Msgr. McGolrick Park

In 1910, the architectural firm of Helmle and Huberty erected this pavilion here in Monsignor McGorlick Park. One of many Brooklyn buildings and structures designed by Helmle and Huberty, the crescent-shaped structure of brick and limestone features an elegant wood colonnade connecting two buildings. Each building served as a public restroom, one for men, and the other for women. The pavilion was designed to invoke the feeling of 17th and 18th century French garden structures. The structure is currently listed on the National Register and is protected as a New York City landmark.

Over the years, the structure, exposed to the elements, fell into disrepair. An $850,900 rehabilitation in 1985 provided a new roof, repaired and replaced the brick and stone walkways, removed graffiti, reconstructed the masonry, and replaced windows and doors. The reconstruction plan also reworked the shape of the structure to its original crescent plan, for it had been altered over time. The new interior rooms feature public restroom facilities as well as a community room, and kitchenette.

The 1985 reconstruction strayed slightly from the initial design, and a $552,000 renovation in 2001 paid for by Brooklyn Borough President Howard Golden returned the pavilion to its original condition. A metal roof was installed over the colonnade, which was also raised by four feet. The renovation also removed old coats of paint from the base of the building. The brick, limestone, and granite received a cleaning and the masonry was repaired. On the inside of the buildings, replicas of the original ceiling fixtures were installed. The restrooms in the north building of the pavilion have been refitted with separate entrances for men and women and made handicap-accessible.

The architects Helmle and Huberty designed many notable buildings in Brooklyn during the early 1900s, including the Hotel Bossert in Brooklyn Heights, the Spanish Baroque St. Barbara’s Roman Catholic Church in Bushwick, and the Greenpoint Savings Bank in Greenpoint. Above all, the two most famous structures Helmle and Huberty designed are located in Prospect Park: the limestone and yellow brick Tennis House (1910), and the Boathouse (1904). The pavilion in McGolrick park along with the winged victory War Memorial and the Monitor and Merrimac Monument adorn this park with an impressive array of artwork.