To keep the people down! From the "FYI" archives at the NYT:
After the Civil War, a number of armories were built around the city to assuage the fears of middle- and upper-class New Yorkers who had seen Civil War draft riots and the Tompkins Square Riots of 1873. A growing immigrant population and a depression begun by the panic of 1873 fueled concern over unrest. Between 1880 and 1913, New York and Brooklyn sponsored the construction of 29 armories, including the Bedford-Atlantic Armory, built for the 23rd Regiment in Brooklyn.
Squadron A Armory
The armory was designed by Isaac G. Perry, chief architect of the State Capitol in Albany. Construction began in 1889 and was completed in 1902 on a building whose 50,000-square-foot drill hall provided open space for training recruits. The vast space also allowed for functions like dances and dog shows.
The five-story armory, though owned by the state, is operated by the city, which made it a homeless shelter in 1982.
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| Bedford-Atlantic Armory (l), Amsterdam Castle (r) |
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| 14th Regiment Armory |
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| 7th Regiment Armory |
