Building of the Day: 177, 177A St. James Place

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: 177, 177A St. James Place, between Gates and Fulton
Name: Private Houses
Neighborhood: Clinton Hill
Year Built: 1888
Architectural Style: Romanesque Revival
Architects: Mercein Thomas
Landmarked: Yes (Clinton Hill HD)

Why chosen: These delightful houses are only eleven and a half feet wide, probably two of the narrowest houses in the neighborhood, which does have some other unusually narrow houses in this vicinity. These houses are the designs of Mercein Thomas, an often overlooked architect whose works can be found in Clinton Hill and Crown Heights North. His largest remaining work is the huge, Dickensian complex of the Methodist Home located in Crown Heights North, on New York Avenue, between Park and Sterling. In the case of these houses, it’s interesting that Thomas or his client, Russell Engs, who lived directly behind here on Cambridge Place, did not go for one large 22′ or 23′ house, which is not unheard of for the area, but decided to go with two narrow houses that even back in the 1880’s, must have felt cramped. In any case, these mirror image houses are great. The arched and recessed entryways give gravitas to the buildings, echoed by the top floor arched dormer windows. The houses have especially attractive brickwork, windows, terra-cotta trim, and Mediterranean tile roofs. 177 has a more or less intact façade, its neighbor showing what a big difference period windows and doors make to the overall appearance. Fortunately, these modernizations are easily, although not inexpensively, fixed. I understand the interiors have center stairs, which make the rooms feel much wider. These are just two of the eclectic and interesting homes on this block, which is an architectural potpourri of styles and materials.