THE LINCOLNS OF No. 25 CRANBERRY (1860)
******************************************************************************************************************************** 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? ******************************************************************************************************************************** Before Abraham Lincoln traveled to Brooklyn Heights, another Lincoln made it his home. In fact, on a Sunday morning in February of 1860, George B. Lincoln personally accompanied the future President on his famous visit to hear the Rev. Henry Ward Beecher preach at Brooklyn Heights’ Plymouth Church. Hailing from Hardwick, Massachusetts, George B. Lincoln arrived in New York City in 1836 at the age of 19. He engaged in the straw business for a number of years, dividing six of those years between New York and New Orleans, eventually setting his roots into Brooklyn soil around 1856, having established his dry good business across the river in Manhattan. Lincoln, like so many merchants of the period, preferred to live in Brooklyn Heights while keeping his business in New York City. (In fact, this was often how Brooklyn Heights real estate was advertised around the time – in terms of how quickly its businessmen could travel to New York City from Brooklyn.) Arriving around 1855, he initially rented a house at No. 54 Willow Street (future No. 62, now accupied by an apartment building). A few years later, however, in 1858-9, Lincoln had moved into No. 25 (former 45) Cranberry Street, where he would live for several years until being appointed […]
TURNING No. 51 HICKS INTO A HOME (1948)
******************************************************************************************************************************** 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? ******************************************************************************************************************************** (From the Brooklyn Daily Eagle, Mon., 22 November 1948.) Ed.’s Note – The residents of Brooklyn Heights were the first in the borough to see old brownstones as treasures to be valued. In the 1930s and 1940s, as some were reparting to the suburbs, others were taking advantage of the availability of old brownstones at bargain basements prices. One such homebuyer was a dress designer and her husband who moved into No. 51 Hicks Street and modernized it. ____________________________________________________________________________________ Certainly in passing 51 Hicks St., the second and third floors of which are tenanted by Mr. and Mrs. William Brackett, no one would suspect the changes which this typical old-fashioned Heights brownstone has undergone to effect a modern interior. Confronted with the usual problems of that type house, the Bracketts had to decide what to do about the exceptionally tall ceilings, the extra large rooms, the narrow hallways and the lack of a modern kitchen (it having been a three-floor private home with the kitchen located on the street level). First credit goes to the landlord who in eliminating the typical high stoop stone entrance, recognized the simple and beautiful lines of the doorway and iron railing and saved it to be installed as the new entrance on the ground floor, […]
THE “HOODOO” BURGLAR OF BEDFORD (1904)
******************************************************************************************************************************** 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 the arrest of Roy Hyden, a 25-year old Austrian, early this morning, Brooklyn’s most active burglar was run to earth and a heavy load lifted from the police mind. “Henry F. O’Connell, a special officer, who is employed by the residents in the neighborhood of Jefferson and Marcy avenues to watch their homes at night, caught the man shortly after 3 o’clock this morning, “with the goods on him.” O’Connell espied Hyden coming down the stoop of the home of Mrs. Maria C. de Porozo, at 254 Jefferson avenue, staggering under a weight, with his pockets bulging; the bay parlor window was wide open. Before Hyden reached the bottom of the stoop he was in the firm grasp of O’Connell. The latter lost no time in calling a patrol wagon and the prisoner was hustled to the Gates avenue police station. There he was joyfully received by Detective McGann, who relieved him of his burden. “No less than sixty-four pieces of silver, including knives, forks, spoons and other small diningroom articles, weore fished out of his commodius pockets. But what pleased the police more than all “the silverware, was a steel case-opener and an electric flashlamp, which were carefully stowed away in the lining of the prisoner’s overcoat. Hyden gave […]
SELLING WHISKEY TO SOLDIERS (1918)
******************************************************************************************************************************** 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? ******************************************************************************************************************************** “Until a few weeks ago the neat, frame dwelling at 228 Seventy-second street, Bay Ridge, displaying a sign reading “Dressmakers” in the parlor window did not attract more than a passing notice. Then, to the wonderment of its neighbors, sailors and soldiers began to be seen entering and leaving the house. Last night Detective Thomas McQuillen, Thomas Gray and Patrick O’Brien of the Fifteenth Inspection District visited the house disguised as sailors. They arrested Miss Crow for selling liquor to soldiers. On that charge she was arraigned today before Federal Commissioner McGoldrick and on the request of Federal District Attorney France bail was fixed at $500. 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.
DESIGNING A BETTER BROWNSTONE (1888)
******************************************************************************************************************************** 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? ******************************************************************************************************************************** Current owners of brownstones know the time and cost investment necessary to renovating the ancient structures. After 125 years or so of constant use and abuse, it is understandable that, like with humans, things tend to sag, break, and otherwise, go out of date. Thus their constant renovations and redesigns. But did you know that our brownstones have been undergoing renovations – since they were built? At No. 278 Lafayette Avenue, an Italianate brownstone in the Clinton Hill section of Brooklyn, one such renovation – likely the rowhouse’s very first – took place in 1888, just 20 years after the construction of the building. While the redesigned was feted at the time, the owner’s name would go down in infamy… AN INFAMOUS OWNER OF AN OLD BROWNSTONE In 1904, an excursion steamship called the General Slocum sank in New York City’s East River. The craft had been chartered to carry members of the St. Mark’s Evangelical Church (a German-American community in Manhattan) to a church picnic when it foundered. According to Ship Ablaze, a book written about the disaster by author Edward T. O’Donnell, of the 1,342 people on board – mostly women and children – 1,021 drowned. The disaster decimated an entire section of New York City and caused the […]
