Update: 180 Remsen Has Been Landmarked
Today the former Brooklyn Union Gas building at 180 Remsen Street will be proposed for historical designation by the Landmarks Preservation Commission. The building was calendered back in 2009. Here’s the statement from LPC on the building’s history: Built in 1914, the former headquarters and general office building of the Brooklyn Union Gas Company was…
Today the former Brooklyn Union Gas building at 180 Remsen Street will be proposed for historical designation by the Landmarks Preservation Commission. The building was calendered back in 2009. Here’s the statement from LPC on the building’s history:
Built in 1914, the former headquarters and general office building of the Brooklyn Union Gas Company was designed by the prominent Brooklyn architect Frank Freeman. Established in 1825 as the Brooklyn Gas Light Company, it originally manufactured gas to illuminate city streets. In 1895, it merged with several rival suppliers to create the Brooklyn Union Gas Company, serving customers in both Brooklyn and Queens. The company prospered, tripling its manufacturing capacity and quadrupling storage. Such developments coincided with the growth of the borough and during the 1910s and 1920s business doubled. It was during this period, under company presidents James Jourdan and James H. Jourdan, that the new headquarters was planned and constructed, consolidating three hundred employees in a single building. A late work by Frank Freeman, the architect’s austere monumental design reflected the current taste for neo-classicism and the client’s desire to be perceived as a public institution. The Brooklyn Union Gas Company occupied the building for 47 years. Sold in 1962, the current owner is St. Francis College.
We’ll keep you updated on the vote from LPC later today. Update: We were just informed by the LPC that the building was landmarked in a move supported by St. Francis. You can see a great image of the building back in 1914 after the jump.
180 Remsen Street On Track for Landmarking [Brownstoner] GMAP
I agree oldbklyn. Aside the quaint little portico, the quoins, and the decent cornice, this is a fairly ordinary Italianate/beaux-arts office building. They are almost run of the mill in Manhattan, however for Brooklyn they are a little more special given it’s height. I’m glad St. Francis has reutilized the building for it’s own uses, rather than go the route of NYU and knock it down so it could have a slightly taller bland box.
Again, historic preservation really isn’t all about saving pretty buildings at all, but rather reutilizing them for new uses.
Ennh. A upper-middle quality building in a very ordinary style for the period. Not particularly outstanding in either execution or materials.
Well said, Blayze.
The LPC actually addresses permit changes fairly quickly. You can go on their website and see that they pretty much approve changes weekly, unless they’re ridiculous additions.
I’ll agree that the LPC is overwhelmed, and of course should be expanded (it won’t happen until Bloomie is ousted and a more preservation oriented mayor is elected) but to halt landmarking entirely is an incredibly detrimental idea for the city as a whole.
Besides, it’s businesses (not homeowners) who request the most permits. Homeowners have it pretty good. Windows are the biggest concern.
not the issue, staff is overwhelmed and should be expanded before you burden more homeowners every building added adds to workload, effecting all involved
Did you even read the post? It’s not a residential building.
And learn how to use punctuation, and better grammar,
Anyway, this is good news for downtown. More landmarks, the better.
Should be no more landmarking until staff of dept. is expanded to handle workload all very well for those who can afford lawyers and architects to front for them, but not for homeowners unfunded mandate