End is nigh for Watchtower sign

[JW-Ind]

https://therealdeal.com/2017/06/26/end-is-nigh-for-watchtower-sign-iconic-placard-to-come-down-after-340m-sale/

 

The iconic Watchtower sign, a glowing fixture over Brooklyn Heights, will soon disappear from the skyline.

 

Earlier this month, the Jehovah’s Witnesses filed a permit application seeking to remove the 15-foot-tall letters from the roof of the organization’s now-former headquarters. The request comes nearly a year after developers Kushner Companies, CIM Group and LIVWRK Holdings purchased the building at 25-30 Columbia Heights for $340 million.

 

The sign has hovered over Brooklyn Heights for nearly 50 years. The religious organization purchased the building in 1969 from pharmaceutical giant E.R. Squibb & Sons. At the time, Squibb had its own sign on the roof.

 

The departure of what many have described as a Brooklyn landmark is not necessarily a surprise. When the new owners unveiled plans in May to convert the building into a 635,000-square-foot office complex — dubbed “Panorama” — renderings show some sort of sign but not the iconic letters. At the time, the Brooklyn Eagle speculated that one of the building’s new tenants would secure the rights to put their own sign in the old one’s place.

 

 

Edited June 27, 2017 by JW-Ind

[Raven]

Never got to see it in person...

 

Edited June 27, 2017 by Bjern

[Dages]

Guys, in Paradise, we will need to make a museum overthere.

[Stoffer]

Whenever I watch a film that's shot around Brooklyn, I always look out for that sign!

[Friends just call me Ross]

Wasn't that the sign they installed on Labor Day, to save the expense of having some professional sign installers do it?

I vaguely recall reading about this, but the old grey matter is being stingy with the exact details.

Time to hit our amazing library's search button.

[Friends just call me Ross]

While searching, I found two cool items on our website.

This article:

The Watchtower Sign—A Longtime Brooklyn Landmark

 

And this video:

Sign of the Times the history of the Watchtower sign, a famous New York landmark.

 

[DarinS]

 Visited New York this week for work made a point to look for the watchtower sign

wonder if that's the last time I'll see it

Been looking at it for over 40 years sad to see it go

I know it's only a sign but it was a silent witness

millions upon millions of people reminded about Jehovah

When they saw the sign for the watchtower and the words Read God's Word the Bible daily

 

now it's just another building when you cross the bridge

[retroHelen]

We went to a hotel on Pearl St NY and it was at the end of Brooklyn Bridge. We discovered it was right next-door to a Kingdom Hall - just off Chinatown, so covered Chinese and Spanish speaking congregations. Then we went into the Hotel and registered and followed the porter with our cases to the room. He crossed the room and opened the curtains and there was the building with the sign right across the water from us. Very comforting having that glowing through the window all day and night along with the time and temperature. Here's the view from the window:

 

 

The brothers and sisters in the Kingdom Hall next-door to the Hotel were very welcoming when we popped in on their pre-ministry meeting. They were the Chinese congregation getting ready to go out round Manhattan's Chinatown.

Edited July 1, 2017 by retroHelen
wrote pooped instead of popped on first attempt. LOL!!!

[Shawnster]

See the clock on the sign?  I have a story.

 

This is (at least) the second Watchtower sign.  There was a previous one that also had a digital date and time display.  Years ago the city of NY passed an ordinance regulating neon signs which necessitated the removal of the beloved Watchtower sign since it no longer complied with the regulation.  Many of the nearby neighbors immediately called the Branch to complain.  As it turns out, they were used to the sign being there and actually used it regularly for the date and time as they went about their daily activities.  The Branch kindly directed the upset neighbors to call the local zoning board.  The zoning board passed an exemption for our brothers and they were able to put up an even larger Watchtower sign that still displayed the date and time.

[Stoffer]

1 hour ago, Shawnster said:

The zoning board passed an exemption for our brothers and they were able to put up an even larger Watchtower sign that still displayed the date and time.

That's amazing. Thanks for the anecdote.

[Qapla]

In addition to the residents of NYC wanting the sign back, there were also complaints from the airplane pilots and ship captains who used it at night as a beacon when coming in from the Atlantic.

[dove]

Cool!

[Raven]

On 6/28/2017 at 2:12 AM, Stoffer said:

Whenever I watch a film that's shot around Brooklyn, I always look out for that sign!

Which films have scenes of the sign?

[Stoffer]

12 hours ago, Bjern said:

Which films have scenes of the sign?

I can't remember off hand Ben but here's a list that were shot in NYC. I think you can see it in "Serendipity".