Mo Faux: What Lies Beneath in The Burg

As the Waterfront Preservation Alliance points out in its most recent blog post, the ubiquitous vinyl siding in North Brooklyn often was used to cover — as opposed to replace — the original facades of older buildings in the neighborhoods. In this example, the building at the corner of Metropolitan and Graham Avenues, captured at top by Bernice Abbott in 1937, clearly lost its cornice and tower. We wonder what's left underneath? Do you think the lintels survived?
Graham and Metropolitan [WPA]

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i dunno what's under there, but this reminds me: on classon just below lafayette there's a building that was clad in yellow aluminum siding. a few years ago they put on a brick facade right on top of the siding. if you look arond the windows you can still see evidence of what's below the brick. is this common? it seems like a bad idea to me.

Posted by: Jimmy Legs at March 15, 2007 10:12 AM

You can remove the vinyl siding, but can you remove the hipsters? Graham ave area is beautiful, but can we please confine the hipsters to Bedford Ave?

Posted by: Anonymous at March 15, 2007 11:20 AM

to answer your question, sometimes the lintels and other protruding details are chiseled down so the siding will lie flat. other times, firring strips are installed and the siding goes on top, preserving the original features. hard to tell without having a peek underneath, although it can be possible to guess from how deeply the windows are recessed.

Posted by: Anonymous at March 15, 2007 11:33 AM

What 11:33 said. Typically people would do as little demo as possible, so it is quite common to find architectural features remaining below the fake siding. My favorite faux siding detail is when the keep the cornice, but put siding over it.

Posted by: Halden at March 15, 2007 11:39 AM

jon,

This is exactly what's happening to that building on Reeve Place and Sherman St... they're covering up that beutiful red brick with crapola.

Posted by: todd at March 15, 2007 1:14 PM

Old pic looks like San Fran.

Posted by: Anonymous at March 15, 2007 1:44 PM

can somebody explain why they do this? are there any defenders of siding?

Posted by: pfa at March 15, 2007 2:28 PM

ask the poles, siding is a cultural treasure.

Posted by: Anonymous at March 16, 2007 8:30 AM

Poles prefer bricks. This being on Graham Ave in Williamsburg, I think the blame lies on the Italians.

Posted by: Anonymous at March 16, 2007 12:50 PM

or maybe it has nothing to do with ethnicity, and is a reflection of some post-war ethos that life should be maintenance free

Posted by: Anonymous at March 16, 2007 3:58 PM

wow, lets hope an anti-siding campaign is lost and Williamsburg becomes beautiful as opposed to the overpriced ugly place it is now

Posted by: anon at March 16, 2007 11:40 PM

oops, I meant an anit-siding campaign is launched.

Posted by: anon at March 16, 2007 11:47 PM

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March 15, 2007

Mo Faux: What Lies Beneath in The Burg

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