710-712 Bushwick Ave, CB, PS

Brooklyn, one building at a time.

Name: Wood framed row houses
Address: 710-712 Bushwick Avenue
Cross Streets: Suydam and Hart streets
Neighborhood: Bushwick
Year Built: 1889
Architectural Style: Italianate
Architect: Theobald Engelhardt
Other Buildings by Architect: Much of Bushwick and the Eastern District, residential and commercial. Including Ulmer Brewery complex, Cook Mansion, Bossert house, St. Michael’s Lutheran Church and school, and many, many others.
Landmarked: No

The story: There are 19th century architects who dominate certain areas in which they lived and worked. Amzi Hill and his son Henry designed blocks and blocks of Bedford and Stuyvesant Heights, while George P. Chappell held his own in Crown Heights, to name two. Theobald Engelhardt owned Bushwick and the Eastern district. There were certainly other architects working in that fast growing and mostly German enclave, but Englehardt was the go-to man for everything from factories and breweries to churches, civic halls, flats and tenements, row houses and mansions.

You can’t walk down much of Bushwick Avenue without passing an Engelhardt building. Since he could do anything, it comes as little surprise that he designed these two wood framed row houses. They were built in 1889 for respectable and solid middle class folk as a viable alternative for a one family masonry brownstone or brick house. The houses are wide, at 25 feet, and quite comfortable in scale. They have front porches from which one can watch the world go by, and considering their early owners, that must have been very convenient for them.

710’s first owners were Daniel Blinn and his wife and daughter. They moved here from nearby Montrose Street. Blinn was in the beer business, like many people in Bushwick, and was the business manager for the Ernest Ochs Brewery. He had worked for Ochs for much of his career, and was well known in Brooklyn’s beer industry as a spokesman for the brewery. His daughter was married here at the house in 1899, with a large reception at a nearby hall, followed by a family dinner here. Blinn was also a Mason, and a member of the Bushwick Club and the Gambrinus Bowling Club.
He died here at home of a sudden heart attack in 1900. He had come home after a day at the office, where he had been employed for 17 years, and suddenly clutched his heart and dropped dead. He was only 46. His funeral was here at home, as well, and he is buried in Green-Wood Cemetery.

Daniel Blinn’s next door neighbor was Alfred Winkopp, who was also the first owner of his home, at 712 Bushwick Avenue. He was the manager of Arion Hall, the home of the Arion Singing Society, the most well-known of Bushwick’s popular German singing clubs. It was only six blocks from here. Amateur choral and solo singing has a long history in German society, and was so popular that the Arion Society had built a hall for concerts and events. It still stands, and is now housing. Theobald Engelhardt was the architect of Arion Hall, and was also a member, as well, connecting him to Winkopp and all three buildings. It was indeed, a small world.

Winkopp was the hall manager, and was also a member of the Society. He was well-known for his beautiful tenor voice. His musical talents must have been passed on, as his daughter was also a local soloist, and in fact, sang several solo hymns at Daniel Blinn’s funeral service. The Arion Society started as a chorus, but soon grew to include several other branches, of both a recreational and charitable nature. Winkopp was the secretary of the Arion Gun Club, which sponsored target shooting, also a popular German pastime. As manager of the hall, he also threw an annual banquet and vaudeville party night, which was the toast of Bushwick.

By 1913, the former Blinn house belonged to Morris Shabshio, his wife Bessie, and their six children. Bessie had a small dry goods store on Humboldt Street, which she had established six years before, with the savings of herself and her children. They now ranged in age from 16 to 34. Morris Shabshio had abandoned his family in 1895, and according to all accounts, had run off to Chicago and another woman. In September of 1913, Bessie was in her store by herself when Morris walked in.

He told her that he wanted her to take him back, and a fight ensued. He told her he had done the wrong thing by leaving her all those years ago, but she should forgive him and take him back. Bessie, quite understandably, was furious, and was heard to tell him that she had gotten along without him for 17 years, and she didn’t need him now. She further told him that he had taken their savings and left her with six kids, and had run off to be with another woman. He could just leave and go back to her.

He warned her there would be consequences if he didn’t take her back, but she told him she was going to call the police. By this time, a crowd of people who lived in the building above the store had gathered, as they were quite loud. They had gone to the back of the store, and suddenly shots rang out. When the police got there, they discovered that Shabshio had shot Bessie in the head, killing her instantly, and then turned the gun on himself. He lay bleeding on the floor, and was taken to the hospital where he died.

This horrible tragedy was the last instance of the residents of 710 or 712 Bushwick making the news. Today, they are both two family dwellings. GMAP

(Photograph: Christopher Bride for PropertyShark)


What's Your Take? Leave a Comment

  1. A very interesting article. I’m glad that I was able to catch it. I frankly was a bit surprised that these building were constructed as late as 1889. I thought they were closer in age to the South Bushwick Church. But anyhow, you did the research. I am particularly interested in identifying any remaining Bushwick – or perhaps I should say Bowrensville – properties from the 1850-60’s period. If you know of any, please tell me about them. I can be reached at jdereszewski@gmail.com

    Hopefully talk soon.