Building of the Day: 638–44 Degraw Street

Brooklyn, one building at a time.

Name: Former Eureka Garage, now Bush Wholesalers
Address: 638–44 Degraw Street
Cross Streets: 3rd and 4th avenues
Neighborhood: Gowanus
Year Built: 1923
Architectural Style: Art Deco
Architect: Unknown
Landmarked: No, but part of a proposed Gowanus Canal District being considered by the National Register of Historic Places

The story: This unique building stops traffic because of its rusted “hat” that caps the end building of the group. This rusted metal structure is a neighborhood landmark, and it’s also caused great confusion as to what the original purpose of the building was. I’ve found two totally conflicting stories as to this building’s origins, which goes to show you that if better documentation of our historic buildings isn’t available, then trying to piece together the puzzle can often lead to an erroneous conclusion.

I’ve seen this building quite often in my drives around Brooklyn, in my adventurous Zip Car days, and on frequent trips to Lowe’s. I like industrial buildings a lot, and industrial neighborhoods, and so I’ve wandered around Gowanus just looking around. Of course, this building stands out on a block of low-rise industrial buildings. I did some quick research, and found in several sources that this building was a Milk Depot, a place where milk was stored daily, to be bottled and delivered daily to a milk starved city.

There were many milk depots around New York City, and fresh dairy milk was the cause of several milk wars in the city, as the three largest suppliers, one of which was Borden, vied for the lucrative corner of the NY market. The milk was delivered to this location and stored in this large container. Nice story, and completely true for the industry but completely false as to the nature of this building.

If you stop and really think about it, the story falls apart. While this giant milk can looks like something you would store milk in, it makes no sense, due to the nature of milk. The sun hitting it in the summer would turn a load of milk into cottage cheese in no time. As a kid who grew up in the country, I can tell you no one would even think of storing milk in something that was outside in the sun like this. Milk storage is always in an easily cooled place, whether by electricity, ice or a cold cave. There may well have been a milk depot in Gowanus, maybe even at this location, but it wasn’t in this building.

Then there’s the logo and the name “Eureka” on the building. What was that? It doesn’t seem to go with milk. More investigation followed, most of it by better people than I, and here’s the real story: This was a one of the many Eureka Garage Company service stations that sprang up in New York City and Long Island in the late teens and early 1920s. I found references to one other in Brooklyn, at 172 Pacific Street, near Court Street, as well as a large garage on the Upper West Side, at 101st Street, and another one in Harlem at 123rd St. There was also a Eureka garage in Hempstead, Long Island.

The wheel with the wings was the company logo, and of course, the name “Eureka” was emblazoned on the front of the building. The Eureka chain not only serviced cars, they also boarded them, and sold used cars. This building, which had several bays, stretches back the entire block from DeGraw to Sackett Street. The earliest reference I saw to the company was in 1908, the latest in 1931, although neither of them related to this particular building. This building was constructed in 1923, and is a great example of the Deco influenced small commercial buildings of the time. A garage doesn’t need much, but this one looks great.

Apparently, according to records, the garage became the property of a woodworking company in 1956, and the “milk pail” on top was built to collect the sawdust and shavings collected from the blowers and vacuums employed by the shop. It’s as utilitarian as that. No milk. This company sold the building in the 1970s to Bush Wholesalers, which still occupy the building.

Further confusion about this building arises when you see photographs of the structure that don’t include the dust hopper. That’s because the Sackett Street side of the building has the same winged logos above the bays, although it doesn’t have the Eureka name. The DeGraw entrance has the winged logo, the Eureka name, and the famous milk can/dust hopper. Whatever its origins and use, this is still a fine building, and a great example of Gowanus’ industrial and commercial past. GMAP