Building of the Day: 364 Washington Avenue

Brooklyn, one building at a time.

Name: Private house
Address: 364 Washington Avenue
Cross Streets: Lafayette and Greene Avenues
Neighborhood: Clinton Hill
Year Built: 1863-1864
Architectural Style: Italianate
Architect: Unknown
Landmarked: Yes, part of Clinton Hill HD (1981)

The story: Clinton Hill is one of my favorite neighborhoods for a couple of reasons. It’s my first Brooklyn neighborhood, for one. When I first came to Brooklyn, years before I actually moved here, I stayed there with my friend, a Pratt student, and we wandered around a very different Clinton Hill, and I’ve always loved it, and always wanted to move to Brooklyn because of it. The other reason is that it is such a microcosm of Brooklyn’s architectural history. There are buildings there that were built in the 1830’s and 40’s on up through the 19th century, and into the 20th and even the 21st. From humble worker’s homes, to the mansions of their employers, to apartment buildings, churches, schools and clubs, there is a wealth of architecture there that would be the envy of any small city. This house is a great example of the diversity of architecture.

This is a pretty house. I honestly don’t see how anyone could look at it and not say that. Built in 1863-64, at a time when pattern books and drawings were the only architect a builder needed, this house was built during Clinton Hill’s years as a pleasant, growing, upper-middle class neighborhood, before its resurgence as the go-to neighborhood for the rich during the 1880’s. One of the first residents of the house was a Mr. Franklin Bell, a piano dealer.

The house is brick with a stucco coating. It retains most of its original detail, including the elegant porch and cornice. The dormer was added much later. The squared columns on the porch are quite fine, set on high plinths, with a very detailed bracketed and dentiled cornice. The parlor floor has full length windows, which complement the door, and above, on the second floor, the curved eyebrow lintels add to the gingerbread feeling of the house. The design is completed by the elegant modillioned cornice with the round arched frieze. A modillion is the bracket underneath the cornice. The south side of the house also has some great details, including an upper floor projecting bay. It’s quite a large and fine house.

Unfortunately, photo-wise, a large fir tree right in front of the house makes picture taking difficult, but even at an angle, it’s possible to see that the pastel color of the house, along with the white trim, makes this a standout on the block. The house was a much more drab yellow back in 2007, and a pale greyish-blue after that, in 2010. I really like the new paint job. I would think that one would feel very elegant, just going up to knock on the door. Nice. GMAP