Building of the Day: 284 Clinton Avenue
The Building of the Day 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: 284 Clinton Avenue, between DeKalb and Willoughby avenues Name: Former William W. Crane House Neighborhood:…
The Building of the Day 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: 284 Clinton Avenue, between DeKalb and Willoughby avenues
Name: Former William W. Crane House
Neighborhood: Clinton Hill (Clinton Hill Historic District)
Year Built: 1854
Architectural Style: Gothic Revival, with facade re-shingled around 1884
Architect: Unknown
Landmarked: Yes
Built when Clinton Hill was a suburban retreat, this classic Gothic Revival villa is a rare gem, both for its style, and for its remarkable good condition. Note the Gothic details on the fence, porch, and in the bargeboard over the entryway.
The house was built for fancy goods dealer William W. Crane, and was probably modernized by new owner, oilman Richard J. Chard, in 1884. By this time, Clinton Hill was a very posh neighborhood, and the new shingles echo the upscale Shingle Style houses being built at this time.
Originally, the grounds for the house extended to DeKalb Avenue. GMAP
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There are two interior photographs in the amazing Nooney Brooklyn Photographs Collection. Copy and paste this link for the first one. Click next below the photo for the second.
http://digitalgallery.nypl.org/nypldigital/dgkeysearchdetail.cfm?trg=1&strucID=1055685&imageID=1563613&total=576&num=40&word=col_id%3A622&s=1¬word=&d=&c=&f=&k=0&lWord=&lField=&sScope=images&sLevel=&sLabel=At%20Home%20in%20Brooklyn%3A%20The%20Nooney%20Brooklyn…&imgs=20&pos=46&e=w
This house has always nudged slightly past the yellow Joseph Steele house at Vanderbilt and Lafayette among my neighbourhood favourites. I especially love that both have remained single-family homes and haven’t been cut up into dozens of studio and 1-bdrm apts like a few of the other Clinton Ave. mansions.
Ah, ya know whatcha oughta do here? Vinyl siding! Low maintenance, you’ll never hafta paint again! It comes in wood grain now, you’ll neveh know da difference!
This is one of my favorites, too. When I first came to Brooklyn, to visit my friend who was going to Pratt, I saw this place. That was in 1977, when Clinton Hill was a different place, and this house still stood out as a well preserved, well cared for home. I’ve loved it ever since.
Looks like Stuart Little’s house.
wow, so cool!
Whoever lives there is very fortunate. Gorgeous home.
Always liked the curved front doors, with curved glass, on this place. The building next store that took up part of this place’s original lot used to have a nice old facade – you can still see remnants of it in the back.
Quote of the Day
“You fool, that’s a load-bearing candy cane…”
-DitmasSnark
I have always loved this house. It must have been really wonderful when the lot extended to Dekalb.