Building of the Day: 376 Vernon Avenue

Brooklyn, one building at a time.

Name: Warehouse
Address: 376 Vernon Avenue
Cross Streets: Lewis and Stuyvesant Avenues
Neighborhood: Bedford Stuyvesant
Year Built: Unknown, late 19th century
Architectural Style: Classical/Romanesque
Architect: Unknown
Landmarked: No

The story: Try as I might, I couldn’t find anything out about the history and architectural provenance of this great little warehouse. It sits on the Bedford Stuyvesant/Bushwick border, and appears on city maps in 1898. At the time, it was surrounded by other warehouses, in a mixed industrial/residential neighborhood.

Like the people who toiled in these types of buildings, the structure itself often fails to make a mark on the architectural or social history of a neighborhood. That’s a shame, as the people who built this building and worked in it, as well as the building, are an important part of the history of this city. Their work kept the higher ups in business, while providing a livelihood for themselves and their families.

I like this building. It must have been a great rich red brick at one time, which would highlight the great accents the architect/builder put into it in the form of the elegant brickwork on the frames of the arches. Even though this is a utilitarian building, it’s beautifully done. The façade is symmetrical, with the identical window arch over the side door, as well as the small window.

You can see the original door in the 1980’s tax photo: a great double barn door that opened out, a much better look than a security door. A shot of the side of the building shows the roof elevation getting lower as you go to the back, going from two stories down to one. Interesting. Today, the building has an interesting patina, as the greyish white paint is worn off to reveal the brick. It’s too bad the owner didn’t let some light into his space by unblocking the windows, and putting glass in. Even glass with security bars would be better than being bricked up.

I wish I had more to say about this, or could spin a tale of the businesses that have called it home, but I can’t. Some days, when walking around, you come up on these random, ordinary and anonymous structures and they capture your imagination. Can you imagine this much care and actual design in a warehouse of today? GMAP