Protect and Preserve the History of Bay Ridge by Participating in the Rally
Brooklyn, New York – A treasured piece of Bay Ridge history now faces an uncertain future, and residents are being called to stand together to help protect it. The Visitation Academy and Monastery campus, a 7.5-acre property at 8902 Ridge Boulevard, is under contract for sale and faces potential redevelopment. On Saturday, November 14, 2026, at 11:00 a.m., the Visitation Academy & Monastery Landmark Initiative will hold a public rally in front of Sacred Heart Chapel to urge New York City leaders to evaluate the entire property for individual landmark designation.
For generations, Visitation was more than a school or monastery. It was a place of faith, education, reflection, community, and belonging. Its history reaches back to 1867, when the Kings County Inebriates' Home was incorporated as an institution focused on treating alcohol and opiate dependency at a time when addiction was often met with punishment rather than care. The institution's Bay Ridge grounds later became home to the Sisters of the Visitation, who purchased the property in 1903 and developed it into a religious and educational campus.
The property includes significant nineteenth- and early twentieth-century architecture, Sacred Heart Chapel, mature grounds and landscape features, and its distinctive perimeter wall. Visitation Academy, a women-run and women-led institution, educated generations of girls before closing in 2024.
The campus also carries stories that extend far beyond Bay Ridge. Sister Ita Ford, M.M., who attended Visitation Academy, later became a Maryknoll missionary and was one of four American churchwomen murdered in El Salvador in 1980. Saint Teresa of Calcutta also visited the Visitation monastery in 1986, meeting with the Sisters and greeting students and families.
"Visitation has been a home, a school, and a place of faith for generations - and its history began even before the Sisters arrived," said Caroline Cardillo of the Visitation Academy & Monastery Landmark Initiative. "We're gathering to make clear that this campus matters to all of New York City and deserves a thorough landmark evaluation."
On October 1, the initiative submitted a 430-page Request for Evaluation to the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission, including historical research, photographs, maps, newspaper records, and documentation concerning the property's historic burial ground. Landmark designation would not freeze the site in time, but it would require LPC review and approval before major alterations, demolition, or new construction affecting protected features.
The November 14 rally is open to the public. Organizers are asking neighbors, alumnae, families, preservation advocates, and supporters across New York City to attend, share their connection to Visitation, and call for the campus to receive a full landmark evaluation.
This is Bay Ridge's home, history, and heritage. The time to speak for its preservation is now.
