Powerhouse Arts
The former site of the Central Power Station of the Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company, this building was constructed between 1901-1904. The location was chosen because of convenient access to water and to coal shipped on barges via the Gowanus Canal; eight coal engines generated enough electricity to power much of Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company’s streetcar and rail service.
After Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company ceased operations in 1972, this building sat vacant for nearly 30 years. In 2001, it became known as The Gowanus Batcave after a large group of unhoused people and runaway teenagers began squatting here. Organized as a commune, Batcave residents inhabited the building until 2006, when a redevelopment project was planned and the building was cleared.
Soon after, this plan was abandoned, and until the early 2010s the building became a hotspot for graffiti artists and underground parties. Although fabrication and art center Powerhouse Arts now occupies the space, much of the graffiti remains intact inside.
About Powerhouse Arts: Powerhouse Arts (PHA) is a not-for-profit organization committed to creative expression. Our purpose-built facility hosts an extended network of art and fabrication professionals and educators who work together to co-create and share artistic practices vital to the wellbeing of artists and the communities to which they belong.