The Andrew Freedman Home looks like it belongs in the hills outside Florence, Italy. Instead, it was built on the Grand Concourse in the 1920’s to house the formerly rich. Today it houses a Head Start program, senior programs, and serves as a gallery for local artists.
The villa was built by financier Andrew Freedman. He left part of his fortune to create a home for elderly people who had once been well-to-do so that they could retire in the proper style. The Renaissance building served this purpose until the 1960s.
In the early 1980s, the Mid-Bronx Senior Citizens Council (now Mid-Bronx Council) acquired the property. In addition to the various community programs, a portion of the southern wing has been converted to a bed and breakfast and the 2nd floor now houses an Artist-In-Residence program as well as a Small Business Incubator program. The MBC has long-range plans for redeveloping the rest of the facility.
