Building of the Day: 88 Hanson Place
Brooklyn, one building at a time. Name: Hanson Place Baptist Church, now Hanson Place Seventh Day Adventist Church Address: 88 Hanson Place, corner of South Portland Ave. Neighborhood: Fort Greene Year Built: 1857-1860 Architectural Style: Italianate with Greek Revival elements Architect: George Penchard Landmarked: Individual landmark, 1970 The story: It always surprises me that this…
Brooklyn, one building at a time.
Name: Hanson Place Baptist Church, now Hanson Place Seventh Day Adventist Church
Address: 88 Hanson Place, corner of South Portland Ave.
Neighborhood: Fort Greene
Year Built: 1857-1860
Architectural Style: Italianate with Greek Revival elements
Architect: George Penchard
Landmarked: Individual landmark, 1970
The story: It always surprises me that this church isn’t older than it is. I think it’s the Classical style of the Greek Revival pillars and pediments that make me think it dates from the 1750’s, not the 1850’s. Francis Morrone, in his Guidebook to Brooklyn, makes the case that the church is reminiscent of Philadelphia’s Arch Street Presbyterian Church, also of the same period. I am not familiar with the building he is referring to, but to say Philadelphia style while looking at this church certainly makes sense to this architectural layperson. The architect, George J. Penchard, worked in Albany with his firm, Perkins and Penchard to re-design an old firehouse to be the Lodge and Howard Street Campus of the University at Albany, in 1851. He was also the architect of record in several other Albany houses. His offices were listed as being on Broadway, in Manhattan, in 1857.
The church was built for a Baptist congregation which grew out of the Atlantic Avenue Baptist Church further downtown. George Penchard designed a very Protestant church that is mostly Italianate, which matches the time period he was living in, but has strong elements of Greek Revival, in the Classical features of the entryway, and the brick pilasters with Corinthian capitals running along the side. The tall arched windows of the rear of the church also refer to the Greek Revival, mullioned like domestic 6 over 6, or 9 over 9 windows. The tall arched windows hoods above are classic Italianate. The addition to the back of the church was built as a lecture hall, and today is used as classrooms. This is a great building, and very unique here in Brooklyn.
The HP Baptist Church appears in the Brooklyn Eagle with over 1000 entries, showing over sixty years of steady church participation with the people of Brooklyn. In 1963, the church was sold to the Seventh Day Adventists. The founders of this particular congregation were all from the Caribbean, and wanted to establish a church to meet their religious and cultural needs. Today, it is the largest Seventh Day Adventist Church in Brooklyn.
Geesh! I wanted you Kids to get some education in architectural history and I nearly had my eyelashes singed off! I meant no offense (of course) but please, please, please, I implore everyone to get familiar with a good, basic History or Architecture since, on Brownstoner, one would assume architecture and older buildings are of general interest. No?
By the way, MM, I have to say, having been there and knowing some of the folks who worked on landmarking, I have to admit that many played it fast and loose when it came down to the wire…or they had almost no info on buildings… It was a lot of work getting landmarking in place and getting those proposals together. This was well before the Internet (of course) and research, in general, took a LOT more time. Even today, you have to the sources but the Internet does help a lot when figuring out what might be out there and where those sources are. Plus, so many libraries have searchable collections online…it’s just a different world.
So, whatever…having a look at some of the landmarking books, I often find inaccuracies.
I’m trying to think what would be a great single source (printed book) to go to as a reference. I can’t think of one off-hand. I’m tired.
What’s important though is to read about the developments in architecture and styles against/with the developments and movements in thought, art, fashion, religion, technology, economy (global and local), music and literature during the last 400 years—why not? It gives a better understanding why and how things developed the way they did…why many of us live in townhouse that are three windows wide (Medieval England) and have side staircases and front and back parlors (speculative townhouses built in London 300 plus years ago, a model we’re very much used to Brownstone Brooklyn).
I know you’ve made great efforts in putting together your historical pieces and that great one on lighting. Just keep at it!
About the above Revival controversy: I am sure that many *Revivals* have taken place in this church.
🙂
third!
Jeez- what is bklyngreene drinking?
These are “very [sic] unique” comments. 🙂
Second!
Brownstoner.com rules (Sec. 312, para 44a):
“The use of the term “sic” shall be limited to two per post. Multiple posts by the same person on the same topic shall be considered a single post. Violators will be reported to the Terminology Committee.”
c
“That first photograph above contrasty which is kind of a shame.”
Huh?
BrooklynGreene, dear, I’m not an architect, just decently well read, and not going to get in a quibbling match over semantics. My descriptions of style on landmarked buildings usually come from the experts. In this case the LPC, the AIA Guide and Francis Morrone, all people who leave us both in the dust. They don’t all agree, btw, on this building, and each picks the features they feel are the most important in labeling the building’s style. This building, like many, is a mixture of style elements. I did not say the church was Greek Revival, I said it had Greek Revival elements, which the LPC said was most evident in the front of the church.
FWIW, I think you are also misreading what Minard was saying, and taking his comments wayyyy too literally. Plus, he was answering Ditto, and did not come up with the comment himself.
Minard, may I suggest you do a little more research:
“This and the tendency to no longer emulate England (after the war [sic] of 1812) lead to the embracing of the Greek mode as a pure and symbolic gesture of the new Republic[sic].”
Sweetheart, Greek Revival was embraced in Britain. Although it’s arguable that, yes, some of the influence in the US came from French architects, citizens in the new republic continued to “emulate England” with Greek Revival which was all the rage in Britain as well as Gothic Revival. And I’ll point out there were many things that brought about the Gothic Revival.
The British burned “down the whitehouse [sic]”? Well…….it was painted white after the fire during its lengthy reconstruction. I believe it wasn’t called the “White House” for some time and was not officially called the “White House” for much longer. (By the way, I believe the White House is considered to be more neoclassical in style.
I’m sending you readers to a survey class on the history of so-called “Western Architecture”! 🙂
MM Honey, thanks for your articles! That first photograph above contrasty which is kind of a shame. I’ll point out the church is in a neoclassical style. It’s not Greek Revival. There certainly was Greek Revival in the US but this church is not really an example of the style. It has Corinthian columns and pilasters. Neither is essential Greek Revival. The columns are Roman and pilasters are arguably a neoclassical architectural device.
For Greek Revival, when you’re in Philly, swing by the Second Bank of the United States. It’s quite beautiful. The AT&T lobby (the old building) with all of its columns is a funny, quite effective more modern take on Greek Revival as remember. Many classically styled Art Deco and 1930s building designs in NYC, the US, and Europe drew on Greek Revival conventions more than neoclassical which helped set them apart from older Beaux-Arts buildings.
burning down the whitehouse was bad. many took it as a sign of disrespect. However, we did kick British butt, and later all was forgiven.