Past and Present: 97 Columbia Heights
A Look at Brooklyn, then and now. The Hotel Margaret stood majestically on the corner of Columbia Heights and Orange Streets in Brooklyn Heights. Designed in 1889 by Frank Freeman, one of Brooklyn’s best architects, in his signature Romanesque Revival style. It was a residential, as well as transient hotel, built by coffee magnate, John…
A Look at Brooklyn, then and now.
The Hotel Margaret stood majestically on the corner of Columbia Heights and Orange Streets in Brooklyn Heights. Designed in 1889 by Frank Freeman, one of Brooklyn’s best architects, in his signature Romanesque Revival style. It was a residential, as well as transient hotel, built by coffee magnate, John Arbuckle, and named after his sister, Margaret. For many years it was Brooklyn’s tallest building, offering to guests facing the river, fabulous views of Manhattan and the bay, and from the inland side, the vista of the growing city of Brooklyn and beyond. The Margaret could be seen from miles away, and was a local landmark. Freeman designed the building in polychrome shades of stone, adding to the uniqueness of the hotel. Famous tenants and guests include H.G. Wells, who was a frequent guest when in New York, and Betty Smith, who wrote A Tree Grows in Brooklyn while living here. In 1980, the building was being renovated into condos, and was almost complete, when it caught fire and was totally lost. Many people still remember the huge 5 alarm conflagration, on a cold winter night. The Jehovah’s Witnesses bought the property and built this building in 1987. Its design was meant to be an homage to the original hotel, and after some controversy, they were able to build it the same height as the original. Today it is called the Margaret Apartments, and is a Jehovah’s Witness residence.
(Photo: Property Shark)
That’s because you have no taste, Benson.
It’s okay. People have denim couches and tapestry upholstery too. It doesn’t mean that you’re bad people, it’s just a tragic deficiency. Just remember not to design anything, and you can go through your life without greatly injuring anyone.
In fact, I find the hulking Victorian apartment buildings, and the ones that Montrose features that are designed by her namesake, to be gloomy, ugly affairs.
Dave and all;
I know it may come as a great shock to you, but I prefer the new building to the old.
Great post, Montrose. (I see someone’s been to the Heights yet again without calling me.)
LMA0 to dave’s post.
a few relatives of mine lived in that building in the 30’s and 40’s sorry its gone
dibs- LOL
Why do I always like the then pictures better?
I remember the fire. It was bitterly cold. The poor firemen were covered in icicles. The firetrucks were stuck to the street. The whole area looked like an ice village. What a disaster. They demolished the base of the building, which was not consumed, because they were afraid it would collapse into the BQE.
The building was of early construction and had wooden floor joists. Such a bad idea in a highrise. They don’t build them like that any more -thank goodness!
My mother almost bought a coop in the Margaret (post divorce downsizing). We toured a few apartments while the renovation was still going on and the entire building had been gutted–nothing but sheetrock. She almost went for a two bedroom on a high floor with a head-on view of the harbor. Other than the view, it was very standard fair and the rooms were smallish and boxy. As I recall it was the crazy price of 275K (745K in todays dollars). Thanks goodness she didn’t since it burnt down just a few months later.