Building of the Day: 1290 Pacific 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: 1290 Pacific Street, between Nostrand and New York
Name: Private House
Neighborhood: Crown Heights North
Year Built: 1890
Architectural Style: Renaissance Revival
Architects: J.C. Cady
Landmarked: Yes

Why chosen: J.C. Cady was an extremely talented architect with several significant buildings to his credit, located throughout the New York metropolitan area. His firm designed the old Metropolitan Opera House, on Broadway and 40th St, the south wing of the Museum of Natural History, and NY Presbyterian Hospital. In Brooklyn, most of his buildings were exceptionally fine churches, such as the German Lutheran Church in Bklyn Hts, St. Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran Church in Williamsburg, and one of my favorites, the Union United Methodist Church, around the corner from this house, on NY Avenue. The LPC lists it as a Renaissance Revival building, I’d say a profound Northern Italian Renaissance, with almost a transition into what will be called a classic four-square, with the broad pitched roof and generally square shape, although it’s a bit tall. The porch is very Colonial Revival, and the house is in a very dark brick. These elements and the turret on the left side make this house an interesting combination of styles. It’s still a very impressive house, and has always been well cared for, and is remarkably intact. At one time, this building was one of a number of free-standing mansions on this block. There were large houses on either side, and across the street. Today, only one other remains, 1284, a five story house built in 1893, which has just been rehabbed into rental apartments, which is next door to the right of this house. This house has been on the market off and on for some time.

Photo: Property Shark