Brooklyn Gains New Landmarks in 2018

As the year comes to a close, we take a look back at the Brooklyn buildings considered significant enough to merit designation by the Landmarks Preservation Commission in 2018.

This year Brooklyn gained one historic district extension, four individual landmarks and one scenic landmark.

Dr. Maurice T. Lewis House
404 55th Street, Sunset Park

This Renaissance Revival house was designed by R. Thomas Short of renowned firm Harde & Short and built in 1907 for Dr. Maurice T. Lewis. Designation moved swiftly when the the house, Sunset Park’s only freestanding mansion, was threatened by a developer’s plan that would resulted in a 74-foot-tall building. The building was calendared in February and designated in March.

Dime Savings Bank of Williamsburgh
209 Havemeyer Street, Williamsburgh

This grand neo-Classical bank was completed in 1908 and designed by Helmle and Huberty, a team responsible for a number of Brooklyn’s iconic buildings. The bank was constructed during a building boom in the neighborhood following the construction of the Williamsburg Bridge in 1903. Brooklyn’s latest building boom will affect the building — a 23-story mixed-use skyscraper designed by Fogarty Finger Architects is sprouting up behind the historic structure.

Coney Island Boardwalk
West 37th Street to Brighton 15th Street, Coney Island

When the 2.7-mile Coney Island Boardwalk was designated in May, the commissioners, in an atypical move, all applauded after the vote. The commission will have an advisory role in deciding on any changes to the boardwalk, including the replacement of materials. The final decision would be made by the Public Design Commission because the city-owned boardwalk is classified as a scenic landmark.

Boerum Hill Historic District Extension

The extension added about 288 buildings to the original Boerum Hill Historic District, which was designated in 1973. The added blocks were developed in the mid to late 19th century and include row houses and residential buildings with historic storefronts, including a stretch of shops on Atlantic Avenue. The extension was designated in June.

Hans S. Christian Memorial Kindergarten
236 President Street, Carroll Gardens

The President Street house was designed in 1897 by architects William C. Hough and Edgar Deuell Jr. It was commissioned by Elmira E. Christian, who sought to create a kindergarten in honor of her husband, who had passed away three years prior. In later years, the building was used as a church. A developer was reportedly in contract to purchase the home earlier this year as a development site. Locals rallied to save the structure, and even Joan Baez wrote a letter in support of designation. The house was designated in September.

238 President Street House
238 President Street, Carroll Gardens

Next door to the kindergarten is the Anglo-Italianate building purchased by Elmira E. Christian in 1897. It was built in 1853, and Mrs. Christian hired architect Woodruff Leeming to renovate the house, adding a fourth story. The building housed a training center and home for church workers and later served as a church parsonage. It remained a church parsonage until 1974, when it was converted into apartments. The building was designated in September.

Related Stories

• After Outcry, Mayor Appoints Preservationist as New Chair of Landmarks Preservation Commission
• Landmarks Extends Boerum Hill Historic District, Includes Quaint Row of Shops on Atlantic Avenue
• Effort to Landmark Walt Whitman’s Brooklyn Home Gains Political Support From City Council Members

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