So, after Michael and I got married and before we had a baby, there was something else in our lives that took a lot of energy and effort, and ended up being a project approximately half a year in the making - and that was the brownstone in Brooklyn that I document here.
Recently, we have been alerted to the fact that the city is considering our house, along with a bunch of houses on the street, to be included and redrawn as part of the landmark historical district extension! It amazes me that the city spent so much time researching and writing up a blurb about our house, and likely did so for each house in the proposed extension.
We learned some quite fun things from the materials that the city sent us, for example, that ours is one of six brick and brownstone row houses that were developed between 1856 and 1861 in a modest transitional Greek Revival and Italianate style. They were designed as single-family residences for local merchants and business people as the neighborhood developed from the East River and Atlantic Avenue. We learned that the iron stoop railings, newels and fence all appear to be original (!!) and that the quoin and rosette motifs carved into the basement facade may have been added in the 1880s. The building's brick material, relatively spare cornice, and horizontal aesthetic are representative of the Greek Revival, yet other features such as the round-arch basement windows reflect the "new" popularity of the Italianate style in Brooklyn (which begs the question, "new" according to what time frame?).
According to the blurb, the residential blocks included in this round of the historic district extension contain a "mix of styles and the handsome decorative details applied to relatively modest structures reveal the aspirations of local residents and developers, many of whom had arrived as immigrants pursing the American dream" and "tell the story of how the combined forces of history and commerce drove the urban development of Brooklyn in the 19th century."
This second part really resonated with me, as I find it so fitting that I now own a house in a district that is being celebrated for the development that was brought about in large part by immigrants, when my parents are immigrants who came to America to pursue the American dream. It's a beautiful testament to America's history of welcome and opportunity - whether it's 1861 or 1981. (Now if only it could also be a bellwether for America's future...)
Next steps are that there will be a town meeting where owners and agents are invited to hear about the proposed designation and are also given the opportunity (three minutes each) to "present testimony," and then I guess ultimately the Landmarks Preservation Commission makes their decision. I'm not sure how quickly we will hear the final conclusion, but if we do become landmarked I expect it will be a lot harder for us to make any renovations.
Recently, we have been alerted to the fact that the city is considering our house, along with a bunch of houses on the street, to be included and redrawn as part of the landmark historical district extension! It amazes me that the city spent so much time researching and writing up a blurb about our house, and likely did so for each house in the proposed extension.
We learned some quite fun things from the materials that the city sent us, for example, that ours is one of six brick and brownstone row houses that were developed between 1856 and 1861 in a modest transitional Greek Revival and Italianate style. They were designed as single-family residences for local merchants and business people as the neighborhood developed from the East River and Atlantic Avenue. We learned that the iron stoop railings, newels and fence all appear to be original (!!) and that the quoin and rosette motifs carved into the basement facade may have been added in the 1880s. The building's brick material, relatively spare cornice, and horizontal aesthetic are representative of the Greek Revival, yet other features such as the round-arch basement windows reflect the "new" popularity of the Italianate style in Brooklyn (which begs the question, "new" according to what time frame?).
According to the blurb, the residential blocks included in this round of the historic district extension contain a "mix of styles and the handsome decorative details applied to relatively modest structures reveal the aspirations of local residents and developers, many of whom had arrived as immigrants pursing the American dream" and "tell the story of how the combined forces of history and commerce drove the urban development of Brooklyn in the 19th century."
This second part really resonated with me, as I find it so fitting that I now own a house in a district that is being celebrated for the development that was brought about in large part by immigrants, when my parents are immigrants who came to America to pursue the American dream. It's a beautiful testament to America's history of welcome and opportunity - whether it's 1861 or 1981. (Now if only it could also be a bellwether for America's future...)
Next steps are that there will be a town meeting where owners and agents are invited to hear about the proposed designation and are also given the opportunity (three minutes each) to "present testimony," and then I guess ultimately the Landmarks Preservation Commission makes their decision. I'm not sure how quickly we will hear the final conclusion, but if we do become landmarked I expect it will be a lot harder for us to make any renovations.
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