Discovering the Layers of History at St. Ann’s School in Brooklyn Heights

Walk around Brooklyn Heights, and you’ll find stories carved into the brownstone. Some buildings carry layers of history—athletic glory, elite social clubs, quiet memorials, and artistic rebellion. That’s exactly what you’ll find at the corner of Pierrepont and Clinton Streets, home to what is now St. Ann’s School—but once a crown jewel of Gilded Age Brooklyn.

Let’s step back into a time when top hats and gym bags were a natural pairing.

The Rise of the Crescent Athletic Club

In 1884, a group of Yale alumni living in Brooklyn decided they wanted to keep their school spirit alive—and maybe relive a few glory days. So, they formed a football team. But the Crescent Athletic Club quickly became much more than a sports squad. It evolved into a full-fledged social and athletic club, complete with status, spectacle, and serious square footage.

Crescent Athletic Club - Football Team

By 1906, the Crescent Club opened its lavish city clubhouse in Brooklyn Heights. Designed by famed architect Frank Freeman, the building stood as a Romanesque Revival masterpiece—bold, fortress-like, and fitting for a place built on competition and community. It wasn’t just a gym. It was a playground for Brooklyn’s upper crust.

Inside, members could swim laps in an indoor pool, challenge each other on the squash court, lift weights in the gym, unwind in the library, host guests in formal dining rooms, and even stay overnight. It was all about elegance, camaraderie, and a little flexing—both physical and social.

The fun didn’t stop in Brooklyn Heights. The Crescent Club also operated a sprawling country clubhouse in Bay Ridge with expansive athletic grounds. That’s where they launched a tennis tournament that would later evolve into the Davis Cup, which remains one of the most prestigious international tennis competitions to this day.

Bankruptcy, Bowling, and the 1950s

But, as history so often reminds us, empires rise and fall.

The Great Depression hit hard. By 1939, the Crescent Athletic Club couldn’t keep up with the changing economy—or changing social habits. Membership dropped, revenue dried up, and the club declared bankruptcy. The once-grand clubhouse entered its next phase: office space.

Still, the building didn’t lose all its spirit. In the 1950s, the basement got a second life as the Crescent Bowling Lanes Bar and Grill, turning what had once been a private luxury into a neighborhood hotspot. Brooklynites came for the pins and stayed for the pints. Neon signs and clinking beer glasses replaced the refined murmurs of club dinners, but the sense of community—albeit a different one—remained.

If you walk past the building today and imagine the scent of waxed lanes and the echo of strikes and spares beneath your feet, you wouldn’t be far off.

Then Came St. Ann’s

The 1960s brought another shift. Brooklyn Heights was changing, and so was the building on Pierrepont Street. That’s when St. Ann’s School, an experimental private school founded in the basement of St. Ann’s Church, moved into part of the old Crescent Club building.

At first, they leased just a small section. But over the years, the school expanded—taking over more and more of the building, and eventually spreading out into other properties across the neighborhood. The school’s philosophy was built on creativity, individuality, and the arts—quite a shift from the athletic and social prestige of the building’s original tenants.

And yet, somehow, it fits. The building’s wide hallways and towering ceilings, once used for physical training and ballroom dances, now serve as stages for drama classes, poetry recitals, and experimental music rehearsals. The space still buzzes with energy—just of a different kind.

A Quiet Memorial Above the Door

If you pass the building today, look up. Above the entrance, you’ll see a wreath—simple, solemn, and easy to overlook. But it holds one of the most moving stories in the building’s long history. On December 1, 1984, a fire broke out in the school library. Firefighters rushed in, as they always do. One of them never made it out.

Since that day, firefighters from Engine Company 205 on Middagh Street return each year on December 1st at dusk to quietly hang a new wreath in his memory. It stays up all year long—a constant, humble tribute to sacrifice and service.

It’s a rare moment in this city—where memorials can feel formal or far away—when a quiet, annual tradition keeps someone’s legacy alive right in the heart of the neighborhood.

The Legacy of St. Ann’s School

St. Ann’s School has become a cornerstone of the community. Its commitment to fostering creativity and individuality resonates with many. The school encourages students to explore their passions, whether in the arts, sciences, or athletics.

The building itself has transformed into a vibrant hub of learning and creativity. Each classroom buzzes with ideas and innovation, echoing the laughter and chatter of students. The hallways, once filled with the sounds of athletic competition, now resonate with the rhythm of artistic expression.

As I walk through the halls, I can’t help but feel inspired by the energy that surrounds me. It’s a reminder that history is not just about the past; it’s about how we carry it forward into the future.

Come See It With Me

This building is a perfect example of what I love about Brooklyn Heights and what I try to share through McNeil Tours: no building is just one thing. A single façade can hold a century’s worth of ambition, reinvention, and memory. I love pointing this one out. Not just because it’s beautiful (though it is), but because it’s a living example of what happens when you layer community over time.

Want to see it up close and hear more stories like this? Check out the McNeil Tours schedule and come walk with me.

Together, we can explore the rich tapestry of history that Brooklyn Heights has to offer. Each step reveals a new story, a new layer, and a deeper understanding of this incredible neighborhood. Join me on this journey, and let’s uncover the past together!