Did Gowanus' Coignet Building Get a New Paint Job in Violation of Landmarks?

A thick new coat of what appears to be white paint now covers the landmarked Coignet Building, whose naked and historically significant cast stone was painstakingly restored after years of neglect. A Brownstoner reader tipped us off to this apparent violation of the rules of the Landmarks Preservation Commission, which does not typically sanction paint on masonry.

Apart from not being historically authentic, paint can harm stone and brick by trapping water inside, causing the masonry to spall. A non-historic painted exterior would be especially surprising at this particular building, located at 360 3rd Avenue, which served as the headquarters and showroom of the New York and Long Island Coignet Stone Company.

The early innovator was one of the first to manufacture and sell the concrete cast-stone building material. Its 1872 headquarters and showroom is the “earliest known concrete building in New York City,” according to the designation report, and may be the earliest concrete or cast stone building in the U.S.

In July, the LPC issued a violation to the longtime owner of the property for “painting facade white without permits.” Not long after, the violation was deemed “rescinded.”

It turns out the white coating is not paint, but rather limewash, which LPC approved in 2104 along with the rest of the restoration. The limewash protects the concrete but washes off over time and has to be redone.

The building, landmarked in 2006 and restored in 2016, was previously limewashed in 2015.

The mixed-use building has been empty for decades, although it’s been on the market (both for sale and for rent) on and off over the years. It last changed hands in 1992, when Harvey Cedars, N.J.-based Levanic Inc. bought it and the land where Whole Foods now stands for $975,000, city records show.

Advertised as a “unique live/work opportunity,” the building is currently available for $2.7 million. The pared-back interior has traces of old finishes visible, a curving staircase, and a loft-like top-floor apartment, listing photos show.

[Photos by Susan De Vries]

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