Building of the Day: 143-145 Vanderbilt Avenue
Brooklyn, one building at a time. Name: Semi-attached houses Address: 143-145 Vanderbilt Avenue Cross Streets: Park and Myrtle Avenues Neighborhood: Wallabout Year Built: 1850 Architectural Style: Italianate Architect: Unknown Landmarked: Yes, part of Wallabout HD (2011) The story: Depending on what street you are on, or how you look at the buildings, Wallabout can be…
Brooklyn, one building at a time.
Name: Semi-attached houses
Address: 143-145 Vanderbilt Avenue
Cross Streets: Park and Myrtle Avenues
Neighborhood: Wallabout
Year Built: 1850
Architectural Style: Italianate
Architect: Unknown
Landmarked: Yes, part of Wallabout HD (2011)
The story: Depending on what street you are on, or how you look at the buildings, Wallabout can be many things, and resemble several different kinds of communities. Some buildings, like these old frame houses, remind one of towns Upstate, or in New England, some definitely have that coastal sea-town feel, while others, the brick townhouses and flats buildings, remind one of a company mill town, where factories employed a majority of people. Wallabout was all of this and more; factory and coast, city and small town.
These two houses have that small-town feel. They were built by unlisted builders for Henry Rider, a merchant who lived on nearby Clinton Avenue. He had both of these houses built as rental properties in 1850, at a time when the Navy Yard and maritime industries dominated the Wallabout waterfront. They are a cut above some of the other wood frame houses of the area, with wide porches that span the width of the buildings, and a deep cellar level beneath. Above the parlor floor was an upper bedroom level. 145, on the right, is a larger house, with a later extension added. Both houses have an alleyway entrance to the side of the buildings.
Records are not forthcoming as to the earliest occupants of the houses, but we do know that in 1880, 143 Vanderbilt was leased to Frederick Rose, a letter carrier, and his family, as well as retiree Benjamin Evans and his family, including son-in-law, a printer named John H. Smith. They must have been quite crowded in there.
145 Vanderbilt, the larger home, was leased to even more people, in 1880: Physician Matthew Howard and his family; James Vanderhoof, a merchant, and his family; and lawyer Daniel Thompson, and his family. That’s also a lot of people. It’s too bad we can’t see how they lived and shared the space. It seems odd that three professional and presumably decently well-off families would share a relatively small house, unless they were related. Interesting. Today, both are comfortable one family houses. GMAP
As for the above photo: Yes, I’ve been on walking tours in the pouring rain. I’m either dedicated or crazy.
145 Vanderbilt Avenue was purchased in 1974 by the Johnson family. The Johnson’s have been in the laundry business, serving the Ft Greene community since 1959. Joseph an immigrant from Jamaica West Indies ( had a high school education), met his wife Beligna from Nicaragua ( who completed the 6th grade ….. .Maybe ::) ) while working in a factory in Manhattan. It was love at first sight! My dad didn’t speak Spanish and my mom spoke very little English, but he knew that “she was the one” It was meant to be. They got married after dating for about a year. They wanted to live the American dream and knew with hard work and dedication they could do it. They bought their first laundry mat on Bedford Avenue and soon expanded owning 3 other laundry mats all on Myrtle Avenue from Franklin Avenue to Clermont Avenue. To stay close to the business they bought their “palace” Yes their palace ” 145 ” . My mom comes from very humble beginnings in Nicaragua. Ft. Greene has been home and has such charm .. Close to Manhattan, great transportation, great shopping, and the history and architecture, the people , what’s not to like?
My parents loved their customers and were dedicated to providing clean clothes and running a warm, friendly, and family oriented business. Sadly my dad died in 2004. My mom ,74 years young, is now running only 1 of the laundry mats and still comes to work everyday. She wants to make sure that her customers have their clean clothes to wear to school or work and prides herself with having the bags ready when her customers want them . Same day service has been her motto even before it was a motto . Come by and say hello some time. everyone in the neighborhood knows her. She’s really sweet and I love her cute accent 🙂 The name of our laundry is, Three Stars Laundromat. My dad called his 3 girls ( me, my mom and sister) his three stars sooooooooo we thought that name would fit the laundry just like a glove 🙂
A frequent question I have – how the heck did so many people live in these houses? One clue, I think: the side alleys. Checking the old maps often shows back houses. (for the frames could be as large as the front house.)