LP-2665
Linden Street Historic District
ITEM PROPOSED FOR PUBLIC HEARING
The proposed Linden Street Historic District is a remarkably intact group of 32 brick and brownstone row houses built between 1885 and 1901 when this area of Bushwick became more intensively urbanized. Designed by several Brooklyn architects, these distinctive row houses represent a variety of late-19th century styles resulting in a cohesive historic streetscape with a strong sense of place.
As the citywide advocate for New York’s historic neighborhoods, HDC enthusiastically supports the designation of the Linden Street Historic District. This year, HDC plans to work more closely with advocates in Bushwick to preserve important historic, cultural and architectural sites in the neighborhood. We are thrilled that Linden Street will be Bushwick’s first historic district, and we are pleased that the Commission has recognized this row of 32 turn-of-the-century row houses as a “standout block.”
The buildings in this district stand out not only as a remarkably intact row, but also because they represent several strands of local history. Largely developed by Samuel M. Meeker, who lived on Bushwick Avenue and founded the Williamsburg Savings Bank, these row houses were part of a spate of speculative development that followed the arrival of elevated rail service in the neighborhood along Broadway.
Materially, the buildings in the Linden Street Historic District stand out as some of the earliest masonry homes in a neighborhood built up with wood frame houses, and sport some of the earliest, and most intact, iron and terra cotta ornamentation in Bushwick.
The Linden Street Historic district is just one of many meritorious blocks and historic resources in Bushwick. We are thrilled that Linden Street is the first such block to be designated in the neighborhood, and we hope that the Commission will continue to prioritize designations in under-preserved areas historically under-recognized by the LPC. We urge the LPC to recognize many other significant architectural and cultural sites in Bushwick, including sites the community has already identified and requested, such as the townhouses on Moffat Street between Central and Evergreen Avenues, which are a special area of focus for neighborhood preservationists.