Building of the Day: 654 Jefferson Avenue

The BOTD is a no-frills look at interesting structures of all types and from all neighborhoods. There will be old, new, important, forgotten, public, private, good and bad. Whatever strikes our fancy. We hope you enjoy.

Address: 654 Jefferson Avenue, between Stuyvesant and Malcolm X
Name: Private House
Neighborhood: Bedford Stuyvesant
Year Built: probably teens- early 1920’s, aerial map shows house in 1924
Architectural Style: Colonial Revival
Architects: Unknown
Landmarked: No

Why chosen: Here’s a pretty little anomaly a nice suburban looking Colonial Revival in the middle of a brownstone block. Only in Brooklyn. I’ve always loved this little house, the Palladian window, the little porch, all of the mullioned windows, the richly colored brick, and the way they were laid to frame the windows and doors. This house doesn’t look like it’s been changed since it was built, in the days when a small one family with a garage was the suburban ideal. The original garage is still behind the covered car port in the driveway. The house must have been built as infill at the time, perhaps someone just wanted this type of house on an empty lot, or it may have replaced one of the row houses surrounding it. We may never know. This style of building is extremely rare in Bedford Stuyvesant, so it’s all the more welcome in the mixture of styles that stretch up Jefferson Avenue, one of Bedford Stuyvesant’s finest streets. By 1940, the house was owned by John Cashmore, a furniture manufacturer and Brooklyn Democratic politician. He lived here with his wife and son. That year he was elected to the office of Brooklyn Borough President, a job he held from 1940 until 1961, at 21 years, one of the longest lasting Brooklyn Borough presidents. In 1966, the home belonged to a judge, Albert R. Murray. Today, it’s still a one family house, and obviously is much loved.