Building of the Day: 849-855 Jefferson Avenue

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: 849-855 Jefferson Avenue, between Patchen and Ralph Avenues
Name: Row Houses
Neighborhood: Bedford Stuyvesant
Year Built: 1893
Architectural Style: Queen Anne with Gothic details
Architects: Otto J. Gette
Landmarked: No

A sketch of a group of eclectic row houses on Jefferson Avenue offered for sale on an art print website led me to a physical search for these houses, to see if they still existed. The houses were built for developer Charles Palmer, a familiar name in Bed Stuy’s development.

The group is comprised of 2 sets of 2 houses in an ABAB pattern. They have a Neo-Gothic flare, with Gothic tracery, quatrefoil elements, shield holding dragonettes, tiny turret dormers, ornate pressed metal fleur-de-lis, and scallop shells with cartouches.

Replacement doors and removal of the Mediterranean roof tiles from some of the houses has blunted the overall intention of the architect, but these are still a fine group of buildings, and are quite different from anything else in the neighborhood, and are a visual treat on this block.

The architect, Otto J. Gette, is not a familiar one to me, but he obviously had imagination and skill. This far eastern part of Bed Stuy is not as well known as points west, but has quiet tree lined blocks with some fine architecture, both residential and religious. I’ll have more from this area in the future.

[Photos by Suzanne Spellen]