Building of the Day: 96 Brooklyn 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: 96 Brooklyn Ave, corner of Dean Street Name: The John and Elizabeth Truslow House Neighborhood: Crown Heights North…
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: 96 Brooklyn Ave, corner of Dean Street
Name: The John and Elizabeth Truslow House
Neighborhood: Crown Heights North (CHN Historic District)
Year Built: 1886-87
Architectural Style: Queen Anne
Architects: Parfitt Brothers
This is one of Parfitt Bros. best private homes, and one of CHN’s best free standing mansions. Said to have 50 rooms, it was the home of one of the area’s most prominent men; politician, businessman, and philanthropist, John Truslow.
The green square oriels projecting out on the Dean St. side of the brick building are unique, and set the house apart. The granite columns at the front entrance are also a unique touch on this impressive building. The house is in need of some deep pocketed love. GMAP
[Photos by Suzanne Spellen]
Well, _somebody_ lives in part of it, because i often see lights on in there, and they’ve got an obama sticker or sign or something (I can’t remember now) in one of the windows.
Still, I really wish somebody would buy it and fix it up. Or even just buy it and not tear it down and do something with it.
Looks like it was used as professional space at some point; remnants of a sign bracket in the ‘yard’ on the corner.
Minard, please email me at montrosemorris@yahoo.com. I would love to discuss this further. We are all good at keeping people’s real names and identities between ourselves, and I would never reveal anyone’s real name if they didn’t want it so. The funny thing when the ‘Stoners get together is that even though many of us know each other’s real names, we still call each other by our blog names, they have become our “real” identities. You will always be Minard Lefever to me.
dear montrose, I just read the OT, I hope you know that my posts are my way of expressing my admiration for you and your writing. I think you are terrific. You know I am in the business that I believe you want to be in. It is a downtime now but things will improve. I think we need to talk. I will call you or contact you in some way. Then you will know who Minard is, but you must not tell.
OK. you don’t need a giant tusk set in a silver stand, you can substitute a suit of armor. But the chinese vases are a must.
How else to pot the palms?
Not a fan of Chinese vases, my cats would make short work of the peacock, although the feathers could be repurposed. I can sew, so I’ll save money on the overdone draperies. No tusks, but I do have two wonderful stencilled 8′ organ pipes, from this period. I also have an Eastlake bedroom set, it was the master bedroom set from the house I grew up in, upstate. I’m all set, just waiting for the money part of the equation.
But minard- rob won’t visit anyplace where there are peacocks. I am, however, offering MM my antique Boar’s tusk. It’s not gigantic but a tusk is a tusk. The donjons are painted tin- the color shows through here and there. I love this house it’s only a few blocks from me and we’re just hoping whoever owns it now realizes the treasure they have, and properly restores it.
MOntrose, This is the perfect house to use, or even over-use, Bradbury & Bradbury wallpaper. You would also need to acquire a pet peacock for the garden. You don’t need a guard dog if you have a peacock. You would need to win the lotto though because just curtains and carpets would set you back a fortune, not to mention the chinese vases, inlaid furniture, and you would have to have at least one giant carved tusk…..
This is on my short list of houses I want. I would love to be able to take it back to it’s orginal grandeur inside and out. I can only imagine it’s a warren of tiny kitchenettes, probably with no original detail left. Lotto – you keep failing me! I’m trying to help the community here!!
There has been a lis pendens filed since 2002. The front doors are chained, but unfortunately, that’s been true, even when there were some tenants. The last owner bought the place without the money to do some needed repairs, and then had a lot of tenant trouble. There was a NYT story on the house chronicaling the owner’s problems, from 1997. I’m pretty sure no one is living there now, even though cars are still in the back. They may be paid parking spaces.
http://www.nytimes.com/1997/12/07/realestate/habitats-96-brooklyn-avenue-crown-heights-a-landmark-facade-a-troubled-interior.html?scp=1&sq=Truslow%20house&st=cse