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Brooklyn, one building at a time.

Name: Dansk Sømandskirke (Seamen’s Church)
Address: 102 Willow Street, between Clark and Pierrepont Streets
Neighborhood: Brooklyn Heights
Year Built: 1850’s-1860
Architectural Style: Italianate
Architect: Unknown
Landmarked: Yes, part of Brooklyn Heights HD.

The story: This is one of the best preserved Italianate houses in Brooklyn Heights, built when the Heights was home to large extended families of wealthy individuals. The earliest listing in the Brooklyn Eagle is an ad for the return of a lost dog named Flash, who disappeared in March of 1862, so we know a house was there then, probably this one, due to the style, which was in its prime at the time. The large five story house was home to the Reid family, who also had relatives next door, and around the corner. They were related by marriage to the Spier family and the Knox’s, all old Brooklyn families who made their money in insurance and banking. They were involved with local churches and charities, and like many old line wealthy families, tended to stay out of the society pages, only appearing when getting married, or buried.

Fast forwarding to the mid 1900’s, the house became the location of the Danish Seamen’s Church in 1957. Den Dansk Sømandskirke of New York was founded back in 1878, by Danish pastor Rasmus Andersen. In 1886, He established Our Saviour’s Church, on 9th Street, in Gowanus, where it remained until they moved to Willow Street, changing the name to the Danish Seamen’s Church. This is the only church in either North or South America where church services are held in Danish. A great part of their mission is to care for Danish seamen coming to NY, as over 300 Danish ships dock here every year. They also provide a home away from home for New York’s Danish community, with many community programs, and hosting Danish politicians, artists and celebrities.

The house is a classic Brooklyn Heights Italianate, with an extra, on a wide 25′ lot, as per usual for this part of the Heights. It’s a classic of the style in every way, with the wide, large brownstone stairs, newel posts and balusters, the deep hooded windows and doors, and the classic acanthus leaf brackets flanking the door. The extra touches are the dormers on the top floor, which make this building a stand out, as they peek over a large wooden cornice. By painting them black, the small windows surrounding by oversized frames really pop, which along with its fine condition and place on the street, make this fine house one of the best of its style in the entire Heights. Fremragende stykke arbejde, godt gÃ¥et. (Excellent job, well done.)

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What's Your Take? Leave a Comment

  1. Interesting information above.

    My guess is the house was built in the very late 1860s or early 1870s. It doesn’t appear on either the 1855 Perris map or the 1867 Dripps map. It does appear on the Hopkins and Bromley maps from 1880.

    Street numbering changed in the early 1870s – the Eagle article from 1862 about Flash the dog @ 102 Willow would have referred to a house further south on the street.

    Note that Clay Lancaster doesn’t include the house in his survey of pre-Civil War houses, so he seemed to agree that it was not earlier than mid 1860s.

    This lot and the one next door (on the corner of Clark and Willow) were originally two trapezoid-shaped lots that straddled the old boundary of the Hicks and Jackson farms from the early 19th century. Only later were they divided into two rectangular lots and developed as part of the rowhouse grid.

  2. Sorry I missed this posting yesterday. For anyone who’s still reading this thread (or just for Montrose), this lengthy translation of information from the church’s Danish website (http://www.dankirkeny.org/aktuelt/renovering-af-kirken.aspx) gives details about the renovation, which also affected the interior of the church. Note that the church spent a total of $968,000 on the renovation.

    *******************

    Renovation of the church

    The first step in the renovation project was taken in 2002, when through a variety of initiatives the necessary funds were raised to proceed with the project. The renovation itself was launched in 2005, when the church was emptied and a flea market was held to sell those things that were no longer needed, while the rest was sent to storage. The church remained closed until October 2005.

    The purpose of the renovation project was to make the church brighter and more inviting, to the delight of the many Danes who come to the church, whether they are here to attend a church service or a ceremony or to participate in the many other social and cultural activities in the church.

    To create more space, the interior orientation of the church was reversed, so there is now considerably more seating in the church. The previous entryway was demolished and the stairs outside were removed. [Note: if I remember correctly, there used to be a set of stairs on the left, and a doorway where the left parlor window is. –Park Sloper] There is now an entrance to the church on the right side of the house, where there is a double door in the building’s original style. In the church and in the common room there is a new floor of bright oak, and there is furniture of classic Danish design which contributes to a bright Scandinavian feeling in the church.

    The sanctuary is furnished with pews made by Kaare Klint. In the back of the room is a group of sofas with furniture by Børge Mogensen and Hans. J. Wegner.

    The church has new Church Furniture: the altar, pulpit, kneeling bench, stool and baptistery are all made of oak and steel in a very simple style designed by architect Anne Louise Due de Fønns and manufactured by a Danish woodworking company. The church has launched a collection for a new altar piece mosaic. Until this project is completed, a beautiful altar rug made and donated by textile artist Birgit Pathuel is hanging there instead.

    The church’s kitchen was moved from the small room behind the church into the basement of what previously was the pastor’s office. The kitchen is therefore now larger, with room for making lunches, Christmas dinner and Thanksgiving turkey. The former kitchen is now the pastor’s office.

    In the basement there is a large common room, which now gets plenty of daylight through a large window facing the courtyard. The basement entrance was also improved so it is also possible to enter the church from there as well. Finally, the restrooms have been renovated and there is room for three toilets.

    The church’s facade, which had been badly damaged by weather and wind, was in danger of peeling off in bad weather, and has been thoroughly renovated in keeping with the original style from 1850s-era Brooklyn Heights.

    After the renovation, the Seamen’s Church functions brilliantly as a church, a gathering place for cultural and social activities, and a showcase for Danish design.

  3. My question was: But Montrose, do you speak Danish?!? I ask because although I assume you could just have used google translate, the Danish you wrote was surprisingly colloquial.

    In any event — nice choice of building. The church recently underwent a fairly extensive renovation, including replacing the old front doors with the lovely double doors you see now.