Building of the Day: 70 Havemeyer 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: 70 Havemeyer Street, corner of North 5th St. Name: Church of the Annunciation School Neighborhood: Williamsburg Year Built:…
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: 70 Havemeyer Street, corner of North 5th St.
Name: Church of the Annunciation School
Neighborhood: Williamsburg
Year Built: 1889-1893
Architectural Style: Romanesque Revival
Architects: Unknown F.J. Berlenbach, Jr.
Landmarked: No
Why chosen: Look Ma, Williamsburg! This is a great old school and a great introduction to Williamsburg. The school was built by the Church of the Annunciation, which is just across the street, and they also had a convent and an orphan asylum nearby. The church will be covered here at another time, but was founded by German Catholic immigrants who settled much of Williamsburg in the mid 19th century. The congregation started to plan for the school and raise funds in 1889, and the premits were issued in 1893. It was run by the Sisters of St. Dominic, this particular group of Dominican sisters were from Regensburg, Bavaria, and they lived next door in their convent. Their building is now condos. The school was in existence until 1973, and has an alumni website. The building itself is a classic Victorian pile, with large windows, and a very nice corner tower with a turret and bell tower, dormers and some very well done long arched windows. The tower face sports elegant carved signage in Latin with the name of the school. The font is really great, as is the delicate carved ornament. Today the school is an alternative learning center for children and home to the Williamsburg Northside Preschool Annex.
Actually, Fillmore Place in Williamsburg was landmarked last year (just south of Metropolitan Ave between Driggs and Roebling). Henry Miller actually lived on the corner of Driggs Ave at one point, and described Fillmore Place in Tropic of Capricorn: “It was the ideal street—for a boy, a lover, a maniac, a drunkard, a crook, a lecher, a thug, an astronomer, a musician, a poet, a tailor, a shoemaker, a politician.†Don’t know how that compares to its current inhabitants.
All I’m trying to say is …. the G-train goes there.
Ditto, are you trying to say something here?
The pencil factory is in Greenpoint? Then that reinforces my view that the landmarks commission has a williamsburg phobia.
The pencil factory is in Greenpoint, not Williamsburg. Right by the Greenpoint Historic District, and not far from the Astral and the excellent Mechanics and Traders bank. Hint Hint.
Actually, I do recognize this building from a list put together by the MAS some years back. Most of Williamsburg is devoid of landmarks. The Commission must have been scared off years ago and has never dared return. They did designate a pencil factory last year I think.
whoops, not 160 years but over a century….
Beautiful, MM. It is great that it is still a school. So many “conversions” seem to lose in the translation and how cool to think of 160 years of learning there. Very pretty building too.
Very funny!