Building of the Day: 566 Hancock St.
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: 566 Hancock Street, corner of Stuyvesant Avenue Name: Flats Building with retail Neighborhood: Stuyvesant Heights Year Built: 1890’s…
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: 566 Hancock Street, corner of Stuyvesant Avenue
Name: Flats Building with retail
Neighborhood: Stuyvesant Heights
Year Built: 1890’s
Architectural Style: Renaissance Revival
Architects: Unknown
Landmarked: No
I hate to see a once beautiful building in ruins. This was once a very well designed, beautiful building, with 6 apartments and 3 retail spaces.
Look at the ornate white terra-cotta trim, the alternating bands of white limestone and grey, and brick, and the corner tower encased in pressed metal, with garlands, metal colonettes, ornate brackets and pressed metal scalloped roofing on the turret.
The building has been on the skids for a long time, and was closed up in 2006 when the Property Shark photo was taken. The fire happened in 2009, and it revealed many things.
First of all, this beauty is tough. The fire destroyed a lot of the interior, and was heaviest on the roof and Hancock St. rear turret, but the exterior could be rebuilt and restored.
We see how the structure was built, with steel and iron in the framework of the turret, the skeleton still holding up. We can also see bits of the interior, with pieces of turned fretwork still visible in the ruins.
I don’t know why the owner was holding onto it without renovating it for all these years. I don’t know what caused the fire in an abandoned building. I don’t know why, over a year and a half later, nothing has been done.
Of course I have my opinions. I do hope that this fire is not an excuse to tear down one of the most beautiful retail/flats buildings in the area.
This can be restored to its former glory, and re-opened as needed housing and retail for the ever growing Stuyvesant Heights community. I hope to see that happening soon. This building was discussed on Brownstoner last year.
[Photos by Suzanne Spellen]
interesting construction details, looks like the pressed zinc cladding on the corner towers was attached to iron straps. The building could be restored and the missing pieces replicated either in kind or in a synthetic such as GFRC. All it would take is money, honesty, and competence.