Parfitt Brothers-Designed Tenements on Lafayette Avenue in Bed Stuy Burned Out

We were dismayed to see that a fire appears to have gutted the twin Parfitt Brothers-designed tenement buildings at 472-474 Lafayette Avenue near Dough in Bed Stuy. We’re not sure when the fire occurred — it could have been months ago, since we hadn’t passed by here in a while.

Windows are boarded up in the front and along the opposite side, so it’s possible both buildings have been emptied out. The buildings are visually prominent on the street because of their architecture and colorfully painted terra cotta ornamentation. (The paint is a relatively recent embellishment.) They were a Building of the Day in 2011. In 2013, the one on the right, No. 474, changed hands for $1,400,000.

Does anyone have any details of what happened? Click through to the jump to see the side of No. 474 and a closeup of the painted terra cotta details from November. GMAP