Building of the Day: 201 Lafayette Street
The BOTD is a no-frills look at interesting structures of all types and from all neighborhoods. There will be old, new, important, forgotten, public, private, good and bad. Whatever strikes our fancy. We hope you enjoy. Address: 201 Lafayette Street, corner of Vanderbilt Avenue Name: Our Lady Queen of All Saints Roman Catholic Church…
The BOTD is a no-frills look at interesting structures of all types and from all neighborhoods. There will be old, new, important, forgotten, public, private, good and bad. Whatever strikes our fancy. We hope you enjoy.
Address: 201 Lafayette Street, corner of Vanderbilt Avenue
Name: Our Lady Queen of All Saints Roman Catholic Church
Neighborhood: Fort Greene
Year Built: 1910-1913
Architectural Style: French Gothic
Architects: Reilly and Steinback
Landmarked: Yes
In an area with some pretty impressive churches, this may be the most impressive of all. Partly because what you see is an seamlessly joined combination of school, church, and rectory, which makes QAS look even larger.
Gustave Steinback, the main architect, was one of the best Catholic Church architects working at this period, and he delivered an authentic looking French cathedral, reminiscent of Sainte-Chappelle in Paris, complete with flying buttresses, gargoyles, Gothic tracery, a wonderfully patinated copper roof, and stained glass; lots of stained glass.
The glass was designed by the Locke Decorative Company, whose president, Alan Locke, lived in Park Slope, in a house on Montgomery St designed by CPH Gilbert.
The school is intrinsically joined to the church, with entrances leading to the sanctuary. The buildings are made of cast stone, a concrete mixed with crushed stone particles, resulting in a building material that mimics natural stone, but is much stronger than natural limestone or other natural stones.
Cast stone has been used since Medieval times, but only became popular in the US in the early 20th century. Our Lady Queen of All Saints is a wonderfully designed and executed 20th century church, joining its neighbor, the Masonic Temple, to form one of the most impressive blocks in Brooklyn.
[Photos by Suzanne Spellen]
Now that’s what I call a gargoyle! Very interesting about the cast stone, I never knew that. It seems like so many good building ideas and techniques become lost and have to be rediscovered later on.
Montrose;
My “servant” comment was directed at Brenda, not you. She makes the comment that there is less of interest in Southern Brooklyn. Might it have to do with the fact that a great deal of the housing there was built for the working class, who cannot commission architects to design their home? Her comment was myopic, if one is interested in our city-at-large.
You’re doing a fine job. My only comment was about the geography of the BOTD, nothing more.
Montrose, the street is Lafayette Avenue, not Lafayette Street.
Benson, this week alone, I had a garage, a church, and a 1920’s house, as well as one bona fide mansion. Every week I feature ordinary middle class homes where a cadre of servants couldn’t fit in. I’ve also feature factories, industrial buildings, office buildings, stores, banks, churches, museums, as well as homes, big and small. What do you want?
Incidentally, when I featured a couple of middle class 20th century houses, both which happened to be in Crown Heights South, I got jumped on by those who thought those houses were unworthy of notice as architecture, or of the BOTD. I disagree, but goes to show, you can’t win.
Montrose, perhaps one of your servants could reconnoiter southern Brooklyn. Or I can lend you one of mine.
Brenda;
Please look at the description of this column above.
I know it may be hard to believe, but there might be people interested in looking at homes built for those who did not have a cadre of servants to look after them.
Plus, honestly, the pickings are slimmer south of Linden, once you get beyond ‘Victorian’ Flatbush. By the time much of southern Brooklyn was developed, builders were making everything look like Queens…
Montrose;
OK – busy now but maybe right after Labor Day I will chaffeur you around!
Benson, if you volunteer to drive me around South Brookyn, I will happily feature neighborhoods not seen here. In the meantime, I can only write about what I’ve seen, and I’ve only seen places that I can walk to, or easily get to on the train. I would love to be all things to all people, but I can’t. I do have to make a living, and as of yet, no one is paying me enough to have me spend all day, everyday, out on the road exploring. I really wish I could.