Admiral's Row

Last updated
A decayed house on Admirals Row, before demolition (2012) Admirals row decayed house jeh.jpg
A decayed house on Admirals Row, before demolition (2012)

Admiral's Row was a row of ten homes formerly used by naval officers in the New York City borough of Brooklyn at the Brooklyn Navy Yard, and owned by the National Guard of the United States. The houses were built between 1864 and 1901.

Contents

Although the U.S. Navy closed the original Navy Yard in the mid-1960s, it continued to house some personnel in the officers' houses until the mid-1970s. Afterward, many of the buildings in Admiral's Row deteriorated to the point of collapse. Most of Admiral's Row was demolished in 2016 as part of a redevelopment of Brooklyn Navy Yard; only one house and a timber shed remain from the original row. A supermarket and an office building are being developed on the site of Admiral's Row.

Designations

The property on which the row stood encompassed approximately 8 acres (32,000 m2) and was located on Flushing Avenue near Navy Street, near the southwest corner of the yard. [1] : 76 

Admiral's Row featured ten homes in various architectural styles (namely the Greek Revival, Italianate, and French Empire styles). They served as residences to high-ranking Navy Yard officers. The property also contained a timber shed, parade ground, tennis courts, and garages attached to each house. [1] : 76  Each house contained a brick and stone cladding. A finished basement was located underneath each building, and the first floor of each structure was raised several feet above the ground, accessed by a stoop. Some of the houses had mansard roofs. [2] : 10  Some of the residences were townhouses, divided into two or three units. The designations of the buildings, along Flushing Avenue from west (Navy Street) to east, were: [2] : 10 

  1. A timber shed
  2. Quarters K, Quarters L
  3. Quarters H, Quarters C
  4. Quarters B
  5. Quarters D
  6. Quarters E, Quarters F, Quarters G
  7. Quarters I

Also on the grounds were: [2] : 11 

Quarters A, the Commandant's residence, was not located on the Row. Of the structures on the Row, Quarters B is the most intricately styled and is in the best condition of any of the residences. Quarters B was the home of Admiral Matthew C. Perry while he was the commandant (titled Commodore) of the New York Navy Yard.

History

Front stoop (2010) Admrowstairjeh.JPG
Front stoop (2010)

Admiral's Row was built on the site of a mill pond that existed early in the history of Brooklyn Navy Yard. [2] : 10  The majority of the residences, comprising Quarters B through G, were built before 1873. [2] : 10  The first houses, the French Empire-style Quarters E, F, and G, began construction in 1864 on the site of the Remsens' mill pond. Quarters E served as the naval constructor's residence, while Quarters F was the chief engineer's residence, and Quarters G was the surgeon's residence. Each structure had six to seven bedrooms and three bathrooms. To the west was Quarters B, the captain's residence, which was likely constructed in 1872 and was the largest house in Admiral's Row. The following house was Quarters D, the ordnance officer's residence, was probably built the following year. To the west of Quarters D was Quarters C, the equipment officer's residence, a French Second Empire building built in 1872. [1] : 76 

Quarters H, the general storekeeper's residence, was built as an annex to Quarters C in 1881. Quarters I, a freestanding building to the east of Quarters E/F/G, was built around 1889. Quarters K and L, two attached houses, were built in 1901 to the west of Quarters C. All of these structures were designed in the French Empire style. [1] : 76  The row was abandoned in 1966 when the Navy Yard was decommissioned. [1] : 77 

Redevelopment

The property was set to undergo a Section 106 review (under the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966) by the National Guard. In April 2008, it launched a website in order to invite public involvement in the proceedings. An open meeting was held in July 2008, where the public was asked to weigh in on the preservation of the structures. The results of that meeting were published on the National Guard website, as well as considered in the Alternatives Report for the site.

