Brooklyn Heights Brooklyn -- 6 Pierrepont St History

Brooklyn, one building at a time.

Name: Originally the Mrs. Hallie I. James House
Address: 6 Pierrepont Street, between Pierrrepont and Willow Places
Neighborhood: Brooklyn Heights
Year Built: 1890
Architectural Style: Romanesque Revival
Architects: Parfitt Brothers
Other buildings by architects: In Heights – The Montague, Grosvenor, and Berkeley Apartment buildings, on Montague, Franklin Building, on Remsen St. Elsewhere – St. Augustine’s, PS, Truslow House, CHN.
Landmarked: Yes, part of Brooklyn Heights Historic District

This house, tucked away at the beginning of Pierrepont, and surrounded by later, white and gold bricked Renaissance Revival houses and a 20th century apartment building, is one of my favorite houses in Brooklyn Heights.

It is so exuberantly over the top, and a masterpiece of the ornamenter’s art. Search as I might, I couldn’t find out anything about Mrs. James. I believe she was related by marriage to one of the top families in the Heights, maybe even the Pierrepont’s, but I can’t back that up.

Whoever she was, she had some bucks, as this is a primo location for a house, then and now. She would have had a harbor view, especially from her upper stories.

Brooklyn Heights Brooklyn -- 6 Pierrepont St History

To get to the front door, one would have to go up those amazing stairs, richly ornamented in Byzantine leaf carving, and then arriving at the glass doors with elaborate wrought iron trim.

One can only imagine that the entryway and rooms therein were also suitably impressive. The Parfitt Brothers were English-born architects who were extremely influential in the shaping of Brooklyn’s architectural legacy.

They were masters of the Romanesque Revival style, at its peak in 1890, and were able to grow and design in later styles, as the RR style went out of favor. Their buildings can be found in many of our brownstone neighborhoods, and they were experts in residential, religious, commercial and civic architecture.

Brooklyn Heights Brooklyn -- 6 Pierrepont St History

This house is textbook Romanesque Revival, the arched doorways and windows, the use of different textures and building materials, stained glass, carved stone and terra-cotta, and ornamental ironwork.

Together they present a visual treat for the passer-by, begging for people to stop and really look at all of the elements. This is a great house.

Brooklyn Heights Brooklyn -- 6 Pierrepont St History

Brooklyn Heights Brooklyn -- 6 Pierrepont St History

[Photos by Suzanne Spellen]


What's Your Take? Leave a Comment

  1. It’s Hattie James, wife of stockbroker John S. James. He was active with BAM, Brooklyn Museum, horse and art affairs in Brooklyn.

    I don’t find this house as satisfying as the best Parfitt commissions – not so inventive, indeed done before, and better, like Henry Kilburn’s 1887 house at 109 East 39th for Helena Flint.

    Christopher Gray