Building of the Day: 76-82 St. Marks 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: 76-82 St. Marks Avenue, corner of Flatbush Avenue Name: Lenox and Montague Apartments Neighborhood: Park Slope Year Built:…
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: 76-82 St. Marks Avenue, corner of Flatbush Avenue
Name: Lenox and Montague Apartments
Neighborhood: Park Slope
Year Built: 1885
Architectural Style: Renaissance Revival with Romanesque touches
Architect: Montrose Morris
Landmarked: No
Not many people realize this is a Montrose Morris building. One could argue that it is his practice run for his masterpiece, the Alhambra, built later in 1889.
Lauded in the Eagle as one of the finest apt buildings in Brooklyn at the time, this building once had large apartments, each with a parlor, library, dining room, pantry, kitchen, 3 bedrooms, servants’ rooms and two bathrooms.
Design-wise, we can see Morris’ signature style emerging; the placement of the building to command the street, his use of bays and massing of windows adding space, as well as lots of light.
His decorative rooflines and use of various elements such as banded foliate terra-cotta, decorative carvings around the entrances, the bold naming of his buildings, and his mixture of materials to add interest to the building.
Lastly, we can see his most pervasive signature element; his use of multiple columns, usually surrounding Romanesque arched windows, slightly recessed here, but soon to form deeply recessed loggias.
Compare this to the Alhambra in the photo above, and see the progression of Montrose Morris’ signature style.
[Photos by Suzanne Spellen]
This building in combination with the one on the corner of 6th Ave., make a very handsome composition. I wish the owner(s) would introduce signage standards (good thing Dunkin Donuts is gone!). That and a cleaning of the facade would be great.
Haven’t in a really long time, Mopar. I’ll have to do that again sometime.
“This building once had large apartments, each with a parlor, library, dining room, pantry, kitchen, 3 bedrooms, servants’ rooms and two bathrooms.”
Sigh.
Montrose, do you ever watch Rosemary’s Baby multiple times just to check out the apartment?
Montrose’s buildings have a way of turning into the grimmest looking piles when they are neglected. Fortunately they clean up well. Wonder if this building will ever get a second chance like the Alhambra and the Roanoke.
I’ve always admired this building.
And you’re right… it does seem like MM’s practice run for his building of the clearly superior Alhambra.