The Kingsbridge Historical Society has finally received tax exempt status for the old Edgehill Church building after receiving a $10,000 tax bill that would have brought the organization’s efforts to revitalize the old building to an end.
The tax-exempt nonprofit organization has been determined to rehabilitate the old 2570 Independence Ave. church, which it acquired from the congregation’s remaining members on Dec. 2, 2022.
The NYC Department of Finance (DOF) granted the group the tax exemption on June 6, retroactive to the day the group closed on the property, according to Kingsbridge Historical Society President Nick Dembowski.
The deed for the property shows Carolyn Abernathy signing on behalf of the church, with no price tag. Abernathy was one of two remaining members of the church who dissolved the religious corporation and gave the property to the nonprofit historical society, according to the Riverdale Press.
Though the group was founded in 1949 — making it the oldest local historical society in the Bronx — this is the first time it will own a building and have a headquarters, according to Dembowski.
The group educates the community about the history of Riverdale, Kingsbridge, Spuyten Duyvil and Marble Hill.
The historical society applied for the exemption in December 2022 through the finance department the same month the group acquired the building, Dembowski said.
The IRS has records of the group being registered as a nonprofit as early as 2016 available online.
Shortly after applying for the exemption, the organization was issued a property tax bill of more than $10,000 and had trouble getting its application processed by the city, or a timeline of processing, according to the society and Councilmember Eric Dinowitz, who represents the Kingsbridge area.
The society did not pay the tax bill, Dembowski told the Bronx Times.
After Dinowitz connected with the finance department on behalf of the society, the group’s tax exemption status was approved within a couple of weeks, according to the councilmember.
A finance department spokesperson told the Bronx Times that the historical society’s tax exemption “was approved following a review of their application.”
“DOF’s Director of Constituent Services regularly works with Council Members’ Offices to assist with cases and was happy to help resolve this issue,” the spokesperson added.
The finance spokesperson did not tell the Bronx Times how long it typically takes to approve these exemptions.
Without intervention, the group could have lost its new home, according to Dinowitz’s office.
“The Kingsbridge Historical Society is a significant organization in the Bronx,” Dinowitz said. “They play an important role preserving the history of the area and educating the community about its past. It was crucial that we get this approved to ensure the society’s continued success in preserving the history of the area.”
The Edgehill Church was built in 1888-89 as a chapel, specifically for workers at the nearby Johnson Iron Foundry, according to the 1981 Designated Landmark plaque on the building.
The church served the community for decades, but over the last couple, membership dwindled and could ultimately no longer afford to hold services, according to the historical society.
The building has no running water or heat and needs repair work, though the historical society wants to preserve the old church and make it a “vibrant community hub,” according to its website. The group secured a grant when it acquired the building to do urgent repairs and is continuing to seek funds to restore the church.
“We are fortunate to have received a beautiful landmarked building but it needs a lot of work, so a tax bill was the last thing we needed at this point,” Dembowski told the Bronx Times.
Reach Aliya Schneider at aschneider@schnepsmedia.com or (718) 260-4597. For more coverage, follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram @bronxtimes
