde.

St. James cathedral is very bright and spacious. The bright tinted windows allow for light to come in so that you are able to make out their distinct design. The high ceilings and designs give off a powerful grandeur or majestic look. It can make you feel like you’ve stepped into a castle. The church also has a flying-buttress design that gives it more of a gothic feel and atmosphere.

The entrance door has ornate designs. Ornate design means heavily decorated and can be found scattered throughout the church. The huge and heavy wooden doors make it much harder to open the door. The designs on the door are different and no one was able to give much explanation on why the design in the door were chosen.

This one of the most interesting and gothic parts of the church. The chipped paint and broken cross gives off an eerie feeling. The inscription on the cross is written in Latin and no one could translate what the saying was. Also having a broken cross hanging in a church can give off a gothic feeling, not knowing why it is there and what it stands for is something interesting.

Once inside the building there was a small hallway that has a various amount of plaques and sayings from different people. But the one thing that stood out to us was the wall that was chipping. Behind the all we saw this wallpaper which was surprising to us because the words were hard to make out and the letters around the saying was a language that the church had stopped using many years ago.

At first glance this picture may seem like it is not gothic but after looking at it deeper I realized that the angel was holding an arrow and another object in its hand which was gothic to me because why would an angel need weapons and who or what would it be used on.

This was the most Gothic part about the cathedral to me because it was an element that was similar to The Castle of Otranto. These two sets of staircases lead to parts of the church that we weren’t allowed into. The set of staircases leading upstairs we were not allowed into, and also after going down 2 flights of stairs I came across this door that was locked and dark on the other side. This reminded me of the scene in Otranto where the damsel in distress was escaping danger and ended up finding a trap door that lead into a chapel that was deep below the castle. We may never know where this door leads, but it gives off that Gothic atmosphere they we have read in previous novels.

The Harlem Courthouse: The Oldest Jail Structure Still Standing in New York City

Location: 170 E 121st St, New York, NY 10035

What It’s Used For Today:

The Harlem Courthouse today is no longer being used as a courthouse where real criminals would get sentenced to jail and get put into a cell. Now the courthouse is being used for something educational and fun. They have turned it into a Youth Court which helps teenagers how to become  jurors, judges and advocates. They do this by using real life cases but their peers are the ones that are being judged.

History of the Harlem Courthouse:

The Harlem Courthouse, located at the corner of East 121st Street and Sylvan Place, is one of the oldest buildings that you can find in East Harlem.The Harlem Courthouse previously built for the police and district courts but is not used by other city agents. The building included the Fifth District Prison which was a jail with temporary holding cells. The court ended in 1961 in the reorganization of the state court system.

• The building was designated as a New York City landmark in 1967
• was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.
• was built in 1891-93 and was designed by Thom and Wilson in the Romanesque Revival style.

Theoretical Concepts:

The Harlem Courthouse really has a sublime feel to it. For example in this photo you can see that the stairs have a odd shape compared to normal stairs you usually see.

These stairs in the building caught all of our attention. We all thought they were really cool but at same time it made us feel uneasy because of how how it goes, and how it spirals.

Gothic Elements in Architecture:

Let’s take a look at the Harlem Courthouse. In person, what first caught our eye was how tall it was!

When it comes to Gothic Architecture, when a building was very tall, it signified it was a reach towards the heaven. It was rather tall, similar to the castle that Count Dracula had owned in the novel Dracula

Adding to its height is it presence or vibe. The color of the building was a rather fiery red. Red represents both fire and love. Red can be characterized as a very emotional color, and the design of the building does show off the color vibe.

As for the layout of the building, we saw an enclosed gate. The first thing that came into mind was a prison cell, of how trapped or enclosed something can be.

As we take a look at the side of the building, we can see weeds growing on the side. This signifies age and goes to show that the building is far from new and has been around for many years.

Moving on to the windows, they are not your average square four sided windows. In some areas of the building, we see a style of windows that isn’t common. It is rather a rectangle with a semicircle at the tip

We also see a sort of clock at the very top of the building, which back then was a common way of being able to tell the time without the use of any electronics. It is also inscribed with roman numerals, from one to twelve, which was very common in the old age.

The Atmosphere of The Harlem Courthouse:

The atmosphere that the Harlem Courthouse creates is a bit gloomy and dark, especially when you know that the place was once used for imprisonment more than half a century ago. The exterior and interior design of the building also has gothic elements. The windows limited the amount of light that entered the cells, even during the daytime.

The courthouse stands out from its surrounding buildings, it’s like looking into the past in contrast to the more modern looking buildings around it. Its Pinnacles and steep gables are also elements of the Victorian Gothic that makes it stick out.

Book Quotes:

-“It was a fantastic chateau, much dilapidated, and indeed scarcely tenantable through age and neglect.” – The System of Dr. Tarr and Prof. Fether

This Courthouse looks like a miniature chateau or a castle. There are signs of age on the walls of the castle but it still manages to be visually appealing.

These Are Some Extra Photos:

By: Jorge, Marvi, Kevin, Mohammed.

Welcome to Trinity Church, Cemetery & Mausoleum!

