Brooklyn, one building at a time.

Name: Grace United Methodist Church, originally Grace Methodist Episcopal Church
Address: 33 Seventh Avenue
Cross Streets: Corner of St. John’s Place
Neighborhood: Park Slope
Year Built: 1882
Architectural Style: Victorian Gothic
Architect: Parfitt Brothers
Other buildings by architect: nearby St. Augustine’s RC Church, Montague, Grosvenor & Berkeley Apts in Brooklyn Hts, Truslow House in CHN, many, many other buildings in Brooklyn
Landmarked: Yes, part of Park Slope HD (1973)

The story: This is one of my favorite Brooklyn churches, designed by the Parfitt Brothers, one of the best architectural firms of the day. All three Parfitt brothers were educated in England before immigrating to the United States, so it comes as no surprise that they designed some of the best English-style Victorian buildings in Brooklyn. This church could easily be sitting in a small hyphenated town alongside a river with its handsome vicarage beside it. But here it is in Brooklyn, on a busy mixed commercial and residential street.

The Parfitts could design anything, and they were exceptionally good at churches. This church and nearby St. Augustine’s Roman Catholic Church, on 6th Avenue, are both theirs, and quite different in style, materials and intent. They were built 15 years apart, and are both exceptional buildings. This church is built of sandstone and brownstone, with terra-cotta trim. The front of the church faces 7th Avenue, and has a large stained glass window that takes up most of that facade.

The entrance is tucked into the right hand corner, in the bell tower, which originally had a tall octagonal spire. It broke off in a severe hurricane that struck New York City in 1944. The damaged spire was never repaired or replaced, but the design is not impaired in the least, as the tower is still substantial and well -designed enough to stand alone. For me, the best part of the church is the long nave, stretching back along St. Johns Place. Here the Parfitt’s got very English, channeling the Arts and Crafts Movement of William Morris and his cronies.

The mixture of Moorish and Gothic elements here is just delightful. Varicolored bands of stone, terra-cotta used in myriad ways, and lots of great stained glass and ornamental stone are used quite well. The windows are divided by paired buttresses that frame the arched windows. Set amongst them are round Gothic style stained glass windows, in a field of terra-cotta tiles. Carved Gothic/Medieval busts pop out from columns that have ornate foliate capitals. Stars of David motifs, Gothic trefoils and other details abound. One gets the feeling that the Parfitts had a great deal of fun with this building. Inside, the atmosphere is much more sedate, as traditional Methodist austerity is observed here, while outside, detail rules.

The 600 seat church and the adjoining Sunday school were dedicated on January 21, 1883. The parsonage, which is right next door, was built in 1887, also designed by the Parfitts. In 1940, the name of the church was changed to Grace Methodist Church, and in 1969, changed again to the present name of Grace United Methodist Church. The entire complex was included in the landmark district of Park Slope HD in 1973. In 1960, two planes collided over Park Slope, and the United Airlines plane crashed a block away, killing everyone on board, as well as six people on the ground. Grace Church was one of the many local churches to open its doors to rescue workers and neighborhood aid groups, and was a rescue center for the Red Cross during that horrible event. GMAP

Illustration shows original steeple.

Park Slope
More details have emerged on Dale Talde’s expansion into the old Aunt Suzie’s place, which should be “real, real casual” with cheap American bar food. It’s also “mullet friendly,” although we couldn’t tell you how many mullets you’d find around Park Slope. Here’s Park Slope suspects that the Puerto Rican restaurant on 5th Avenue El Sitio Borinquen is closed. He also wonders if MIX, the new restaurant in place of Barrio, has closed only after a month in biz. Signage went up on the forever-empty storefront at 7th Avenue and 14th Street that makes it seem like the place will sell bathroom supplies. Flatbush’s Parkside Diner, closed by the DOH, is reopening with new ownership, although it will remain a Greek diner.

Elsewhere
A food truck festival is in the possible works for Coney Island, reports Amusing the Zillion. The Red Hook Food Vendors are concerned by a new Parks Dept. regulation that gives preference to youth leagues for field permits, meaning the adult soccer leagues may have to move elsewhere. Manhattan restaurant Desnuda is expanding to Williamsburg as Desnuda Cevicheria at 221 South 1st Street. Williamsburg’s also getting a sewing and crafts store, sports lounge, and an eastern seaboard-style restaurant called Extra Fancy.

Retail madness has returned, with multiple offers on prime spaces in DTB and nearby ‘hoods. Taking prices are reaching 2007 numbers, and competition is intense. With Manhattan carpetbaggers like MOSCOT, the fancy optical on Court Street in Cobble Hill, multiple restaurants seeking spaces and local growth like the reloc of real estate big Elliman taking the old Chinese take-out space at Court and Degraw, we are in a new phase. Down in Dumbo, Two Trees has done six leases this winter and demand for spaces under 2000 sf far exceeds the limited supply.

Loft work spaces seeing price increases as well, both in Gowanus and Sunset Park. The new building in Dumbo/Vinegar hill – 231 Front – is asking as much or more than prime buildings between the Bridges. Restoration Plaza, the full block community asset at Fulton & New York Avenue, is ramping up its office leasing, hiring CBRE and marketing large spaces professionally. Close to completing its major plaza rebuild as well.