Bohemian National Hall

321 East 73rd Street | also 325 East 73rd Street | Lenox Hill | built 1897

Open on the map5 entries

Written with AI from the source each entry cites, then fact-checked.

1. 1892

   Antonin Dvorak headlines a concert to fund the future hall

   Years before construction begins, Czech New Yorkers raise money for a national hall with a benefit concert led by composer Antonin Dvorak, then living in the city. The fundraising drive eventually pools resources from more than fifty Czech organizations to pay for the building on East 73rd Street.

   Source: Daytonian in Manhattan

2. 1897

   Czech New Yorkers complete Bohemian National Hall

   Built between 1895 and 1897 to designs by William C. Frohne, this neo-Renaissance hall was a social and cultural center for New York's Czech community, owned by the Bohemian Benevolent & Literary Association. The Landmarks Preservation Commission made it a city landmark in 1994.

   Source: Wikipedia

3. 1901

   December 19

   Jan Kubelik plays the Bohemian anthem on his Stradivarius

   Violinist Jan Kubelik performs the Bohemian national anthem on his Stradivarius inside the hall, moving the immigrant audience so deeply that the New York Times reports few dry eyes among his naturalized compatriots. The concert underscores the hall's role as a cultural anchor for Czech New Yorkers.

   Source: Daytonian in Manhattan

4. 2001

   The Czech government buys the hall for one dollar

   In 2001 the Bohemian Benevolent & Literary Association sold the building to the Czech government for $1, in exchange for a promise to restore it. After the renovation the hall reopened on October 30, 2008, and it now holds the Czech Consulate, the Czech Center New York, the association itself and the Dvorak American Heritage Association.

   Source: Wikipedia

5. 2008

   October 30

   The restored hall reopens with Czech Consulate offices

   After a $45 million restoration funded by the Czech government, Bohemian National Hall reopens with a 70-seat theater, the Czech Consulate and Czech Center New York inside. The project rescues a building that city inspectors had once declared unfit for occupancy.

   Source: Daytonian in Manhattan

Further reading

• Bohemian National HallWikipedia
• The Bohemian National Hall -- Nos. 321-325 East 73rd StreetDaytonian in Manhattan

Nearby

• Archdiocesan Cathedral of the Holy Trinity337 East 74th Street | 11 entries
• Jan Hus Presbyterian Church351 East 74th Street | 7 entries
• Three Facebooks Moms1471 1st Avenue | 1 entry
• Buckley School, Hubball Building210 East 74th Street | 2 entries
• Eleanor Roosevelt High School411 East 76th Street | 5 entries
• J.G. Melon1291 3rd Avenue | 5 entries

All 31 buildings with stories in Lenox Hill