No.116 on Sixth Avenue you find St. Augustine's Roman Catholic Church, a 1897 Romanesque Revival Brownstone structure, a monumental counterweight to the rows and rows of townhouses. Admire the impressive tower, the archangel Gabriel on top of the church's roof, rock-face brownstone, the large nave with finials and fleche and beautiful magnificent stained glass windows. At St.John's Place turn left (east) and walk up to Seventh Avenue, which is Park Slope's main shopping street. On 139 St. John's Place, between Sixth and Seventh Avenues, you encounter St. John's Episcopal Church, a Neo-Gothic - Victorian structure from 1889 in varied hues and tones of brownstone in an English country garden.
Cut rockface, random ashlar with, at the arched openings, alternating cream and brownstone Ruskinian voussoirs. Stop at Nos. 176 and 178, the William M. Thallon and Edward Bunker Houses. Constructed in 1888 in what was originally envisioned as Queen Anne style, but really a Brownstone and brick melange, with some French castle and Swiss Alpine cottage flavor. On No. 178 note the caduceus on the gable: Thallon and Bunker were physicians. Reaching Seventh Avenue you see Memorial Presbyterian Church, a Neo-Gothic brownstone monolith with Tiffany glass windows and Grace United Methodist Church and Parsonage from 1882-1883, a Romanesque Revival building with an intriguing Moorish-Romanesque facade along St. John's Place. At Seventh Avenue turn left (north) and walk one block to Sterling Place. Let's take a look at No.21 Sterling Place, the Lilian Ward house. The second floor oriel with its finial roof is a delightful feature for a corner house. Turn around and walk two blocks south on Seventh Avenue to Lincoln Place.
Take a look at No.58 Seventh Avenue, the Brooklyn Conservatory of Music, orginally the Brasher house. The austere brick and brownstone building has ornamental brickwork, a picturesque roofline and elegant cast-iron cresting. Continue your walk down Seventh Avenue.You will notice that the brownstones become more elaborate. These are the newer buildings constructed by rich families who priced a location on a hill and close to a park. That's the reason the blocks between Seventh and Eighth Avenues are more fashionable. The blocks between Eighth Avenue and Prospect Park are outright luxurious, as we will see exploring three of the best side streets in Park Slope, Union, President and Carroll Streets.
Let's walk up on Union Street towards Eighth Avenue. 905-913 Union Street are a quintet of 1895 Queen Anne houses in brick, brownstone and shingles. On 889-905 Union Street you find an interesting couple of 1889 Queen Anne row houses with eclectic medieval and classical parts. Note the brownstone friezes and bay windows.
Next let's visit President Street between Seventh and Eighth Avenues and admire the many Neo-Grec, Romanesque and Renaissance Revival row houses and a few architect designed residences. No.869 President Street - Stuart Woodford House, constructed in 1885 with two bracketed oriel windows punctuating the painted brick facade, articulated by Viollet-Ie-Duc-inspired struts. Woodford was a onetime ambassador to Spain, hence the Spanish-Moorish style of the house.
Nos.876-878 President Street are Romanesque brick and brownstone melanges with a bay-windowed Queen Anne. Note the remarkably lusty rock-faced brownstone stoops. 944-946 President Street, constructed in 1890, are an extravagant duet in brick and brownstone, with rich wrought iron, stained glass and terra-cotta, a picturesque profile against the sky. Around No. 925 President Street, dating from the 1870s, are magnificent Renaissance Revival brownstones, their bayed fronts modulating this wonderful block.
post your comments here>> page 3