Building of the Day: 377 Prospect Place
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: 377 Prospect Place, between Underhill and Washington Name: Private House Neighborhood: Prospect Heights Year Built: Unknown Architectural Style:…
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: 377 Prospect Place, between Underhill and Washington
Name: Private House
Neighborhood: Prospect Heights
Year Built: Unknown
Architectural Style: Neo-Grec, sorta kinda
Architects: Unknown
Landmarked: No
Why chosen: Here’s another is my collection of ordinary houses. They are vernacular houses built for people of modest means, usually nothing fancy, perhaps the Fedders of their day, but they still have a charm unlike the ordinary houses usually built today. This one is a stylistic jambalaya. Stoopless row houses are pretty rare in Brooklyn. This house and its neighbor are two of a kind on this mixed use residential/industrial block. Two steps up, and you are at the door, more similar to homes in Philadelphia or Baltimore, not usually Brooklyn. There Is an empty house next door, and this house has side windows, so that lot has been empty a very long time. The basic shape and materials of the houses says Greek Revival, but the decorative incised patterns on the lintels and doorway are textbook Neo-Grec. And then you have that cornice with the Mediterranean tiled roof! A roof that doesn’t extend from the top of the building, but a foot or so down. An awning, really, with great brackets. Were they added later? Part of the original design? Is the front door transom original, and what did the original door look like? Were these houses built well before the commercial buildings, are they survivors of Prospect Heights’ earlier days? So many questions for such a small and ordinary workingman’s house. Mysteries waiting to be solved.
“As to my getting around, since none of you are paying my bills, please excuse me if I get defensive when people “suggest” that I should go to far flung areas on time I do not have.”
Montrose;
If you go to my post, you will see that I asked Mr. B to pay you more money to compensate for the time it would take to go to these other areas. You may also recall that I had written to you about one or two months ago that you were doing a great job in this column.
I once again repeat that my comments were directed to Mr. B. Somehow, that got taken as an insult towards you.
So long. I’m outta here. I have no time for the petty $hit.
MM, While I understand the impulse, I, for another, don’t think you need to defend yourself against antagonistic un-constructive (and destructive) criticism. I think some people are failing to appreciate that this is a mainly a labor of love.
I really appreciate the beautiful job you do with the interesting selections, the photography and your writing. I’ve noticed that you are particularly open to helpful information from Minard and others. Per DH’s comment— I don’t comment outside the Open Thread much any more precisely because of the antagonistic nature of some comments. That said, I do read quite a bit when I have the time, and ALWAYS enjoy your posts. I should step up and say that more often!
Thank you for doing what you do, it’s wonderful and very much appreciated. (Can’t wait to see some Cobble Hill buildings! Let me know if I can contribute/help in anyway.)
benson, if those aren’t the kind of houses you’re talking about, please show us what you do mean – I already posted a Forgotten New York link with older houses in Gravesend, but apparently that wasn’t what you wanted either. Seriously, why not send in a picture of a house you admire in one of these neighborhoods, hopefully give a bit of its history, and explain why you like it. Otherwise, you are just a troll, determined to criticize everything that anyone says.
Sorry Big Jugs, but I have a nice healthy ego. Since you have NEVER said one nice thing about anything I’ve ever written, ever, you don’t really count in my book.
I don’t write about Bklyn Heights all that much. I DO write about Crown Heights and Bed Stuy a lot because both of those neighborhoods are under served when it comes to serious looks at their magnificent architecture. And I do cover the Brownstone belt because that is where I live, and where I have easy access. So sorry if that doesn’t work for you. Might I also suggest you look up at the title of this blog.
As to my getting around, since none of you are paying my bills, please excuse me if I get defensive when people “suggest” that I should go to far flung areas on time I do not have. I do this because I love architecture, history and communities, not because I get paid megabucks. I am not Christopher Gray, or some highly paid reporter who can hop in my car and spend all day taking photos all across Brooklyn, and then have my staff research the properties while I write up my pieces. I do the best I can with what I have. While I do this, I am also trying to make a living elsewhere. There’s only so much time in the day, and so my trips tend to be pretty local.
Now that may sound defensive, and maybe it is. So be it. I am very glad for the positive feedback of people who comment almost every day, like Minard, Pigeon, WBer and others. You are the ones who have liked what I do, and I can only judge how I’m doing from the feedback. People like Big Jugs, for whom this may be his second comment ever, his other one was negative as well, well, what can I say?
Again, if anyone wants to drive me around to their underrepresented parts of Brooklyn, I would greatly appreciate it. You think I don’t know there is much I haven’t covered? I would love to add to the neighborhoods and add to the number of great buildings that need to be investigated. Please also note that part of the reason the Brownstone belt works so well is that there is research material available. Unfortunately, outside of prominant landmarks, much of the rest of Brooklyn just doesn’t have any research done on it, at least not on line. I’d like to be able to write some facts about these great neighborhoods, too. This is so much harder than some of you armchair critics think it is.
I plan to add Williamsburg and Cobble Hill to my must see list this fall, so there will be long overdue entries from those neighborhoods, as well as elsewhere. I appreciate constructive criticism, and welcome suggestions, as well. Thank you.
To get back to the building, it sure looks like a late 1870s/early 1880s Neo-Grec rowhouse – a little out of the ordinary because it has such a low basement (more typical of Greek Revival or Federal period). The Mediterranean touches are most likely from the very late 1910s or 1920s. It was very common to “modernize” rowhouses during this period, and the Mediterranean/California style was a common motif (Tudor/Jacobethan was another). This is (to me) a not particularly interesting example of this rowhouse modernization craze – for more examples, look at Andrew Dolkart’s recent book “The Rowhouse Reborn”.
As for the other topic of the day, I would love to see buildings from other neighborhoods, but I also think MM has very good taste in the buildings she chooses – particularly ones like this that take a second (or third) look before you start to appreciate them. Which is probably why I am usually one of the 5 people commenting every day!
“Funny, this post is an exception, as “Building of the day” rarely gets more than 5 responses. ”
i bet quite a few people read them. not every thread needs to have 50 comments of people spouting off nonsense.
I agree with Benson and have often thought the same sentiment that he notes here. Brooklyn is a big place and MM rarely ventures beyond the brownstone belt; she is particularly partial to Crown Heights and Brooklyn Heights. Being without a car is a poor excuse, given the extensive public transit network in our borough.
Also noteworthy is her defensive response. Rather than address Benson’s points, she dismisses his critique as a personal attack and refuses to debate. Typical of a fragile ego.
Funny, this post is an exception, as “Building of the day” rarely gets more than 5 responses.
Your Building of the Day postings are ALWAYS interesting and entertaining to me. IMHO, you’ve got great taste and a keen eye and if you choose to zero in on certain areas, that’s certainly your prerogative. And this area of BK is definitely deserving of a spotlight in terms of its architecture. The number of masterpieces there is amazing. Your postings are certainly one of the reasons I come back to Brownstoner at all. And people should try to keep on topic.
Of this present house, I think I’d like to see the “parlor” floor windows lengthened. Was there a stoop at one time? I kind of like the transom. I wonder what it originally sold for?
sheesh – that was painful to read
nice building – kinda slanted though