Penthouse converted from a schoolhouse — and owned by a famed NYC shaman — lists for sale for the first time in 36 years
If you’re in the “spirit,” perhaps this is the home for you.
A penthouse loft in a converted 1895 schoolhouse in Brooklyn’s Prospect Heights has listed for $2.95 million, marking its first sale in 36 years, The Post has learned.
The 3,150-square-foot residence, formerly shared by the late urban shaman Donna Henes and her partner Daile Kaplan, the latter of whom currently maintains the home, offers a rare opportunity for buyers seeking architectural distinction — and maybe be a part of the supernatural.
For nearly five decades, Henes, who grew up in New York, famously guided city dwellers through rituals that celebrated the rhythms of nature and the cosmos, reminding them of their place in a larger universe.
Known affectionately as “Momma Donna,” she passed away on Sept. 21, 2024, in Ossining, New York, at the age of 79, due to cardiopulmonary arrest following a decline in health after a fall in 2021, according to her partner.
In earlier years, her most famous ceremonies included a vernal equinox egg-balancing ritual, to mark cosmic alignment and often held at the World Trade Center, as well as a winter solstice bonfire on Staten Island’s beaches.
“All these celebrations go back to the very primal human reactions to the retreat and the return of the sun,” she said in a 1998 New York Times interview, describing the universal impulse behind her seasonal observances.
These events, infused with music, chanting, and symbolic acts, invited participants to pause their hectic lives and reconnect with the cycles of the seasons, the stars and ancient traditions.
“I function as a sky watcher,” Henes told the Times in 1996, reflecting her spiritual philosophy. “It never gets dark in the city. We don’t see the sky; we don’t see the stars. We’re not reminded of a relationship with the universe.”
Henes saw her role as a bridge between modern urban life and primal human instincts, drawing from diverse spiritual traditions like Hinduism, Native American practices and Judaism to highlight shared celebrations of light and renewal.
In 1975, Henes said she underwent a revelation when a friend gave her a Native American weaving, and she placed it over her face.
“I instantly understood how everything in the world was interconnected,” she told The Times.
Despite occasional clashes with authorities — such as a 1998 arrest for trespassing during a solstice event, later dismissed — she remained committed to fostering reverence for the universe. Beyond rituals, Henes taught in New York public schools, wrote books and crafted personal ceremonies for life’s milestones.
Now her surviving partner, Kaplan, is parting ways with the home they have owned since 1989.
The top-floor co-op, part of the P.S. 9 Annex designed by James W. Naughton in the Renaissance Revival style, features 14-foot vaulted ceilings, exposed brick archways and nine skylights that flood the space with light.
Two woodburning fireplaces anchor flexible living areas, while a windowed kitchen and two private terraces provide open city views.
The layout, currently a three-bedroom, three-bathroom configuration, could be reimagined as a grand residential showpiece or an artistic live/work haven, the listing notes.
The school was built in 1895 to address overcrowding at the original school due to Prospect Heights’ growing population.
It was later converted to residential by local artists, the listing said.
An H-shaped brick building, it features gable dormer windows and blends Romanesque Revival with Renaissance Revival architectural elements.
The repurposed apartments are now called, simply “P.S. 9.”
The building sits at the corner of Sterling Place and Vanderbilt Avenue, exuding a stately presence.
Residents enjoy a lush communal garden, gated private parking (a rarity in Brooklyn), and a visiting superintendent.
Richard Orenstein and Lawrence Kieran of Brown Harris Stevens hold the listing.