Atmosphere

Brief Information and History

The main Trinity Church cathedral is located on Wall Street near the world trade center. Trinity church owns other locations under its branch, therefore there is a huge array of locations tourists can visit to view Gothic architecture. Trinity owns four different buildings, Trinity Church, St. Paul’s Chapel, Trinity Preschool, and Trinity cemetery.

–          The first Trinity Church opened in 1698 and was very successful, which was

             burned down in a great fire in 1776.

–          St Paul’s Chapel was opened on Broadway in 1789

–          Trinity Church was rebuilt in 1790

–          They added a Cemetery on Broadway around 1843

–          Trinity Preschool opened its doors on 1982

–          After the 9/11 attack Trinity church was the ONLY building to remain standing

 Trinity Church  and Trinity Cemetery are the main Gothic components which have been researched. These specific locations perfectly captured the Gothic style in its architecture all throughout its premises.

           Trinity Church                                                      Trinity Cemetery

The overall feeling of the area was gloomy. Upon realizing there was a fire that took place in the location immediately changes the atmosphere to a rather heavy one. There are many well-known ghost stories amongst residents, which claim the location is haunted. This adds a certain type of darkness to the ambient. There are also subterranean passages within the cemetery.

Gothic Elements in Architecture

Trinity Church–

It stands very tall, even amongst neighboring buildings. Trinity church sticks out like a sore thumb amongst nearby buildings because they are all flattened at the top but Trinity church has a pointed roof. This is because of the idea that those who practiced such religions could “reach the heavens” using the church as a forum.

A flying buttress can also be found near the sides of the cathedral. The buttress serves as a mechanism which can evenly distribute the weight of the cathedral. This was to preserve resources at a time when resources were scarce (and to test new theories with physical elements).

There are many pointed arches throughout the cathedral. When entering the church you can find small pointed arches leading to many different rooms. The tallest pointed arches are located in the middle of the church, they stand higher and wider than any of the others. This was used to maximize space and to create aw for those who entered.

In the very center of the cathedral, everything was enlarged in comparison to the previous rooms. Vaulted Ceilings can only be found in this specific place. It is most likely used as a more modern form of weight distribution with little materials being used (also to ward out weather).

Analysis of Trinity Church– The architecture plays a fundamental role on the emotions felt by its visitors. All the enormous elements makes one feel very small. Holding its enormous height makes one feel minuscule while viewing all of the detailed work. Having pointed features all throughout the church gives a feeling of danger. Having vaulted ceilings leaves one in awe. Here one can find the concept of the sublime. All of the dark features leaves one feeling fear, while having certain airy features that leaves one mesmerized. The positioning of a cemetery directly next to the church also reminds someone of their mortality. A building that preaches to its people about everlasting life also reminds its visitors about how close death really is. 

Trinity Cemetery

Within trinity cemetery, there are many mausoleums and tombstones decorated with gargoyles and other dark creatures.

There were also passageways that were below street level.

Another unsettling element was the natural decomposition of the actual cemetery. It is seen here how nature took its toll on the cemetery. These tombstones had been there for so long that they had broken down due to harsh weather conditions. Because of this, most stones were not able to stand o their own and because of this, they would snap off like twigs.

Analysis of Trinity Cemetery

Trinity cemetery was a hidden gem that shrouds itself in darkness all over Manhattan. From the cemetery filled with mausoleums and graves in Harlem to the rebuilt church on wall street, this spaced out area is the epitome of the gothic. It naturally brings fear into the hearts and minds of those who stop in an attempt to admire the detailing of this fine establishment. Those who walk passed the gates entered a trance, and were captivated by the eerie sight. This structure is the perfect example of the sublime which we have experienced. Those who were lucky enough to catch the sight of the cemetery were forced to experience all kinds of emotions once they caught its eye. It was a special face that personified itself as someone who demands attention. It’s subterranean passageway gave a feeling of entrapment throughout the church. There were a series of mazes and many stairs as well that lead in many different directions where one could really get lost. It was the perfect place to visit.

Connections between Trinity Church and The Castle of Otranto

•  “Rita tells… she saw a ghost several times. It was almost as a shadow, wearing what appeared to be 19th century clothing” (Trinity News Article)
•  “Unable to keep his eyes from the picture, which began to move, had, however, advanced some steps after her, still looking backwards on the portrait, when he saw it quit its panel, and descend on the floor, with a grave and melancholy air ” (Walpole 34). 
•  “The lower part of the castle was hollowed into several intricate cloisters… An awful silence reigned throughout those subterraneous regions, except, now and then, some blasts of wind that shook the doors she had passed, and which, grating on the rusty hinges, were re-echoed through that long labyrinth of darkness ” (Walpole 35).
  The church can be compared to a castle in multiple ways. It is very dark, silent, and includes a massive structure with extra space. This provides a sense of emptiness which extracts loud echoes. Both castles and churches are extremely mysterious, and show many signs of haunting which appear to be evident. The Castle of Otranto demonstrates many supernatural occurrences, and based on its history this is very similar to what has happened in Trinity Church. This abnormal phenomena plays a big role in its atmosphere. The atmosphere of the church has becomes very gloomy, unearthly, and unknowable, based on these occurrences.

Additional Content 

By: Elizabeth Farrugia, Nickoline Djonovic, Carmen Hilario