Hall of Shame

Pictured below are examples of particularly insensitive renovations in unlandmarked sections of Victorian Flatbush. This site is not intended to be a condemnation of the owners themselves, but of the architectural choices either they, or previous owners, have made.

These two homes sit side by side on Ditmas Avenue, between Stratford and Argyle Roads. Just last year they were two charming examples of Victorian wood-frame domestic architecture . The facades were literally hacked off and replaced with these highly insensitive, and even by modern standards, particularly ugly designs. The cottage next door was purchased by the current owners several years ago, prior to the renovations on the neighboring properties.

The home next to the brick house on the left is in the process of removing exterior siding and preserving the original architectural embellishments previously concealed. If Ditmas Park West was landmarked, grants and loans would be available to the home owner for precisely this sort of preservation work.

Although this house was altered many years ago, it is a particularly frightening example of the sort of renovation that is still perfectly legal in the unlandmarked neighborhoods of Victorian Flatbush. Note the beautifully preserved neighboring homes.

This home, on the corner of Rugby Road and Newkirk, is on the same block as the houses pictured above. Notice the beautiful lines and the window of the original Victorian home, visible on the third story, partially concealed by the brick cube that now encases the house.

This house on the corner of Cortelyou and Rugby was being used as an illegal mutli-family dwelling. A fire broke out last year and gutted most of the house. Miraculously, the gorgeous classical revival facade was spared, as were all the stained glass windows. Neighborhood firemen showed enormous respect for the history of the house, breaking every other window, yet sparing the three magnificent stained glass windows. In the course of rebuildig the house, the current owner has chosen to remove the stained glass and replace them with modern windows.

These two homes pictured below, also in Ditmas Park West, were renovated during the past year. Although clearly a great deal of money was spent, the use of brick and faux stone(styrofoam) is painfully out of sync with the Victorian character of the neighborhood.