The Bossert Hotel The third major addition to the Bethel complex is the 12-story Bossert Hotel on Montague Street, less than a five-minute walk from the Standish. Originally opened in 1909 with 200 rooms, it was reputed to be the finest hotel in Brooklyn. The general style of architecture was 15th-century Italian Renaissance.

In 1914 another 175 rooms were added, and two years later a rooftop restaurant was added that resembled a promenade deck of a private yacht. “Nowhere in the city was there anything to equal it for scenic delight,” reported the Brooklyn Daily Eagle in 1949. “Top figures in public life, the theater and sports world came to the Marine Roof.” Diners, as well as residents on the higher floors, enjoyed a sweeping view of New York harbor, Governor’s Island, the Statue of Liberty, the Jersey shore, and the lower end of Manhattan.

Eventually, the once gorgeous hotel was reduced to a sad condition by age and neglect. Cohi Towers Associates purchased it in 1983, and a massive rehabilitation project was begun. The Watchtower Society then purchased the Bossert in 1988. It now accommodates about 270 family members, while 40 or so of the original tenants also live there.

The restoration work entailed replacing all doors and windows and the entire plumbing, heating, and electrical systems. A new service elevator was also installed, and presently two of the three original elevators are being renovated. The ballrooms were converted into three spacious dining rooms, and the kitchen in the basement was completely gutted, rebuilt, and fitted with modern equipment. The rooms throughout the hotel were refurbished. Also, the lobby was restored in keeping with its special character, which included repairing the damaged marblelike columns by a process that has generally become a lost art.

On the outside, the entire building was cleaned, masonry was repaired, and large portions of ornamental stonework were rebuilt. Participating in the cleaning, repair, and restoration work were hundreds of volunteer workers from all over the United States. These donated their time and talents for a week or more at a time. A crew of 39 young women, Witnesses, seen here on the Bossert roof, worked for months on scaffolds, repairing the outside masonry of the hotel.

Opposite page: the Bossert Hotel and its lobby

[Pictures on page 26]

Volunteer workers who repaired the outside masonry of the Bossert Hotel