Remembering Christopher Gray

Chistopher Gray, architectural historian and author of the New York Times long-running Streetscapes column passed away on Friday, March 10. Brownstoner columnist Suzanne Spellen has written this in his memory.

I just found out that architectural historian and professional curmudgeon Christopher Gray has died suddenly. Lovers of New York’s rich architectural history have lost a great advocate, and a source of endless information. I lost a mentor, an occasional employer, and a friend. 


About 7 years ago, when I was writing daily columns for Brownstoner.com, I started to get comments on my pieces from someone named “Met History.” I soon found out that it was Christopher Gray. I was flattered beyond belief. His columns were often sources of information for my own Building of the Day columns, and like many people, I read his Streetscapes column religiously. And he was commenting on MY work!


He commented often, usually in his acerbic and droll way. He would disparage the Brooklyn buildings I chose to write about, make fun of people who didn’t like old buildings, and debate with other posters about the talents of various architects. Sometimes he would approve of my choices, both architects and buildings, and between the two of us, and a group of other professionals in the preservation world who were also regulars on my columns, we often had quite a lively discussion.


I first met him at a Historic Districts Council event, I later went on a Prospect Park Tour he led, and, several years ago, did some research for a couple of his columns. Once, I met him for lunch in Manhattan, and found him to be just as entertaining, charming, and curmudgeonly as he was on line. He was one of my favorite people. His office and workroom was a researcher’s heaven.


My fondest Christopher Gray memories involve divvying up Brooklyn. He used to tell me when he wanted to write a Streetscapes column about a specific street in Brooklyn. His deadlines for the Times were more far ranging than mine were for Brownstoner, so he’d email me and tell me, “You can’t write about Decatur Street. It’s mine.” I’d write back and tell him he didn’t own the street.

He’d write and let me know that he didn’t want to come to Decatur and see me poaching his work. He said he could be in disguise, and I’d never see him. Seeing that he was a tall, patrician, middle aged, WASP lurking around the heart of African American Bedford Stuyvesant, I always laughed at the thought of him in disguise. He always claimed half of Brooklyn as “his” and told me to get lost.

In all the years we had this running threat, we never had competing columns. When I did research for him, he gave me credit in the piece, and pointed his readers to my columns on Brownstoner. He was a gentleman, as well as a scholar.


I’m really going to miss him. I’m sure he’s telling St. Peter or God Himself that the mansions in heaven aren’t all that. Too perfect, too big, and lacking in character. Someone should have done better. Maybe William Tubby.


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