Editor’s note: An updated version of this post can be viewed here.

Brooklyn, one building at a time.

Name: Former stable, now residence
Address: 183 Vanderbilt Avenue
Cross Streets: Willoughby and Myrtle Avenues
Neighborhood: Clinton Hill
Year Built: Between 1886 and 1908
Architectural Style: Renaissance Revival
Architect: Unknown
Landmarked: No

The story: I have a soft spot for service buildings. Stables, carriage houses, summer kitchens, laundry buildings, whatever; these are the buildings that made life easier for the muckety-mucks on the hill, or around the corner, to live their fabulous lives, and often, these buildings are more appealing than the ornate and sometimes overblown mansions of the rich. (Not that I don’t usually like the overblown mansions too, don’t get me wrong – those can be great architectural treats as well.)

In the early days of historic preservation, which was often in the hands of the doyennes of gracious living themselves, only the homes of the rich and historically important were thought to be worthy of preservation, so there was a great hue and cry to save the mansions of Monticello, Mt. Vernon, and the like, but no rush to save the stables and slave quarters. We’ve come a long way since then and now see that the buildings that housed the workers and the everyday folk have historic significance as well, and give us a fuller picture of the life and times of those who lived and worked in them. After all, many of us are them, not the people in the mansions.

This relatively small stable was built sometime between 1886 and 1907. Vanderbilt has long been the service street to the mansions of Clinton Avenue, and most of the lots between Myrtle and Lafayette Avenue once held stables and carriage houses or were the backyards of those mansions. It’s rather ironic that here in Brooklyn, the Vanderbilt name would be associated with service buildings, not the mansion streets, considering how successful and wealthy one branch of the family became.

In 1886, the Clinton Avenue block behind this block had only six wood-frame mansions spread across it. Some of the properties had service buildings on Vanderbilt, including the one that encompassed this site, but it wasn’t this building. By 1907, all of the mansions were gone, or altered, replaced by row houses and larger masonry houses. This building was here by then, along with a row of larger carriage houses, which also are still in existence.

I would guess that this stable served one of the houses in the brownstone group that is 174-180 Clinton Avenue, perhaps number 178, which is directly behind it. That group was also built sometime between 1886 and probably 1893, after which time brownstone was out of favor as a building material. I think all of the stables were built between 1893 and 1900, but I haven’t found any documentation to prove or disprove that. I only have the atlas maps from 1886 and 1907. At that time, light colored brick was one of the building materials of choice, as were the cleaner lines of the Renaissance Revival style.

What makes this building so noticeable is the noble bust of a horse, which protrudes out into the sidewalk as an identifiable marker that this was indeed, a stable. Which makes one think, perhaps this was not a stable for one of Clinton Avenue’s houses, but a small public stable, or the business of a farrier, or someone who repaired or sold tack or another horse-and-carriage-related business. The bust of the horse could have been signage. I could find no mention of this address anywhere, so it’s anyone’s guess. Maybe it was the owner’s favorite horse. It’s a fabulous bust, and it’s a miracle it survived.

After the days of horses and carriages were over, this building was used for different kinds of businesses over the years. All respected the bust, and it was never removed. A tax photo from 1982 shows the building as home to a welding business, and even then, his sign had a cutout to accommodate the horse. The present owners have preserved it, as well, and have converted the upper story to an apartment. Like almost all of Clinton Hill’s former stables, it is now a wonderfully intimate and individual work and living space. I bet they’ve named the horse. I would. GMAP

183 Vanderbilt Ave 2

183 Vanderbilt Ave 3

1886 Map, Vanderbilt, between Myrtle and DeKalb. New York Public Library.
1886 map showing Vanderbilt between Myrtle and DeKalb. New York Public Library.
1898-99 Map, Vanderbilt, between Myrtle and DeKalb. New York Public Library.
1898-99 map of Vanderbilt between Myrtle and DeKalb. New York Public Library.
1980s tax photo. Municipal Archives.
1980s tax photo, Municipal Archives.

What's Your Take? Leave a Comment

  1. you lost your bet the horse was never named,the reason why i bought this carriage house is because it had a garage what a plus in NY and being French the horse head reminded me of my youth when the Boucher in France could only sell cow or horse meat and therefore had to advertise by having a horse head above his store and they where usually made of coper
    In any case the building was certainly a horse carriage because when i did the renovation i discover that on the 2nd floor there was an opening of 5X9 in the back of the building tipical of a barn where they store the hay to feed the animals down below (2 to 4 horses with cariages) i presume.Plus the groud was cut out with groove for the horses not to slide with their metal horse shoes
    Keep up the good work one building at the ime the history is worth it