Building of the Day: 13 Pineapple 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:13 Pineapple Street, between Willow St. and Columbia Heights Name: Private House Neighborhood: Brooklyn Heights Year Built:1830 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:13 Pineapple Street, between Willow St. and Columbia Heights
Name: Private House
Neighborhood: Brooklyn Heights
Year Built:1830
Architectural Style: Federal, with upgrades
Architects: Unknown
Landmarked: Yes
Why chosen: Look at this beauty! For many people, this house is the classic Brooklyn Heights house. Its extra wide, 5 windows across, with Federal era 6 over 6 windows. The Italianate style cornice was added sometime in the late 1800’s, and the garage and stoop are 20th century additions. The dark grey paint job, highlighted by bright white trim give the house even more street appeal. Even though it is not stylistically pure, it evokes the best of Brooklyn Height’s early days.
Silly people. Of course, due to perspective generated by a digital camera, any building in the world will look like it’s tilting. When photos were taken with a box camera it was possible to tilt the bellows so as to defeat the receding perspective.
This house is sound and well maintained; I live up the street from it and pass it every day. There’s a gorgeous grandfather clock visible from the street, and the furnishings are first rate. Alas, I met the owner on 9/11, when we were standing outside watching stuff fall from the sky.
The house to the left, barely visible, on the corner of Columbia Heights is also gorgeous, having been repointed recently and stripped of its paint. There is a large bay window on the Pineapple Street side, through which ornate furnishings and a grand piano are visible. Its back yard abuts 13 Pineapple.
Amazing house.
Yes.
OK – two comments — it’s an effing beauty.
Just one comment… that house is HUGE! Jaysus.
If you walk past the house you will see that it leans significantly and looks almost precarious. I can imagine what it would cost to “straighten” it. I suspect that the floors inside, doorways, and walls are all slanted; if I were the owner I would be alarmed.
Once again I’m in agreement with Minard. The very least that they could do is install a more period-looking carriage house style door.
In person, the stoop looks beautiful; ancient and quaint. What doesn’t look so great is the garage. It should be recessed a bit from the front facade allowing the facade to stand free or as they said in the old days “proud” of the side addition.
The stoop is the only part that doesn’t look so good. MM, do you have any idea about what the original stairs looked like?