Why this Blog Exists

To make the case for expanding the Park Slope Historic District

Sunday, September 28, 2008

Brownstone-front Italianate

Later in the 19th century, houses faced with brownstone emerged as the latest fashion. These were basically the same structures as the brick-front Italianate houses that preceded them, but with a thin veneer of chocolate-colored brownstone. Many examples can be found in Park Slope, both within and outside the current Historic District. Most of them date from the early to mid-1870s. The facades are flat (i.e. no projecting bays), are 3 windows wide, and have either fully-enframed windows or slightly-rounded hoods over the windows. Doorways feature rounded or peaked pediment hoods.

The following brownstone-front Italianate houses stand in Park Place, between 6th and 7th Avenues, within the current Park Slope Historic District. #113 has fully-enframed windows and was begun in 1872 by neighborhood builder John Gordon. #115 has rounded hoods over the windows and was built in 1870-72 by John Magilligan.


111-113-115 Park Place (Park Slope Historic Distric)


Below are nearly identical brownstone-faced Italianate houses elsewhere in Park Slope. However none of the following examples is included in the current Historic District:


30-28-26 Sterling Place - unprotected


3rd Street between 6th & 5th Avenues - unprotected


6th Street between 6th & 5th Avenues - unprotected

One wonders whether there is any neighborhood in the city where block after block of Italianate houses stand unprotected, excluded from any historic district. These blocks are the heart of Park Slope.

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