This building was originally constructed as the Union Methodist Episcopal Church in 1900, replacing the previous Leonard Street Methodist Episcopal Church. Union M.E. was the result of the merger of three local Methodist Episcopal churches - Leonard Street M.E. Church (founded in 1870), Powers Street M.E. Church and Gothic M.E. Church (founded circa 1835). Powers and Gothic merged in 1895 or so; three years later Powers and Leonard merged to form the Union M.E. Church.
In 1898, there was an alternate proposal for a brick church, designed by Mercein Thomas and John E. Ritchie. It is not clear why this design was abandoned in favor of the wood structure, though cost was surely a factor. The Thomas-Ritchie design appears to have been put forward by the congregation itself; the wood-frame structure built in 1900 was funded largely by the Brooklyn Church Society, which contributed all but $4,000 of the $20,000 cost of construction.
The congregation sold the building in 1925 due to dwindling enrollment. From 1925 to about 1950 it operated as Tromba's Hall, an event space. Based on the history of COs, it looks as though Tromba Hall was demolished in 1950.
88 Conselyea Street
Brooklyn, NY 11211
United States