Building of the Day: 974 Bedford Avenue, a Policeman's Beauty Named "Marie"

Brooklyn, one building at a time.

Name: Flats building
Address: 974 Bedford Avenue
Cross Streets: DeKalb and Willoughby Avenues
Neighborhood: Bedford Stuyvesant
Year Built: 1895
Architectural Style: Queen Anne
Architect: John Smith
Other works by architect: Row houses on Herkimer Street, Bedford Stuyvesant, other row houses and tenement buildings
Landmarked: No

The story: This magnificent flats building juts majestically above the four-story row houses on this part of Bedford Avenue. One can imagine that it looked exceptionally impressive when it was first built, designed to house respectable upper middle class folk here on the northern border of Bedford.

Investing in real estate was as lucrative in the late 1800’s as it is now, and this building was an investment property for policeman John J. Brennan, the first captain of the 13th Precinct, on Vernon and Tompkins Avenue. The same year he commissioned 974 Bedford, Brennan was promoted to the rank of Inspector in the Brooklyn Police Department.

Brennan was a native of Ireland, and immigrated to the United States with his parents when he was a child. He became a cop in 1862 and rose through the ranks quickly, becoming the first captain of the 16th Precinct in 1885. By the time he gained the rank of Inspector, he had been with the department for 35 years. He lived in Bedford, in a brownstone across the street from the new Boys High School, at 277 Madison Street.

And, as you can see below, he sported a mustache to rival any modern hipster.

Brooklyn Eagle, 1895

The spacious flats building was designed by an architect named John Smith. His name did little to assist research efforts. But Smith did leave a small trail behind him. There is a group of brownstones credited to him built on Herkimer Street in 1878. His name — perhaps this man, perhaps not — also turned up as a builder during the same time period.

Like most flats buildings of this period, 974 Bedford has eight apartments on four floors, and is a walk-up. A center hall and stairs separate the two floor-through apartments on each floor.

Smith was not any kind of genius innovator here, but he could put together an interesting and very ornamental building. It’s called the “Marie,” perhaps named for someone in the Brennan family; a deceased child, or his mother, as none of the women in the immediate family were named Marie.

It is festooned with a lot of ornament, with carved brownstone panels on each floor, carved stone brackets and floral ornament around the door, and the name of the building and some flourished etched in the manner of the Neo-Grec style.

The building also has two three-story oriels covered in pressed metal. These are also highly ornamented, with classical details. One could say that Smith just piled it on rather heavily, which he did, but it still has a distinct charm and it certainly catches the eye.

The rooms in the Marie must all have tall ceilings, as the building is quite tall for four stories and a basement. It’s unfortunate that the building is not better kept, and that it’s lost what was probably an elegant doorway — perhaps double doors over a stained glass transom.

A look at the people who lived there over the years runs the gamut of middle-class occupations. For some reason, this was home to a lot of widows.

The building’s most interesting moment came quite early in its history. In 1901, a bicycle patrolman noticed two suspicious men standing by the entryway. The officer parked his bike and watched from behind a wagon across the street.

The two men, who were in their 20s and well-dressed, were standing at the inner door. One was clearly a lookout. The other took out a ring of master keys and began trying them in the door, hoping to gain entry.

The officer rushed over and nabbed them both. Back at the station, it was discovered that they had records for breaking and entering and theft, and were on parole from Sing Sing, where they had both been sentenced for burglary.

It was noted that they probably didn’t know that the building was owned by a police inspector, and that the local police kept a particularly close eye on it. The patrolman, officer Downes, was praised for his observation and action.

After 42 years on the job, Inspector John Brennan retired in 1907. His name was mentioned countless times in the papers, chronicling an exemplary career and the closing of many different kinds of cases. He was called “one of Brooklyn’s best policemen,” when he retired.

He died at home at the age of 76 in 1911. His beloved wife had died the year before, and he left a son — who also rose high in the NYPD — and three daughters, two of whom became teachers.

He also left this building. It is, perhaps, not a great or lofty accomplishment in the overall scheme of things, but certainly a worthy candidate for a Building of the Day.

All photographs by Suzanne Spellen.