Architecture 101: 321 Clinton Avenue
The house at 321 Clinton Avenue (just in from Lafayette) is a grand double brownstone that incorporates aspects of both the Italianate and neo-Grec styles. The Doric entrance portico and the projecting wooden cornice topped by a pediment are perhaps the most eye-catching elements in the design. Construction began on this house in 1874 when…
The house at 321 Clinton Avenue (just in from Lafayette) is a grand double brownstone that incorporates aspects of both the Italianate and neo-Grec styles. The Doric entrance portico and the projecting wooden cornice topped by a pediment are perhaps the most eye-catching elements in the design.
Construction began on this house in 1874 when James H. Lounsbery, an associate of Charles Pratt, commissioned the architect Ebenezer Roberts. Lounsbery didn’t live to see the completion of the project and in 1877 the house was sold to a tea merchant named David Harrison Houghtaling. In 1894, a dry goods importer named Hiram Braman bought the house; Braman occupied the house until 1931 when it was sold to the Woodward School which held onto it until the late 1970s, when it became vacant for a number of years. As far as we can tell from Property Shark, the building was turned into a co-op in 1987. Has anyone been any of the apartments? Viewed from the outside, it looks like they have retained much of their original woodwork. Have any of these places changed hands recently?
GMAP P*Shark
I went to school @ Woodward School in 1947/8 and remember being served a hot lunch in the walk-out back basement room. Linen service and great food. Beautiful rooms if I remember that far back.
I also went to Woodward, and graduated in 1973. The carriage house in the back had a Waverly Avenue entrance. It was a school that employed many teachers who were black-listed in the 50’s. Bobby Fischer went there in the 50’s, as did Arlo Guthrie. Lawrence Fishburne was in my brother’s class, two years behind me.
I also have very good memories of this building, although I was only a student at Woodward for two years. Our classroom for both years was the 1st floor, left side. (and in 1972 was the stage for a magnificent 2nd-grade production of The Wizard of Oz!) I stopped by to see it one day in the early ’80s, and it was in terrible shape. It’s nice to see that it’s in better shape now!
i have very fond memories of 321 clinton ave i was a grade school student at woodward from 1963 to 1972. I do remember almost all class rooms had beautiful fireplaces and mirrors.I would love to come by one day and say hello to a very special time so long ago in my life
we saw the front left apt, a three bedroom duplex back in ’02. I think they were asking close to 500,000 if i remember correctly. the top floor (ground floor) was a gorgeous but small kitchen and living room with a huge original mirror. it was so beautiful but felt so public, like we would need to keep the shutters closed at all times. The bottom floor was dark and had three small bedrooms. we passed.
We used to live here, in the 1 bed. unit on the 2nd floor (right hand side if you’re facing the building). It was a great apt. with floor-to-ceiling windows on 3 sides, incredible light, 12′ ceilings, 2 ornate oak fireplace surrounds with mirrors, WBFP and a tiny bit of private roof access in the back (which we used to store our firewood). Only real drawback was the tiny and oddly situated kitchen. It was a dream apt. for a couple, but we had a baby and eventually traded in for a 2-family townhouse in Bed-Stuy. Hope the new owners are enjoying it as much as we did!
i looked at the apartment on the second floor, in the front left. it is a 2 bedroom, 1 bath. 800-850 sf apartment with two small balconies (used, but not meant us such)one aboe the portico, and the little triangular one to the left. they were asking about $595k, and the maintenance was low at about $300 or $400. it was in great condition, it had been very nicely renovated, new kitchen and bathroom, and the original hard wood floors were beautiful. it was last summer, and we were involved in a bidding war, our third one at the time, and we were out bided by a quite a bit, our final offer was somewhere around $625k and (as per the corcoran broker)were nowhere near the final bid. but it all worked for the best, we ended up buying at the ping-pong building, and couldn’t be happier with the great loft we got.
Yes this is true about sales and the apartment values have appreciated alot in the last 5 years or so. I do know that at least one of the sellers traded up to a house in Clinton Hill.
Ha! This is my building. I just closed on a unit here in July. We fell in love with the building as soon as we saw it. The best thing is drinking coffee on the stoop and watching people walk by and stare in awe. The building is in decent shape, but needs some work, and a lot of the units have some amazing original details, like 14 foot pier mirrors and huge original moldings. The entrance doors are beautiful.
The building went co-op in ’83.
Thanks for the history, is any more available? I was told Laurence Fishborn attended school here, but who knows.