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| Field Assignment #1
March 30, 2004
Budget Six Hours
Satan’s Laundromat Walk II was great. We walked about three miles, basically covering Vinegar Hill up to the southern tip of Williamsburg and the eastern edge of Fort Greene. I wish I’d done a little early research on the area and streets before leaving—on many occasions I found myself wondering Now where the fuck am I? Regardless, it was neat tour through areas that I’d never explored.
Vinegar Hill is bounded by the East River on the north, Navy Yard on the east, Bridge Street on the west, and Sands Street on the south. The actual historic district in made up of two small subsections (which, according to Francis Morrone, is very rare). There from Hudson Avenue between Front Street and Plymouth Street and Front Street between Gold and Bridge Streets. Vinegar Hill was originally a working-class Irish community, with most residents working in nearby factories and the Navy Yard.
Apparently, Sands Street was a bustling thoroughfare at one point, with a multitude of brothels and bars for which to suit any seaman’s fancy. The area went into decline around WWII when the Navy Yard hit its peak of employment…and went only downhill from there. The area’s decline was further exacerbated by the construction of the BQE and public works projects which, much like what happened in Red Hook, cut Vinegar Hill and the Navy Yard areas off from the rest of Brooklyn.
Still, there are many jewels amidst the dreary, partially abandoned waterfront. The former homestead of the Navy Yard commandant, which was built in 1805-6 by Charles Bullfinch (designer of the Capitol Building), stands off Little Street. It reminded me of something out of Gone With the Wind except, instead of it sitting on a huge plantation, the commandant’s house now sits next to the Department of Environmental Protection Sludge Dewatering Facility. Nice. At least it is registered as a Federal landmark.
Despite the beauty of the commandant’s house, the most striking sights were those of the old dilapidated houses/mansions that, for the most part, have been left to rot on Flushing Avenue. These seem to be built from masonry and heavily stuccoed. The block is so overgrown that it’s easy to miss the houses, at first. At closer inspection, the estates are incredible. They look like a movie set—who knew that such decrepit beauty remained.
I haven’t been able to find much information about these buildings. My assumption is that they were residences for high ranking navy officials-- but we all know that my assumptions tend to run in the more idealistic, romantic vein (ie: struts were nautical symbols). An hour or two rummaging through the informative (yet incredibly frustrating to use) digitized Brooklyn Daily Eagle didn't yield much.
I did do a little email research, however both of my routes of inquiry came out dry. One response told me to budget about six hours for research—not bad. What I really need is an old land map of the area that lists houses. Perhaps, when I venture out to the archives this spring, I’ll be able to rustle one up. I wish that archives were open on the weekend.
Posted by callalillie at March 30, 2004 8:24 AM | Brooklyn Navy Yard
, City Life
Damn, Corie. Gorgeous. Absolutely gorgeous.
Posted by: josé at March 30, 2004 9:10 AM
i thought the houses were kind of creepy. the whole overgrowth of shrubbery, musky smell, doors open halfway. they would make for great haunted houses.
Posted by: tien at March 30, 2004 10:08 AM
You could always look up Sanborn Maps [the fire insurance company mapped major cities from 1867-1970] If you go to any NYPL, they should have computer stations, or if you goto the main Brooklyn and Manhattan branches they will have them on file. That will acertain how old the buildings are. And if you know the address, you can go on the NY Dept of Buildings Website and search by address who owns it.
Posted by: plemeljr at March 30, 2004 11:49 AM
Wow, this is really helpful...especially for my school building research. Thanks a lot.
Posted by: corie at March 30, 2004 12:17 PM
I'm pretty sure they were Navy officers' quarters. Supposedly they're fenced off from both sides (from the outside and from the inside of the Navy Yard).
Posted by: Mike at March 30, 2004 9:24 PM
Yes, that I know. The WPA Guide says this:
At the south end, facing Flushing Avenue are the officer's quarters, two-story buildings of painted brick, scrupulously neat despite their age (some were built before the Civil War), and bordered by gardens, tennis couts, and carefully kept walls. (page 451).
My question is a) Why they weren't landmarked (certainly they have significance to the city, if not the country) and b) How the hell did they wind up in such disrepair/beyond repair. They're older than most of the buildings in the city.
Posted by: corie at March 31, 2004 8:20 AM
