In DoBro Pre-Civil War House, No-Fee Rental With Wide Plank Floors, Tin Ceiling Asks $3,250 a Month

Located on the third floor of a four-story pre-Civil War wood frame house, this two-bedroom unit on Duffield Street offers space, charm and a setting in a small enclave of Downtown Brooklyn.

The area, known as Bridge Plaza, was once part of larger residential and commercial neighborhood but is now an isolated pocket of buildings spread across the blocks bound by Flatbush Avenue Extension, the BQE and Nassau and Tillary streets. The construction of the Manhattan Bridge, and later the BQE, demolished much of the neighborhood, leaving these surviving blocks, which have a mix of early to mid 19th century houses juxtaposed with new residential developments.

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With its Greek Revival-style portico and dentil cornice, 51 Duffield Street reflects the pre-Civil War history of the neighborhood. Although the house likely dates to the 1840s, some of those details are a bit more recent in origin.

The circa 1940 tax photo shows the house with a columned portico and a gentleman leaning out of the shorter attic story windows typical of the Greek Revival style. By the 1981 tax photo, the portico had vanished. One was back in place by the time Brownstoner’s Suzanne Spellen took a look at the house in 2011, and the period-appropriate dentil cornice was added within the last few years.

This floor-through unit in the 22-foot-wide house matches the charm of the exterior and appears fairly generously sized, with a living room and bedroom facing the street and the kitchen at the rear. The larger of the two bedrooms is off the kitchen in a windowed rear extension.

The wide planked floorboards in the living room give a hint at the age of the house and the room also has a tin ceiling, a wood mantel and picture rails to add to its character.

There are two windows in the kitchen and room enough for a dining table. The white cabinets and subway tile backsplash all appear in fine condition.

The larger of the bedrooms has built-in storage and an exposed brick wall with decorative fireplace. The smaller bedroom, pictured with a daybed and desk, appears big enough for a queen size bed.

Off the kitchen is the one full bath in the unit and it too appears in fine shape, with all white fixtures, white subway tile with a black cap tile on the walls and black and white floor tile.

There’s no laundry in the unit, but there is shared laundry on the first floor.

Barbara Wilding and Jillian Woods of Compass have the no-fee listing and it’s priced at $3,250 a month. Worth the rent?

[Listing: 51 Duffield Street, Unit 2 | Broker: Compass] GMAP

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