'Berserk Eclecticism' on Clarkson Avenue
One of the great mysteries we’ve encountered on our countless Saturday afternoons trawling the architectural landscape of Brooklyn is the rambling, crumbling house on Clarkson Avenue just off Bedford in Flatbush. We first noticed it one day back in the Fall of 2005 and have revisited on several occasions. But we had no idea about…
One of the great mysteries we’ve encountered on our countless Saturday afternoons trawling the architectural landscape of Brooklyn is the rambling, crumbling house on Clarkson Avenue just off Bedford in Flatbush. We first noticed it one day back in the Fall of 2005 and have revisited on several occasions. But we had no idea about its history until Christopher Gray’s piece in The Times this weekend. The house, built by the brewer Herman Raub in 1902, defies simple stylistic categorization. Here’s what Gray has to say:
Its roof planes are akimbo, like a Cubist avalanche. The front portico lunges out from the complex massing, while an open balcony on the third floor bursts through the roof like a jack-in-the-box. Unlike the neo-Georgian and other conventionally styled houses then popular in the neighborhood, Mr. Raub’s was topped by four-sided domes, pointed towers and jerkin-head gables, where the point of the roof is cut off at a slant.
While the exterior is worse for the ware, the spectacular interior—with its baroque murals, paneled dining room and double-height foyer—are surprisingly intact. Which may help explain the $3.15 million price that the owner for the last two decades is now asking for the house. Can anyone steer us to the listing?
A Fantastical Three-Story Concoction [NY Times] GMAP P*Shark
Top photo by Nicholas Strini for Property Shark
Bottom photo from My Life in Brooklyn
What I would like to see done:
Restore the house to its original condition. In the back, where the parking lot is, develop a 6 story condo building (Perfectly in context with the other apartment houses). Then everyone wins.
Thoughts?
“The only thing saving it right now is the perception that this is in a “rough” neighborhood.” From your mouth to god’s ear, Brower Park. I usually fight that perception, but, whatever works….
Unfortunately, with the new “luxury” (in the sense of being only halfway a pile of s**t) Lefferts South not only taking our name, but going up in a somewhat “rougher” area to the south of PLG, I doubt that this (mis)conception will be much help 🙁
I am 3:40pm and I guess I am an old folk because it was Flatbush all my youth. In the sixties there were mostly white poor families on Rogers, Nostrand and Bedford living above the stores and there was 26 lanes of bowling on Parkside between New York and Nostrand. Our block of Clarkson were two family houses with an egg factory and a Cheverolet dealership and Mister Softee garage and 250 and 270 Clarkson as the big rental units where most of my friends lived; we played rifleman back then with broomsticks. Parkside between Nostrand and Rogers were service depts. for all the car dealerships and there was a Bohack on the corner of Bedford and Clarkson.
This house has looked this way since I first saw it in 1967 and there was a cool soda fountain on the corner with shakes and burgers and the spinning stools; to be seven again. The area was Flatbush then and P.S. 92 is around the corner and the area was just being mixed.
right on, punko.
Brenda,
All my relatives who used to live in the area still call PLG “Flatbush”. When I told them I was moving to PLG I got blank stares, but when I said I was moving to Rutland Road they said “oh, you mean Flatbush.” So while it may not be common usage for the kids these days, it is definitely common usage for the old folks.
And oh yeah, this one’s a tear-down for sure. Sadly.
Please, I mean no offense, but would like to offer some free copy editing. The exterior is worse for WEAR, I think, not worse for “ware.” Also your penultimate sentence is not a sentence, so it really should be separated by a comma from the one preceding it. 🙂
That’s perfect, Sam. Your lips to God’s ear.
Sorry about the “for sures” there. Must be in my teenage writing phase this afternoon.
Oh, didn’t know about the entire block lot. Yeah, targeted for a developer, for sure. Damn, that means it won’t be preserved, for sure. The only thing saving it right now is the perception that this is in a “rough” neighborhood. When that changes, as time will tell, it will get snapped up pronto.
Well, maybe I’ll have made my fortune by then. I’m working on it.