Block History: 7th Street between 7th & 8th Avenues

7th Street between 7th & 8th Avenues, Park Slope

As word of our efforts to expand the Park Slope Historic District spreads, people step forward to contribute in a variety of ways. Sometimes the contribution takes the form of a "block history:" a history of a specific block, or even just one side of a block, here in Park Slope. Usually these histories are known only to the residents of that block, and sometimes, if the history was done long ago, not even to many of them.

We hope to recover as many of these block histories as we can, and to scan them in and make them available online so that they will be more widely available. If anyone knows of any "block histories" for Park Slope, please contact the Park Slope Civic Council and bring them to our attention.

The most recent example of this is the history of 7th Street between 7th & 8th Avenues, south side, composed in the 1960s by Lois Stewart, then as now a resident of that block. Ms. Stewart's block history is extremely comprehensive, even citing the deed history for each building (current into the 1960s of course), and is precisely the kind of research that we are trying to do for all of the undesignated portions of Park Slope.

It is our understanding that this block history was conducted in the 1960s in the hope that the block would be included in the original Park Slope Historic District. The District was established in 1973 but unfortunately, this block of 7th Street was unaccountably excluded. It is a privilege to build upon the pioneering preservation work of dedicated Park Slope residents such as Lois Stewart.

Once again, if anyone knows of additional block histories, please contact the Park Slope Civic Council and make them known to us.