CPL. ALBERT G. MASON (A BEDSTUY HERO)
******************************************************************************************************************************** Brownstone Detectives investigates the history of our clients’ homes. The story you are about to read was composed from research conducted in the course of one of those investigations. Do you know the history of YOUR house? ******************************************************************************************************************************** In 2014, The Brownstone Detectives partnered with the New York City Parks Department to help celebrate the lives of the servicemembers of Bedford-Stuyvesant Heights who made the ultimate sacrifice during the Great War. We researched these heroes to locate pictures, stories, and their descendants to be brought together for a ceremony that dedicated a new “Victory and Peace” war memorial at Saratoga Park. This biography tells the story of one of those servicemembers. CORPORAL ALBERT G. MASON Born in the Stuyvesant section on 3 April 1893, Albert G. Mason was the son of Mrs. Minnie Clifford Mason. Although he grew up at 591 Bainbridge and 798 Macon Street, his mother was living at 117 Patchen Avenue during the war. Mason was a member of the 47th Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Division, and had been in the Army for seven years before the U.S. got involved in WWI. He had served at that point from the Philippines to Texas to Mexico, but soon would find himself in another more dangerous theatre of war. On May 25th, 1918, Mason’s regiment landed at Brest in France. Two months were spent training with British and French units before July 27th, when “the Raiders” (the nickname of the 47th) were marching knee deep in mud to […]
CPL. JAMES D. IRWIN (A BEDSTUY HERO)
******************************************************************************************************************************** Brownstone Detectives investigates the history of our clients’ homes. The story you are about to read was composed from research conducted in the course of one of those investigations. Do you know the history of YOUR house? ******************************************************************************************************************************** In 2014, The Brownstone Detectives partnered with the New York City Parks Department to help celebrate the lives of the servicemembers of Bedford-Stuyvesant Heights who made the ultimate sacrifice during the Great War. We researched these heroes to locate pictures, stories, and their descendants to be brought together for a ceremony that dedicated a new “Victory and Peace” war memorial at Saratoga Park. This biography tells the story of one of those servicemembers. CORPORAL JAMES D. IRWIN Before joining the U.S. Army and heading out to fight in the Great War, a 20-year-old James D. Irwin sat down with his sweetheart, Elsie, to discuss their future. Although the two felt somewhat apprehensive, considering James’ impending commitment, it didn’t take long for the young couple to decide to formalize their relationship. Going off to war has a way of inspiring people to make these sorts of decisions – and it was happening with many other couples – all across the borough. Irwin, a resident of Stuyvesant Heights, lived at 324A Decatur Street with his mother, two sisters, and a brother. Soon after news of the U.S. entrance in the Great War was announced, Irwin decided he did not want to wait for a draft. He went straight down to the local Army […]
THE BROWNSTONE DETECTIVES ON HGTV!
Just when you thought you couldn’t get enough of The Brownstone Detectives…. Those loveable history gumshoes are taking it to HGTV!!! The Brownstone Detectives will sleuth it up this summer in a series focusing on the extraordinary findings people have made within their old houses. They will focus first on a 19th century family’s unlucky chapter spent in their brownstone home in Stuyvesant Heights. Stay tuned for more news…as this case develops! Follow @BrownstoneDetec ———————————————————————————————————————– The Brownstone Detectives This story was composed from research performed by The Brownstone Detectives. Let us do an in-depth investigation of your house and its former owners and produce your very own House History Book. Your hardbound coffee table book will include an illustrated and colorful narrative timeline that will bring the history of your house to life. Contact us today.
WHOSE MUG SHOT IS THIS!?!?!?!?
OK, Junior Brownstone Detectives! Let’s get those sleuthing caps on! Because today we are asking you to help solve A MYSTERY WITHIN A MYSTERY! Here is what we want you to do: 1. Take a look at the mug shot above, then 2. Skim through our past Brownstone Detectives Blog posts, and 3. Find the person you think is pictured above, and let us know at our Facebook post! (Only one guess allowed per person….) It’s that simple. All winners become instantaneous Junior Brownstone Detectives, able to assist on any and all House History mysteries! We will publish the answer next week when our first Guest Brownstone Detective will contribute a “part two” story for one of the posts in our Brownstone Detectives Blog. Now, get going and find that subject! Follow @BrownstoneDetec ———————————————————————————————————————– The Brownstone Detectives This story was composed from research performed by The Brownstone Detectives. Let us do an in-depth investigation of your house and its former owners and produce your very own House History Book. Your hardbound coffee table book will include an illustrated and colorful narrative timeline that will bring the history of your house to life. Contact us today.
BROWNSTONE DETECTIVES GETS AN ILLUSTRATOR
Please help us to welcome David Weitzman to Brownstone Detectives! David writes and illustrates books that evoke another time. And he has been doing so now for more than 30 years. He grew up in Chicago and as a child admittedly spent more time drawing than studying. This behavior, as if often does, landed him in art school. He received a degree from the Art Institute of Chicago in 1952, and later, perhaps to atone for his grammar-school sins, both a BS and MA in history. By the early 1970s he had moved to Covelo, California, where he began to write and illustrate children’s/young adult books about history. Around 1980 he began to specialize in historically-accurate juvenile fiction about American industrial archeology. He has written on airplanes, ships, iron foundries, metal workers, canals, windmills, bridges and subways, but has returned to the subject of steam power a number of times. David joins us to offer freehand and line drawings of our clients’ houses, many of which will grace the covers of their Brownstone Detectives House History Books! David’s first Brownstone Detectives creation is his rendering of 738 Macon Street! Maybe yours will be next! Let us know what you think! Follow @BrownstoneDetec ———————————————————————————————————————– The Brownstone Detectives This story was composed from research performed by The Brownstone Detectives. Let us do an in-depth investigation of your house and its former owners and produce your very own House History Book. Your hardbound coffee table book will include an illustrated and colorful narrative […]
JULY 4TH ON HIGHLAND PARK SLOPE (1914)
******************************************************************************************************************************** Brownstone Detectives investigates the history of our clients’ homes. The story you are about to read was composed from research conducted in the course of one of those investigations. Do you know the history of YOUR house? ******************************************************************************************************************************** “Highland Park Slope” was a ritzy name. It was the moniker that the realtors selected for the Arlington Avenue section of East New York around 1900. The name never really caught on. Perhaps it was just too similar to Park Slope. Today the neighborhood is known as Highland Park and the greater area has taken the moniker of its northern cemetery neighbor – Cypress Hills. Today, Sunnyside Avenue runs east-west just south of the Jackie Robinson and the maze of cemeteries. Follow @BrownstoneDetec Share ———————————————————————————————————————– The Brownstone Detectives Brownstone Detectives is an historic property research agency. Our mission is to document and save the histories of our clients’ homes. From our research, we produce our celebrated House History Books and House History Reports. Contact us today to begin discovering the history of your home.
