NEW YORK—On July 5, 2013, Jehovah’s Witnesses signed an agreement to sell a five-building complex formerly used for their printing operations in Brooklyn, New York, as well as a 30-story residence, to RFR and Kushner Companies. The Witnesses will begin vacating the complex as early as August of this year. The residence building will be vacated in 2017.

“Many commuters and visitors in New York City see the signs ‘Read God’s Word the Holy Bible Daily’ and ‘Read The Watchtower and Awake!’ on these buildings as they cross the Brooklyn Bridge,” notes David Semonian, a media spokesman for Jehovah’s Witnesses. “For many years, the work done in these buildings represented a major part of our organizational history and our presence in Brooklyn.” The Witnesses used the five-building complex to publish Bibles and Bible education literature in many languages for 77 years. The first of the buildings was occupied in 1927, and beginning in 1937, adjoining properties were added. The 30-story residence building accommodated about a thousand workers, who could report to the printery without leaving the facility.

The Witnesses are selling the buildings as part of the relocation of their operations upstate. In 2004, the relocation process began by moving their printing, binding, and shipping operations in the United States to Wallkill, New York. Currently, the Witnesses plan to move their world headquarters to Warwick, New York, with construction scheduled to begin later this year.

Mr. Semonian adds: “We cherish our long history in Brooklyn. We have used these buildings to produce practical Bible-based literature that helps people all over the world. Now we look forward to using our new facilities in Warwick in furthering our global Bible education work.”

Media Contact(s):

International: J. R. Brown, Office of Public Information, tel. +1 718 560 5000