After a long period of deterioration, Admiral's Row was approved for demolition in 2009. [3] In 2010, the administration of former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg proposed to revitalize the row. Two developers attempted to revitalize the row, but one was accused of bribery and another could not pay insurance after 2012's Hurricane Sandy. [4]

Although Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Corporation president Andrew Kimball has claimed that the residences have been damaged beyond repair by the elements, the report prepared by the United States Army Corps of Engineers refuted this claim, suggesting that the residences are not only excellent candidates for rehabilitation, but meet all eligibility requirements for inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places, both individually and as a district. The New York State Department of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation agreed with this assessment and suggested that alternatives to demolition, including adaptive reuse, must be considered.[ citation needed ]

Quarters B, the sole remaining structure on Admiral's Row (2018) Brooklyn Navy Yard October 23, 2018 (44797870044).jpg
Quarters B, the sole remaining structure on Admiral's Row (2018)

The Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Corporation wanted to save the row's timber shed and Quarters B, renovating the two buildings at a cost of $70 million and demolishing the remaining buildings in Admiral's Row. The Army National Guard, which owned Admiral's Row, initially did not want to renovate the two buildings, because the entire complex was about to collapse. [5] [6] In November 2011, the New York City Council approved a plan to rehabilitate the more stable buildings for retail space, and demolish the unstable ones. [7] Only Quarters B and the Timber Shed would be saved. [8] In January 2012, the property was demilitarized and transferred to the Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Corporation. [9]

The redevelopment of Admiral's Row was approved in 2015. Most of the buildings would be demolished; a 74,000-square-foot (6,900 m2) Wegmans supermarket, the city's first, is being built on the site. [10] The site would also be occupied by manufacturing complex at 399 Sands Street, to be developed by Steiner NYC, which already operated Steiner Studios at Brooklyn Navy Yard. [11] [12] To make way for these buildings, Admiral's Row was demolished in 2016. [13] [14] Preservationists and community members criticized the demolition of the houses. [13] Construction on 399 Sands started in June 2018, and it was expected to open in 2021. [11] The adjacent Wegmans supermarket opened in 2019, [15] as well as part of 399 Sands' parking lot. [11] [16] The Admiral's Row redevelopment would include 360,000 square feet (33,000 m2) of light industrial and office space and 165,000 square feet (15,300 m2) of retail space. [17]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Woolwich Dockyard</span> Naval dockyard in Kent, England; in use from 1512 to 1869

Woolwich Dockyard was an English naval dockyard along the river Thames at Woolwich in north-west Kent, where many ships were built from the early 16th century until the late 19th century. William Camden called it 'the Mother Dock of all England'. By virtue of the size and quantity of vessels built there, Woolwich Dockyard is described as having been 'among the most important shipyards of seventeenth-century Europe'. During the Age of Sail, the yard continued to be used for shipbuilding and repair work more or less consistently; in the 1830s a specialist factory within the dockyard oversaw the introduction of steam power for ships of the Royal Navy. At its largest extent it filled a 56-acre site north of Woolwich Church Street, between Warspite Road and New Ferry Approach; 19th-century naval vessels were fast outgrowing the yard, however, and it eventually closed in 1869. The former dockyard area is now partly residential, partly industrial, with remnants of its historic past having been restored.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wegmans</span> Supermarket chain in the northeastern United States

Wegmans Food Markets, Inc. is a privately held American supermarket chain. It is headquartered in Gates, New York, and was founded on January 30, 1916, in Rochester, New York.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chatham Dockyard</span> Former Royal Navy Dockyard located on the River Medway in Kent

Chatham Dockyard was a Royal Navy Dockyard located on the River Medway in Kent. Established in Chatham in the mid-16th century, the dockyard subsequently expanded into neighbouring Gillingham.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Berry railway station</span> Railway station in New South Wales, Australia

Berry railway station is a heritage-listed single-platform intercity train station located in Berry, New South Wales, Australia, on the South Coast railway line. The station serves NSW TrainLink diesel multiple unit trains travelling south to Bomaderry and north to Kiama. Early morning and late night services to the station are provided by train replacement bus services. In the past, the station precinct also catered to freight trains carrying cattle and dairy products.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bomaderry railway station</span> Railway station in New South Wales, Australia

Bomaderry railway station is a heritage-listed single-platform intercity train station located in Bomaderry, New South Wales, Australia, on the South Coast railway line. The station serves NSW TrainLink diesel multiple unit trains to Kiama. Early morning and late night services to the station are provided by train replacement bus services. A siding near the station is used by freight trains operated by the Manildra Group.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Queanbeyan railway station</span> Railway station in New South Wales, Australia

Queanbeyan railway station is a heritage-listed railway station located on the Bombala line in New South Wales, Australia. It serves the town of Queanbeyan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royal Naval Dockyard, Halifax</span>

