House of the Day Flatbush

Midwood Park Standalone With Inglenook, Pier Mirror Asks $1.75 Million

This early 20th century home boasts a wraparound porch, period flourishes on the interior, and the perk of a garage.

entry hall with an inglenook with a fireplace and benches on either side

Photo via Corcoran

by Susan De Vries

03/02/2026 0

There is enough wow factor to entice old house lovers to this freestanding Colonial Revival in Midwood Park. The early 20th century home has the exterior charm of a wraparound porch, while the interior boasts an intact inglenook, wood floors, stained glass, a pier mirror, and more period flourishes.

In the Fiske Terrace-Midwood Park Historic District, the house at 706 East 18th Street dates to circa 1907, according to the designation report. Designed by prolific architect Benjamin Driesler, the dwelling retains the gambrel rooflines, bay windows, and the columns of that wraparound porch seen in a circa 1940 tax photo. Some details, including a rear extension and some windowed bays, were alterations to the house by early owners.

It is one of the many dwellings constructed by the John R. Corbin Company, which was responsible for large swaths of houses in the neighborhood. Around the time this house was constructed, the company placed substantial ads for their grand Flatbush homes, itemizing details like built-in bookcases, columned dividers, inglenooks, butler’s pantries, billiard rooms, and dining rooms with wainscoting and plate rails.

Many of Driesler’s decorative details survive intact here, spread over three floors with an abundance of bedroom space. The first floor has plenty of room for entertaining. That later extension added an informal dining area with a sleeping porch above. The sleeping porch is in its traditional spot, off one of the four bedrooms on the second floor. On the top level are two more bedrooms and a billiard room turned media room.

While the front parlor has delicate wall moldings and a columned pier mirror, the central hall (or reception room) was designed to make the most impressive impact on visitors. There are built-in seating areas at both ends of the long room and columns framing the view to the staircase.

One seating area is framed by built-in bookcases and columns. The other is an inglenook — a hearth tucked into its own corner. Much like a cozy or Turkish corner, it served as an atmospheric gathering spot. In Flatbush home designs, the inglenook is often a feature of a grand entry hall, incorporating stained or leaded glass windows and benches on either side of a fireplace. Driesler seems to have repeated the design seen here, with curved benches, in other houses on the street.

Beyond the central hall is a spacious dining room with the expected wainscoting, a columned mantel with mirror, and a coffered ceiling. A doorway leads to an informal family room or dining space that has a 1960s vibe with a wallpaper border and red trim. An earlier built-in was decorated to match.

The kitchen has some updated appliances and what appears to be original floor and wall tile. The room has access to a half bath and rear door leading to the yard.

Bedrooms shown on the second floor all have white walls and trim and wood floors. The largest two face the street and take advantage of the bays and multiple exposures. The full bath has design details reflecting different eras, like the pink tub and wall tile paired with an original stained glass window. The full bath on the third floor has a yellow scheme.

The third floor likely housed sleeping quarters for any staff as well as a billiard room, as mentioned in ads of the period. Census records from 1910 show the household of an early owner included a live-in maid.

Laundry is in the basement along with storage and a water closet.

There is a bit of yard at the front of the house if an owner wanted to get creative with landscaping. A driveway leads to a garage and, the floor plan shows, a backyard.

Corcoran’s Jackie Torren, Yvonnie Gutierrez, and Charlie Pigott have the listing, and the property is priced at $1.75 million. What do you think?

[Listing: 706 East 18th Street | Broker: Corcoran] GMAP