Building of the Day: 998-1006 Atlantic Avenue

Brooklyn, one building at a time.

Name: Former automobile dealership or service center
Address: 998-1006 Atlantic Avenue
Cross Streets: Grand and Classon Avenues
Neighborhood: Crown Heights
Year Built: 1920s
Architectural Style: 1920s brick factory with some Renaissance Revival touches
Architect: Unknown
Landmarked: No

The story: Before this building was constructed, there were homes here, both private houses and flats buildings. Whenever I research Atlantic Avenue, I come across many newspaper stories about the people who used to live here. The avenue was much different in the 1880s. For one thing, the LIRR tracks ran down the center of the street, on street level, dividing the thoroughfare. The tracks weren’t buried or elevated until the early 20th century. In spite of the noise and pollution, many people called this street home. There were people living at these addresses until at least 1920.

I couldn’t find out any specific info as to who built this building, the architect, or for what business. I think it was a showroom or service center for the automobile business. The building was built, like many other such places nearby, in the 1920s. During that time, almost all of the residential buildings on Atlantic from downtown to Bedford Stuyvesant were replaced by buildings related to the auto trade.

The first and only mention of this address after its residential history was in 1941. That year, an anonymous and generous donor gave the Industrial Home for the Blind the funds to purchase this building to remodel it as a factory for the manufacturing businesses of the charity. The Brooklyn Eagle announced in June of 1941 that the building would be ready to go into operation later that year.

In October, the building re-opened as the Miller Memorial. The ribbon cutting was performed by Governor Lehman. At that time, 75 blind men were employed at the factory, making rubber mats, wooden flats, boxes for manufacturing use, and mops for the Army, Navy and Marine war effort. By 1942, they had upped their workforce to 190 men, and were making several different products for the armed forces. An Eagle article highlighted their war efforts, saying that these blind men were also serving their country, even though they could not wield a gun.

The facility remained through 1980, or so. The 1982 tax photo below shows the facility seemingly still in operation. The windows were bricked in from its earlier showroom days; I guess they thought the blind didn’t need windows, or the noisy distractions of Atlantic Avenue. Unfortunately, city records show that the Industrial Home for the Blind/Heller Keller Services for the Blind lost the building to tax liens to the City in 1998.

The building was sold in 2007, and there have been tax liens on it since. According to Property Shark, the property was purchased less than a month ago for $5.1 million. Take pictures, if you happen to be in the area. This piece of automotive and charitable history won’t be here much longer.

(Photo: S.Spellen)

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