Beverly
Square West : A neighborhood at risk
Former
home of Thomas Benton Ackerson, developer of Beverly Square West,
Beverly Square East,
and Fiske Terrace, c. 1903.
Beverly Square West is one of the more than a dozen neighborhoods that compose the area commonly known
as Victorian Flatbush . With over 3,500
one- and two- family homes, Victorian Flatbush is the largest collection of
freestanding Victorian homes in the country.
The unique character of Victorian Flatbush, however, is being eroded by
highly insensitive renovations in areas which do not benefit from landmark
status. These include Caton Park, Beverly Square West, Beverly
Square East, Ditmas Park West, West Midwood, and South Midwood. To date, nearly a thousand of the Victorian homes
originally constructed in Victorian Flatbush have either
disappeared or have been renovated beyond recognition. Entire neighborhoods, such as Tennis Court, Vanderveer Park and Bay
View Heights,
to name but a few, have been lost altogether. If all the neighborhoods comprising Victorian
Flatbush, including Beverly Square West, are not
granted landmark status in the near future, currently landmarked
“jewels in the crown” - Prospect Park South, Ditmas
Park, and Fiske Terrace – could become isolated ghost
towns. More importantly, a nation
treasure could be lost forever.
The
time to act is now. A growing number
of Beverly Square West are currently preparing to submit an application to the
Landmarks committee of New York City, with the hope that Beverly Square West
will be granted landmark status and that the architectural heritage of the
neighborhood will be preserved for generations to come.
Residents
of other neighborhoods in Victorian Flatbush currently
at risk are urged to take similar action.
It has
been argued in the past that Beverly
Square West has suffered too many alterations over
the years to warrant landmark status.
The fact is, Beverly Square West has suffered these
alterations precisely because it has NOT been landmarked,
and therefore has not been protected.
Despite these losses, Beverly
Square retains a rich architectural history. The
photographs below speak for themselves. It is New
York City’s responsibility to ensure their continued
survival.
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340
Marlborough Road
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One of the few surviving examples of the Japanese Tudor style. The
most famous exponent is the c.1917 Sanger House in Berkeley, CA,
designed by Bernard Maybeck. The ground story
is sand colored brick with contrasting red brick and limestone accents. A 1920s porch enclosure, although not
part of the original design, is sensitive to the architectural
vocabulary.
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242 Rugby Road
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This house is an architectural landmark in its original state. Note the
round, Victorian turret capped with an onion dome on the second floor,
the integral arched porch and the detailed shingles.
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246
Rugby Road
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This house has one of the few examples of a mansard roof in of
Victorian Flatbush.
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293 Rugby Road
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This exterior of this home is currently being restored to its original
glory.
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253
Rugby Road
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This modest cottage retains its original shingle and front porch.
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276
Rugby Road
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Restoration on this Beverly
Square West home was completed this year.
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305
Rugby Road
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Guggenheim honeymoon cottage, c.1901. Built for one of the Guggenheim
daughters, this home has an octagonal library paneled in cherry wood and
a built-in book case with leaded glass doors.
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367 Rugby Road
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Siding was removed from the exterior of this
home. The shingles were restored
and the house painted in an authentic Victorian tri-color scheme.
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311
Rugby Road
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This house has just undergone extensive restoration, including, reshingling, and the rebuilding of original porch columns,
which had all but collapsed.
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324Rugby
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This home has a "widows
walk" on the roof (not visible in photo).
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323Rugby
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This house retains its original
unusual striated shingle pattern.
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341 Rugby Road
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Recently restored and reshingled home on Rugby Road.
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335
Rugby Road
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This house also has had
siding removed and has been reshingled and
painted in a traditional Victorian tri-color scheme.
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231
Argyle Road
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Original porch with "cut-out" railing design, similar to
that of the Swiss Chalet in Prospect Park South. Large third story arched
window.
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246
Argyle Road
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This house retains its original shingle as well as unusual
"cut-out" porch railing detail.
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254
Argyle Road
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Beautiful Colonial Revival home with ornate front porch complete with
pediment and dentil moldings.
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268
Argyle Road
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Recently restored home with unusual three story turret and third story
eyebrow window.
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294
Argyle
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Cottage style home with unusually steep roof line. Original shingle,
three story turret and leaded glass windows.
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306 Argyle
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"Farmhouse" with steeply pitched roofline and protruding
dormers.
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297
Argyle
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Restoration of front porch in
progress.
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309
Argyle Road
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This house has a very distinctive stone chimney with glass insets on
the first and second stories.
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322 Argyle Road
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This home has an unusual double pedimented
front porch.
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352
Argyle Road
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Grand home with dentil moldings along the roofline with recently
reshingled front porches.
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322
Marlborough Road
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1920s stucco and wood frame Tudor with slate roof.
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315 Marlborough Road
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Recently restored home on Marlborough Road, returned
from two family to single family usage.
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304
Marlborough
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Thomas Benton Ackerson home, developer of Beverly Square West, Beverly
Square East, and Fiske Terrace. Recently restored
exterior.
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267 Marlborough Road
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Recently reshingled home on Marlborough Road.
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