Royal Naval Dockyard, Halifax was a Royal Navy base in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Established in 1759, the Halifax Yard served as the headquarters for the Royal Navy's North American Station for sixty years, starting with the Seven Years' War. The Royal Navy continued to operate the station until it was closed in 1905. The station was sold to Canada in 1907 becoming His Majesty's Canadian Dockyard, a function it still serves today as part of CFB Halifax.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vinegar Hill, Brooklyn</span> Neighborhood of Brooklyn in New York City

Vinegar Hill is a neighborhood in the borough of Brooklyn in New York City on the East River Waterfront between Dumbo and the Brooklyn Navy Yard. The neighborhood is locally governed by Brooklyn Community Board 2 and is policed by the New York City Police Department's 84th Precinct. The large Irish-American population in Vinegar Hill made it one of several New York City neighborhoods once known colloquially as Irishtown.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Steiner Studios</span> Film studio in Brooklyn, New York City

Steiner Studios is a film studio at Brooklyn Navy Yard in Brooklyn, New York City. It is the largest film and television production studio complex in the United States outside Hollywood. Steiner Studios, spread across 50 acres (20 ha), contains 30 soundstages as well as additional support space.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Quarters A, Brooklyn Navy Yard</span> Building in Brooklyn, New York

Quarters A, also known as the Commandant's House, is a historic house on Evans Street in the Vinegar Hill neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York City. Built beginning in 1805, with a number of later alterations, it remains a prominent example of Federal architecture in New York City. It was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1974 for its association with Matthew C. Perry, commandant of the adjacent Brooklyn Navy Yard 1841–1843, whose opening of Japan to the West in 1854 revolutionized trade and international affairs. The building is now privately owned.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brooklyn Navy Yard</span> Shipyard and industrial complex in Brooklyn, New York

The Brooklyn Navy Yard is a shipyard and industrial complex located in northwest Brooklyn in New York City, New York. The Navy Yard is located on the East River in Wallabout Bay, a semicircular bend of the river across from Corlears Hook in Manhattan. It is bounded by Navy Street to the west, Flushing Avenue to the south, Kent Avenue to the east, and the East River on the north. The site, which covers 225.15 acres (91.11 ha), is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sheerness Dockyard</span>

Sheerness Dockyard was a Royal Navy Dockyard located on the Sheerness peninsula, at the mouth of the River Medway in Kent. It was opened in the 1660s and closed in 1960.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bellevue, Glebe</span> Historic site in New South Wales, Australia

Bellevue is a heritage-listed former residence and timber yard and now cafe located at 55–57 Leichhardt Street in the inner city Sydney suburb of Glebe Point in the City of Sydney local government area of New South Wales, Australia. It was designed by Ambrose Thornley Junior and built in 1896 for William Jarrett who lived in the adjoining house. It is also known as site of former Venetia (demolished) and 55 Leichhardt Street. The property is owned by the City of Sydney Council. It was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 2 April 1999.

This is a timeline and chronology of the history of Brooklyn, New York. Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's boroughs, and was settled in 1646.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brooklyn Naval Hospital</span> Hospital in New York, United States

Brooklyn Naval Hospital was a hospital in Brooklyn, New York City, within the Brooklyn Navy Yard. It was one of the oldest naval hospitals in the United States, having operated from 1838 to 1948. Two of the structures in the former hospital's site are designated New York City Landmarks. The entire hospital complex is listed on the National Register of Historic Places along with the rest of the Navy Yard.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Farragut Houses</span> Public housing development in Brooklyn, New York

The Farragut Houses is a public housing project located in the downtown neighborhood of northwestern Brooklyn, New York City, bordering the Brooklyn Navy Yard. Farragut Houses is a property of New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA). The houses contain 3,272 residents who reside in ten buildings that are each 13 to 14 stories high.

