A WOOD FRAME DEATH SENTENCE (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? ******************************************************************************************************************************** Wood frame dwellings were once the norm in Brooklyn. Before a series of laws were enacted in the mid-1800s remanding that houses be constructed of “non-flammable” materials, houses had generally been made of wood. And wooden houses existed everywhere because they were simple to build, cheap in their construction and costs of materials, and their primary element – wood – was everywhere available. As “non-flammable” construction – mostly brick and brownstone – became the norm throughout the borough, these old structures were systematically torn down and replaced with the newer buildings. So, today, when you see a wooden house anywhere in Brooklyn – esp. closer to the city center – you are seeing a rare commodity, as what’s left of these structures is being torn down all around us by developers planning who are building larger and higher-occupancy buildings in their place. Back in 1914, though, people were generally tired of the wood structures – happy to see them meet the wrecking ball to be replaced by brick and mortar. So, no one lifted an eyebrow that year when the Park Slope YMCA purchased three of these type structures – with plans to level them for their new building. THE “Y” BUYS THREE TEAR-DOWNS In late 1914, the YMCA on the […]
