The Baptist Home of Brooklyn was founded by Alexander MacDonald (d. 1872) and Francis D. Mason (d. 1871) as "a place of refuge for those whose advancing age and meager incomes make independent living difficult." MacDonald was born in Scotland but immigrated to America as a child, and though he lived in poverty for much of his early life, he eventually settled in Brooklyn and became wealthy as an umbrella maker. Mason was born in Rhode Island and also spent his early life in poverty. At the age of 20 he moved to Brooklyn, where he also became wealthy through his work in construction. Mason played a large role in the building of the Central Baptist Church on Bridge Street, which both he and MacDonald attended, and at which Mason was later elected a deacon. Before their deaths, MacDonald and Mason donated $5,000 and a sizable plot of land to the Long Island Baptist Association for the formation of the Baptist Home, which was established in 1869 at the corner of Greene and Throop Streets, where it served as a place of refuge for elderly and impoverished members of Long Island Baptist churches for over a century. In 1977, the Baptist Home of Brooklyn relocated to Rhinebeck, N.Y., where, as of 2010, it continues to operate under the name of the Baptist Home at Brookmeade.
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Sources:
- Baptist Home at Brookemeade. "Founder." Accessed October 15, 2010. http://www.baptist-home.com/founder.htm.
- Long Island Baptist Association.
Sketch of the History of the Baptist Home of Brooklyn, New York: From Its Inception to the Present Time. New York: L.H. Biglow & Co., 1888.
From the guide to the Baptist Home of Brooklyn collection, 1870-1963, (Brooklyn Historical Society)