Douglas Craig Steiner is a Brooklyn-based real estate developer who developed properties in New Jersey and New York and other states. In addition, he was chairman of Steiner Studios in Brooklyn, New York, the largest studio in the United States on the east coast.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tingey House</span> Official residence of the Chief of Naval Operations of the United States Navy

Tingey House, officially known as Quarters A, is the official residence of the Chief of Naval Operations of the United States Navy. Built in 1804, it is located at the Washington Navy Yard in Washington, D.C., and is part of the Yard's historic Officers Quarters. The residence is known as Tingey House in honor of its first resident, former U.S. Navy officer Thomas Tingey. According to popular legend, Tingey's ghost haunts the property.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royal Clarence Yard</span>

Royal Clarence Yard in Gosport, Hampshire, England was established in 1828 as one of the Royal Navy's two principal, purpose-built, provincial victualling establishments. It was designed by George Ledwell Taylor, Civil Architect to the Navy Board and named after the then Duke of Clarence. The new victualling yard was developed on approximately 20 hectares of land, some of which was already in use as a brewing establishment at Weevil on the west shore of Portsmouth Harbour, to the north of Gosport.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">101 George Street, The Rocks</span> Historic site in New South Wales, Australia

101 George Street, The Rocks is a heritage-listed restaurant and former house and shop located at 101 George Street, in the inner city Sydney suburb of The Rocks in the City of Sydney local government area of New South Wales, Australia. It was designed by William Reynolds and built during 1838. It is also known as Phillips Foote Restaurant or Phillip's Foote Restaurant. The property is owned by Property NSW, an agency of the Government of New South Wales. It was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 10 May 2002.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Brooklyn Navy Yard Historic District (PDF). April 7, 2014. Retrieved September 5, 2018.{{cite book}}: |website= ignored (help)
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 "Chapter 5: Historic and Cultural Resources". Environmental Review: Admirals Row Plaza – 11DME001K (PDF). Government of New York City. June 6, 2011.
  3. ↑ Sulzberger, A. G. (May 28, 2009). "Demolition of Most of Admirals' Row Is Approved". City Room. Retrieved September 27, 2018.
  4. ↑ Williams, Keith (April 17, 2015). "Promised a Supermarket Five Years Ago, a Housing Project Is Still Waiting". The New York Times . ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved April 29, 2016.
  5. ↑ Berger, Joseph (April 18, 2011). "At Navy Yard's Admiral's Row, Battle Over Preservation". The New York Times. Retrieved September 27, 2018.
  6. ↑ Bortolot, Lana (May 19, 2011). "Plea for Navy Yard Fix". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved September 27, 2018.
  7. ↑ "Admiral's Row to Get Partial Rebirth". AM New York . November 29, 2011. Archived from the original on January 19, 2012.
  8. ↑ Durkin, Erin (January 27, 2012). "Historic Admiral's Row at the Brooklyn Navy Yard to Be Leveled for Supermarket, Business Space". New York Daily News . Retrieved June 7, 2016.
  9. ↑ Berger, Joseph (January 27, 2012). "Admirals Row Transferred to City". The New York Times . Retrieved May 15, 2015.
  10. ↑ Chaban, Matt A.V. (May 13, 2015). "Wegmans to Open at Brooklyn Navy Yard". The New York Times. Retrieved September 27, 2018.
  11. 1 2 3 Nelson, Andrew (June 14, 2018). "Groundbreaking Ceremony for Steiner's 399 Sands Street, Brooklyn Navy Yard". New York YIMBY. Retrieved September 27, 2018.
  12. ↑ Warerkar, Tanay (December 21, 2017). "Steiner adds to its Brooklyn Navy Yard empire with new nine-story building". Curbed NY. Retrieved September 27, 2018.
  13. 1 2 Kensinger, Nathan (August 1, 2016). "The last days of Admiral's Row's stately, neglected mansions". Curbed NY. Retrieved September 27, 2018.
  14. ↑ "Navy Yard's Admiral's Row demolished". WNYW . September 7, 2016. Retrieved September 27, 2018.
  15. ↑ King, Kate (October 13, 2019). "Wegmaniacs Count the Days to Brooklyn Store Opening". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved October 14, 2019.
  16. ↑ Warerkar, Tanay (June 14, 2018). "New looks at Brooklyn Navy Yard's latest manufacturing hub". Curbed NY. Retrieved September 27, 2018.
  17. ↑ Baird-Remba, Rebecca (January 31, 2018). "Doug Steiner Talks About the Navy Yard and His Residential Projects". Commercial Observer. Retrieved September 27, 2018.

40°41′54″N73°58′46″W / 40.6984°N 73.9794°W / 40.6984; -73.9794

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.