Buildings Communicating?
Hey history and architecture buffs – The Perris 1855 map of my home shows that it was one of three adjoining brick townhouses (see image). The “dashed” line that crosses the property boundaries is stated in the map key to mean “buildings communicating.” Any idea what this means? I was reading a book written in…
Hey history and architecture buffs –
The Perris 1855 map of my home shows that it was one of three adjoining brick townhouses (see image).
The “dashed” line that crosses the property boundaries is stated in the map key to mean “buildings communicating.”
Any idea what this means?
I was reading a book written in the 1930s, and it described a room that “communicated” with another room, which seemed to imply that it was a doorless doorway.
I wonder if “buildings communicating” could mean that my neighbors houses and mine had openings between them. Or, if you look at the map image another way, does it mean that there was a wooden structure off the back of my building that was open to the back of the brick.
Thanks for any insights!
I wonder if the location of the dashed line on the building is meant as an indication of where the buildings communicate? I don’t think the word implies lack of a door, FWIW. I think those back tea porches you saw in Bricks and Brownstones are actually fairly rare. The only time I’ve seen one like that I realized I was looking at the buildings pictured in the book (on the Brooklyn Heights house tour a few years ago)! I don’t think the map would indicate that the buildings communicated unless it was currently open at the time of the map. A bricked-in doorway between buildings that was only open during construction doesnt seem like the kind of detail that would need to be conveyed in a map, especially if it was common practice. Please keep us updated on what you discover!
I’m hoping to find something like that when we eventually expose the brick on some of the walls.
Thanks for the thoughts, all!
I believe at least some of those interconnecting doorways were created just for the convenience of the workmen so that they could move themselves and supplies more efficiently between houses. They were then blocked up before the walls were plastered. Sometimes these are referred to as “leprechaun holes” — presumably a reference to the preponderance of Irish builders in 19th century Brooklyn. Of course, this is different from permanent interconnecting doors.
But I also like your theory (if I’m following you correctly) that there might have a been a rear balcony connecting the three buildings. That seems very plausible and I’ve certainly seen plenty of old photos (eg. in the book Bricks and Brownstones) showing rear balconies or porches.
What block is the property on? It could be a hallway between the buildings under the sidewalk vault, for coal delivery.
Exactly. And not very uncommon. Often these buildings were built all at once and had doorways in the party walls. I’ve run into them on occasion and generally you can see the original brick opening closed up with newer brick at a later time.
As an Orthopedic Institution, it was probably built as a single building and used as separate doctors’ offices or something like that within.
History is fun!