Building of the Day: 515 Clinton Avenue
The BOTD is a no-frills look at interesting structures of all types and from all neighborhoods. There will be old, new, important, forgotten, public, private, good and bad. Whatever strikes our fancy. We hope you enjoy. Address: 515 Clinton Avenue, between Fulton and Atlantic Name: Apartment building Neighborhood: Clinton Hill Year Built: 1893-4 Architectural Style:…
The BOTD is a no-frills look at interesting structures of all types and from all neighborhoods. There will be old, new, important, forgotten, public, private, good and bad. Whatever strikes our fancy. We hope you enjoy.
Address: 515 Clinton Avenue, between Fulton and Atlantic
Name: Apartment building
Neighborhood: Clinton Hill
Year Built: 1893-4
Architectural Style: French Gothic Revival
Architect: Montrose Morris
Landmarked: No
Why chosen: A good architect could certainly make a fine living, towards the end of the 19th century, and Montrose Morris was more than just a good architect. But combine architecture with development in a premiere neighborhood, and you’re potentially mining real estate gold. Morris did a lot of development, starting at the beginning of his career, on his own block of Hancock Street in Bedford, and in other parts of the city of Brooklyn. Morris is on record buying the property in January of 1892, and by 1893 an advertisement in the Eagle reads, To Let apartments in handsome new building, 515 Clinton Avenue. Superior appointment, finest location in Brooklyn, all outside rooms, resident janitors. Montrose W. Morris, owner and architect. According to later ads, the apartments in this building were at least 6 rooms, and had all of the amenities usually found in MM’s apartment buildings; fine woodwork, the latest in bathroom and kitchen accoutrements, etc. Tenants at the turn of the century included a Dr. Blackman and a Miss Grace Richardson, a talented local artist, and her sister Marion. Montrose must have been in his French period during the turn of the century, as this building is very, very similar to his Cleremont Apartments on Decatur St, in Bedford Stuyvesant, built later, in 1900. In fact, they are almost identical, except 515 has an extra story, which elongates the towers, making the building appear thinner. If the decorative stone and pressed metalwork on these towers was painted in the same light colors as the Clermont’s, it would be an equally stunning building. As it is now, it looks quite depressing.
The Clermont, 79-81 Decatur Ave, Bedford Stuyvesant
Interesting! I live in this building and have always been curious about its history. I am familiar with M. Morris and some of the other buildings he designed, but did not know that this was one of them, or that it was as old. Unfortunately, the floor plan has been modified considerably since the building was built, it seems, probably in the 20s-30s, as many of the “original” details are reminiscent of that time frame. It now has 20 apartments, 2 studios and 2 1-bedroom apartments on each floor, all rentals. I would love to know what the original apartments looked like. As for the facade, I kind of prefer the black. It gives the building a “looming” quality, but I don’t find it uninviting.
Thanks for the background info!
This is one fun building. I love the way the paint makes it look like torpedoes topped off by witch’s hats. What a perfect combination.
(Perhaps SCUM should have had its HQ here circa 1970.)
I’m with MM, the black is depressing. Plus you lose all the detail that is seen in the “stone” colored metalwork. On the whole, though, I can’t say that either of these do it for me – the mix of the oriels and the Gothic just isn’t sitting right. Plus the oriels seem to weigh the whole building down (particularly on the Clinton building), when the Gothic should be all about a lightness.
Nice
hmmm i cant make up my mind if i like it dark or light… i think im leaning toward dark cuz it was the first pic i just saw of it, and then all lightened up it looked weird for some reason. that first pic with the black things on the side, if the bricks were paint hot pink. omg *orgasm*. i know, blasphemy..
*rob*
He died poor his wife is living in a apartment on Bedford Ave in 1930. Some way they lost the beautiful house on Hancock. At the time of his death his style of architecture was outdated…
MM: “If the decorative stone and pressed metalwork on these towers was painted…”
Do we have our MM advocating the painting of actual stone here?
Every time I go past the Clermont, I always utter “Magnus Dahlander”, so I’m taken aback to learn it’s the talented Mr. Morris at it again.
And while we’re on him, did he die rich or poor given the rocky world of real estate investment?
I love it dark too. It looks like a Victorian missile silo.
Wow. Love it dark. Stunning.