History

Suzanne Spellen's Tales of Brooklyn History and Architecture in 2024

Historian, preservationist, and longtime Brownstoner columnist Suzanne Spellen penned enthralling tales of Brooklyn’s history and architecture this year.

brooklyn - black and white aerial view of Dumbo

A 1940s aerial view of Dumbo. Photo via National Archives

by Susan De Vries

12/31/2024 0

Historian, preservationist, and longtime Brownstoner columnist Suzanne Spellen penned enthralling tales of Brooklyn’s history and architecture this year. If you missed her 2024 monthly columns or her features in Brownstoner magazine, we’ve rounded them up for some winter reading below.

park slope brownstones - black and white photo of brownstones — Houses along Berkeley Place, including No. 211, where someone is maintaining a window, in 1973. Image courtesy of the NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission

Brownstone Revival: The Rebirth of the Brooklyn Townhouse

For many, the brownstone is the quintessential symbol of Brooklyn, as much an icon as the Brooklyn Bridge. Yes, other boroughs also have attached masonry row houses, but the Brooklyn brownstone beats them all.

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black and white photo of erasmus hall — Eramus Hall Academy in 1966. Photo via the NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission

A Masterpiece of Education: Flatbush’s Erasmus Hall Academy and High School

One of the most important 18th century buildings in the city, Erasmus Hall Academy now sits at the center of a grand early 20th century high school.

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robert gair black and white portrait over and aerial view of dumbo showing the brooklyn and manhattan bridges — For many years in the 20th century the neighborhood now called Dumbo was nicknamed “Gairsville,” after businessman and inventor Robert Gair. Portrait of Robert Gair via Brooklyn Daily Eagle. 1940s aerial view of Dumbo via National Archives

How Innovator Robert Gair Built an Empire of Boxes in Dumbo

An important inventor, the Scottish-born Gair was instrumental in the development of the East River waterfront and industrial area we now call Dumbo.

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cohn brothers - a brown brick apartment building — A typical Cohn Brothers tapestry brick apartment building with arches at 113-121 Lenox Road in Flatbush dates to 1926. Photo by Susan De Vries

Cohn Brothers: Prolific Architects of Brooklyn’s Jazz Age Apartment Buildings

Their boom-time designs for middle-class apartment dwellers featured popular styles such as Tudor and Colonial Revival.

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decorator: black and white portrait on top of wallpaper — Brooklyn decorator Albert Korber in 1908. Image via Brooklyn Daily Eagle. Wallpaper by the American Wall Paper Manufactures’ Association produced circa 1879-1887. Image via Cooper Hewitt

Albert Korber and the Business of the Artful Home

Prominent 19th century Brooklyn designer Albert Korber decorated Park Slope’s swank Montauk Club and was known for reimagining older homes.

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black and white photo showing market buildings — A 1926 aerial view of South Elliott Place between Hanson Place and Atlantic Avenue. Photo by the Brown Brothers via New York Public Library

How the Railroad Brought Meatpacking to Fort Greene

Nothing remains of the once-thriving industry that was fueled by Long Island’s demand for fresh meat, the railroad, and the labor of hundreds of people.

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