Close-Up on the Commandant's House
Built in the first decade of the 19th Century, the Commandant’s House on the western edge of the Brooklyn Navy Yard holds great allure, in part because it’s so hard to get a full glimpse of. On Gowanus Lounge today, read about its history and find out how you can get a closer look at…
Built in the first decade of the 19th Century, the Commandant’s House on the western edge of the Brooklyn Navy Yard holds great allure, in part because it’s so hard to get a full glimpse of. On Gowanus Lounge today, read about its history and find out how you can get a closer look at the privately-owned Federal Style mansion starting this weekend. More history on the jump.
From Andrew S. Dolkart’s Guide to New York City Landmarks:
Commandant’s House, Evans Street at Little Street (1805-1806), designated 1965. The design of this frame house has often been attributed to the Boston architect Charles Bulfinch, working in association with John McComb, Jr., but there is no evidence to support this attribution. The house is among the most elegant structures in the Federal style in New York. Of special note are the porches supported by slender colonettes and the pair of especially fine fanlighted entranceways. The house was the residence of Matthew Perry when he served as commanding officer of the shipyard in the 1840s.
Anybody know who owns this place? I’ve gone by a few times and I have always been curious about what is going on inside this amazing house.
Thanks Mr. B. I’ll look it up.
Last week I happened upon an incredibly disgusting NYTimes archive story (1800s I think) about a pier at the navy yard and an overloaded and sinking “nightsoil” boat. I almost retched thinking about it. I suppose fertilizer in the old days was made in many ways. The naval yard sure has had a lot of things going on, besides the standard history. It is indeed a shame that with so much phsical history still there in the surgeons house, the hospital and admiral’s row, along with more of the industrial-archaeolgy type stuff, it’s just rotting away.
re: restaurants in the area, Vinegar Hill House opened to much fanfare a few months ago
That last line caught my eye because, especially in light of all the recent photos and discussion surrounding preservation, I have been wondering about where Matthew Perry lived when he was the commandant of Yard. I’m not sure how many “great”s to put in front of it, but he was a grandfather of mine on my father’s side. We had a lot of books, papers, etc. of his, which were unfortunately destroyed in 1966 when our home was tragically wiped out.
Like Montrose Morris, I am fascinated by history in general and historical buildings, textiles, furniture, and so on, especially. I hope one day to have the time to research this branch of the family in some detail. I believe Perry had a naval-officer father, and came from a fairly modest Rhode Island background, but married a New York woman whose family was more affluent.
When I see the photos of the Yard, it seems almost criminal to me that such an important part of Brooklyn’s history has been able to deteriorate to such a state.
I was thinking of walking around Vinegar Hill last weekend but didn’t make it there. Is there anything else in the area worth seeing? Any decent restaurants?
I love that place. Often has a line of vintage cars parked in the driveway.