Brooklyn, one building at a time.

Name: Row houses
Address: 307-319 Adelphi Street
Cross Streets: Dekalb and Lafayette Avenues
Neighborhood: Fort Greene
Year Built: 1867
Architectural Style: Italianate
Architect: 307-309 – Michael Moran; 311-319 – Thomas Fagan
Landmarked: Yes, part of Fort Greene HD (1978)

The story:
For many people, “Brownstone Brooklyn” means Italianate style row houses, and this group is among the handsomest of rows in Fort Greene. This block once looked much more uniform, but an early 20th century apartment building now divides the groups of brownstones, as do a couple of earlier Greek Revival houses, closer to Lafayette. This part of the row was built by two different builders, both acting as their own architects. They are fine examples of why this style will be timelessly great. These are beautiful, elegant houses.

Like many of the streets in Fort Greene, Adelphi Street was named after a street in London. People often forget that real estate hype was not invented last week. The Victorians, building speculative houses on Fort Greene’s streets in the 1840s, 50s and 60s counted on the cachet of posh English street names as much as developers count on fancy neighborhood acronyms and addresses today.

There were general pattern books and formulas for building these earlier row houses, consequently many of Fort Greene’s brownstones were designed by their builders. In 1867, Michael Moran built 307 and 309, while at the same time; Thomas Fagan was building 311 through 319. They all are practically identical, which means the two men must have sat down and figured this out together, and may have even shared sources and craftsmen.

All of the houses have the same elegant curved pediment doorways, with strong and well carved acanthus leave brackets. The parlor floors have beautiful double curved doors, full length windows and heavy window ledges; all topped with heavy curved lintels, as do the windows above. Adding to the weight and stability of the houses are the line of heavy brackets that make up the cornices, Seen from an angle, walking down the street, these houses are powerful, and as the builders planned, even today exude a solid presence, denoting material and professional success.

Census and building records tell us that us that in 1868, Michael Moran sold 307 to J. H. Dater, a dealer in brushes. The year before, he had sold 309 to a hat merchant named Edmund Dickerson. 311 was sold by Thomas Fagan to commercial merchant Malcolm McInnis, in 1867, and he sold 313 to a dry goods merchant from New Orleans named Samuel Boyd, and 315 to gold refiner Miles Dodge. The next year, in 1868, 317 went to another merchant, Kenneth Murchinson, and 319 was sold to yet another merchant; Lansing Gambril, who’s trade was in flour.

Over the years, some of the houses were severely altered, with three losing their full length windows, and ledges, one losing the cornice, and another, 317, had all of the detail stripped off the façade, right before the block was landmarked in 1978. The original ironwork is also gone. Yet a look today shows that restoration is possible, and the full length windows are back, as are some of the ledges, and except for 317, which is still without its detail, the row looks pretty much as it did in the past. A heartfelt “well done” to those who treasure the past, and worked hard to restore the great architecture of Fort Greene. GMAP

Photograph: Sarah Westcott for Property Shark, 2005
311 Adelphi.

What's Your Take? Leave a Comment

  1. We here on the 200 block have nice houses as well, you just can tell because we are completely surrounded by construction. PS 20 across the street, the church-come-condos to one side, new house demolition/reconstruction to the other side. Annoying.