2009 House Tour: 467 14th Street

467 14th Street is the center of a row of five Queen Anne-style houses designed by Brooklyn architect W. O. Tait and built for Christopher C. Firth in 1890-91.

465-467-469 14th Street - Park Slope Historic District

The row is characterized by the high, peaked gables at the houses on either side, and by the rough-faced arched stone voussoirs above the windows throughout the entire row.

467 14th Street, Park Slope Historic District - window detail

The curvilinear ironwork on the stoop and areaway is original to the house.

465 14th Street, Park Slope Historic District - ironwork

The 1897 Lain's Brooklyn Directory lists Jay H. F. Bowman, contractor, as the resident of 467 14th Street. But in 1898, Bowman appears to have defaulted on his mortgage and lost the house at auction to Thomas F. Nevins:

Brooklyn Daily Eagle, June 30, 1898, p. 14

Nevins, a banker whose office was at 66 Broadway in New York, was only able to enjoy the house for a few years before he too fell into financial straits. The Brooklyn Daily Eagle of August 13, 1901, carries a lead story of the bankruptcy of the firm with which Nevins was associated, G. Edward Graff & Co., with detailed listings of personal assets being claimed by the receiver in the case, including 467 14th Street:

Brooklyn Daily Eagle, August 13, 1901, p. 1

The house was seized from Nevins and sold, apparently, to members of the Goldschmidt family. The 1897 Lain's directory shows them all in residence together in Duffield Street, downtown, along with their occupations:

GOLDSCHMIDT Ascher woolens 710 B'way N. Y. h 137 Duffield
GOLDSCHMIDT Bernard clk h 137 Duffield
GOLDSCHMIDT Isaac woolens 710 B'way N. Y. h 137 Duffield
GOLDSCHMIDT Jacob fish 97 3d av h 137 Duffield

We know that at least Isaac and Jacob moved to 14th Street. The September 8, 1902 Brooklyn Eagle lists Isaac Goldschmidt of 467 14th Street participating in a Grand Jury:

Brooklyn Daily Eagle, September 08, 1902, p. 18

And the December 15, 1902, edition of the Brooklyn Daily Eagle carries an obituary for Jacob Goldschmidt, "late of 467 Fourteenth street":

Brooklyn Daily Eagle, December 15, 1902, p.5

In all, rather a string of misfortune for the various residents of this house! One hopes that fortune smiled upon the remaining Goldschmidts and subsequent residents of 467 14th Street.