Fortress on South 6th Street
We’ve admired this building as long as we’ve been living in our Williamsburg rental (which at current count is approaching two years). It reminds us a bit of a medieval fortress. Plus we love the tones and texture of the facade. Anyone know what its original use was (presumably something industrial)? What about now?
We’ve admired this building as long as we’ve been living in our Williamsburg rental (which at current count is approaching two years). It reminds us a bit of a medieval fortress. Plus we love the tones and texture of the facade. Anyone know what its original use was (presumably something industrial)? What about now?
I can’t believe it, my co-worker just bought a car for $66048. Isn’t that crazy!
“Bedford Ave Theatre north side of So. 6th St., a few doors west of Bedford Ave, built by W. W. COLE,opened in 1891 by Fanny RICE in the farce “A Jolly Surprise.” later known as Empire Theatre sold on January 8, 1908, $850,000, part of the structure had to be demolished for the construction of the Williamsburgh Bridge.”
http://www.bklyn-genealogy-info.com/Town/Eastern/S.html
By 1898 it was the Empire Theater, and did not extend to South Fifth. The current facade certainly looks later than Seaver’s vintage (1880s, I’d guess). From what Lisa said, Seaver probably moved to Driggs at an earlier point. When the bridge went, the back third of the Empire was taken off. By 1929 it was a garage.
Unrelated, but interesting – there were three Churches between Bedford and Driggs along South Fifth, under what is now the Williamsburg Bridge.
so i got hooked on looking it up aagin- It was Seaver’s opera house in 1866 and the original entrance was on 5th street (this was the address given in the brooklyn daily eagle’s announcement of its opening) but because of the bridge constuction around 1887 the building was basically cut in half and so i think south 6th is the original back of the building-the eagle suggested mr. seaver in 1866 was trying to keep “burghers” in the burg and revitalize the once prosperous district- apparently it had become a one horse town. on the down side, i found conflicting info that suggests seaver’s (which had been called the odeon) was actually located at #732 driggs and was demolished in 1917- however, the former info makes more sense if you look at building.
i lived in this building for 5 or so years. it was an opera house around 1898-ish (I think the date is on the building but I am drawing a blank now)- and there was actually a female opera singer that carried some celebrity in her time but i’ve forgotten now how I came across all this info- also bernice abbott has a great shot of the south 6th street that looks down to the w’burg bridge- the street itself is used for commericials, movies, music videos etc. quite often- there’s apparently always been something about that street.
we now live in clinton hill and miss Diner terribly.
Often buildings built in this style were done so in order to convey security, safety, impregnability, etc. Therefore it’s safe to assume that the purpose of the building was something along the lines of a bank, depository, or storage company.
Think of the Eagle Warehouse loft building on Fulton Street – it’s architecture screams security.
just a thought…
For some reason I have it my head that this was a theater. This is in the area that was “downtown” Williamsburg in the last half of the 19th Century – witness all the banks, etc. there – so a theater would not have been out of place. Most of the industrial buildings in that area (ie, the various Gretsch buildings) are 20th century (post bridge).