Day 1258

Fox Hall

June 10th, 2015



This building, the former Denison-White Mansion, was erected around 1850 by Charles Denison, a Manhattan merchant. It stood on the grounds of his estate, Longwood Park, which was later purchased by his son-in-law, Samuel B. White.

The mansion's residential days, and the area's rural character, came to an end around the turn of the 20th century, when George F. Johnson set up his real estate office in the building and began developing what is now the Longwood Historic District. By 1901, with an extension built onto its south side, the mansion had been redesigned as a clubhouse for the new development. Known as the Longwood Club, it contained "bowling alleys and billiard and reading rooms". The Unity Club and the Martinique Club were later occupants of the building, which would also go on to serve as a Juvenile Service League center and a Police Athletic League facility.

Following a lengthy period of abandonment, the building was in pretty bad shape when a pair of housing non-profits began an extensive restoration/reconstruction effort in 2006 or 2007. (It looks like two exterior walls may be the only surviving pieces of the old structure.) Now called Fox Hall, the building is "the main activity hub and community gathering space at the heart of" Cedars, a 95-unit affordable housing development for low-income and formerly homeless seniors and grandfamilies (grandparents raising their grandchildren).


Leave a Reply