Former Ludlow Street Funeral Home Sells its 76-Year-Old Brooklyn HQ for $6.8M
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139 Ludlow Street, October 2008
The Nieberg Midwood Chapel, whose original headquarters now serves the upper crust on Ludlow Street, just sold off its flagship property in Brooklyn.
According to the Commercial Observer, the nearly eighty-year-old mortuary cashed in on its valuable air rights, and sold the 10,750-square-foot property for $6.8 million. The company has since reopened at Kehila Chapels’ building at 60 Brighton Beach Avenue.
Back on its former Lower East Side turf, the building in which it was founded, 139-141 Ludlow Street, is now Ludlow House, an offshoot of Soho House. Erected in 1902, the mid-block beauty served a mixed-use function (i.e. residential with dry goods store) until 1922. That’s when founder Harry Nieberg arrived and set up the mom-and-pop, Nieberg & Sons. He swiftly became a legend in the business. Throughout the whole of New York City, this 220-pound, six-foot-three man was known for his personality, his generosity, and for his courage. They never discriminated. For example, he saved Catholics from being buried in potter’s fields by giving 28 free burials to the poor each year. Or how he was the chosen undertaker for notorious east side gangster Morris Grossman; more than 5,000 people flooded the building to pay respects.
When the Nieberg family shipped out to Midwood in 1940, 139 Ludlow became Ludlow Garage (now on Attorney Street), and later, the Kleen-Stik factory operated here.
Harry’s grandson Stanley now runs the show.
This image has been archived or removed.
Photo: Commercial Observer
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