Building of the Day: 8-12 Polhemus 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: 8-12 Polhemus Place, between Carroll and Garfield Name: Private Houses Neighborhood: Park Slope Year Built:1893 Architectural Style: Eclectic…
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: 8-12 Polhemus Place, between Carroll and Garfield
Name: Private Houses
Neighborhood: Park Slope
Year Built:1893
Architectural Style: Eclectic
Architect: Edward Betts
Landmarked: Yes
Why chosen: Here’s another eclectic group of row houses that have to be seen as a whole. At first glance they seem to be one very large house, with two symmetrical sides and a contrasting middle. There’s a little of everything going on here, bays, oriels, balconies, deep bracketed cornices, carved ornamental shields and cartouches, those wonderfully unnecessary twin tiled roofs over the end second floor bays, which look like they are crowding out the multiple brackets supporting the top floor balconies. Topped off by that rather unlikely peaked tile roof on the middle house. I love them. Betts just threw together disparate elements, and they work, creating one of the most interesting groups of turn of the century houses in the Slope.
Those crazy Victorians!
One of my favorite blocks along with Fiske Pl
Montrose, this is the type of architecture I was referring to when I commented on yesterday’s post on 17 Evans Street:
“Back in the 19th century, when developers often built ‘apartment blocks’ of buildings in a coordinated architectural style, it was quite common for the building in the center or on the corner to be more elaborate.”
No comparing the two, of course. These are exquisite.
Great choice to feature. I’m glad they have survived in such good shape.
This is a kind of Frankenstein that is easy to love!
Now this looks like Barcelona.
(Yesterday we were discussing Mediterranean versus Nerditerranean)
These houses make up a very sophisticated ensemble. They represent the best in innovative design (seen in these parts) from the turn of the last century. Quite extraordinary. Love ’em!
And love the name “Polhemus”.
I agree Montrose. The three are so balanced that taken together, it absolutely looks like a single structure. Like some limestone mansion. Beautiful! And again, how I wish we had development and architecture even approaching that today.