Admiral's Row
Encyclopedia
Admiral's Row is a row of Second Empire style 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. Some of the homes date back to the Civil War
. 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. The property is currently undergoing a Section 106
review by the National Guard. On April 15, 2008, they launched a website in order to invite public involvement in the proceedings. An open meeting was held on July 23, 2008, from 7-9 PM, at which the public was asked to weigh in on the preservation of the structures. The results of that meeting are published on the National Guard website, as well as considered in the Alternatives Report for the site.
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 refutes 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 has agreed with this assessment and has suggested that alternatives to demolition
, including adaptive reuse
, must be considered.
The property on which the Row stands encompasses approximately 8 acres (32,374.9 m²). Some of the residences are divided into two or three units. The designations of the buildings, along Flushing Avenue from West (Navy Street) to East, are:
Also on the grounds are:
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 currently 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. An evaluation is currently underway to determine whether quarters B & D may be attributed to architect Thomas U. Walter
, who designed the Kirkbride
structure at St. Elizabeths Hospital
, as suggested by the report.
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
borough
Borough (New York City)
New York City, one of the largest cities in the world, is composed of five boroughs. Each borough now has the same boundaries as the county it is in. County governments were dissolved when the city consolidated in 1898, along with all city, town, and village governments within each county...
of Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
at the Brooklyn Navy Yard
Brooklyn Navy Yard
The United States Navy Yard, New York–better known as the Brooklyn Navy Yard or the New York Naval Shipyard –was an American shipyard located in Brooklyn, northeast of the Battery on the East River in Wallabout Basin, a semicircular bend of the river across from Corlear's Hook in Manhattan...
, and owned by the National Guard. Some of the homes date back to the Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
. 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. The property is currently undergoing a Section 106
National Historic Preservation Act of 1966
The National Historic Preservation Act is legislation intended to preserve historical and archaeological sites in the United States of America...
review by the National Guard. On April 15, 2008, they launched a website in order to invite public involvement in the proceedings. An open meeting was held on July 23, 2008, from 7-9 PM, at which the public was asked to weigh in on the preservation of the structures. The results of that meeting are published on the National Guard website, as well as considered in the Alternatives Report for the site.
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 refutes 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
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
, both individually and as a district. The New York State Department of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation has agreed with this assessment and has suggested that alternatives to demolition
Demolition
Demolition is the tearing-down of buildings and other structures, the opposite of construction. Demolition contrasts with deconstruction, which involves taking a building apart while carefully preserving valuable elements for re-use....
, including adaptive reuse
Adaptive reuse
Adaptive reuse refers to the process of reusing an old site or building for a purpose other than which it was built or designed for. Along with brownfield reclamation, adaptive reuse is seen by many as a key factor in land conservation and the reduction of urban sprawl...
, must be considered.
- A timber shed
- Quarters K, Quarters L
- Quarters H, Quarters C
- Quarters B
- Quarters D
- Quarters E, Quarters F, Quarters G
- Quarters I
Also on the grounds are:
- A tennis courtTennis courtA tennis court is where the game of tennis is played. It is a firm rectangular surface with a low net stretched across the center. The same surface can be used to play both doubles and singles.-Dimensions:...
- A greenhouseGreenhouseA greenhouse is a building in which plants are grown. These structures range in size from small sheds to very large buildings...
- Garages for each resident
- Quarters J, a mostly-collapsed house belonging to the groundskeeper for the Row
Quarters A, the Commandant
Commandant
Commandant is a senior title often given to the officer in charge of a large training establishment or academy. This usage is common in anglophone nations...
's residence, was not located on the Row. Of the structures on the Row, Quarters B is the most intricately styled and is currently 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. An evaluation is currently underway to determine whether quarters B & D may be attributed to architect Thomas U. Walter
Thomas U. Walter
Thomas Ustick Walter of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania was an American architect, the dean of American architecture between the 1820 death of Benjamin Latrobe and the emergence of H.H. Richardson in the 1870s...
, who designed the Kirkbride
Kirkbride Plan
The Kirkbride Plan refers to a system of mental asylum design advocated by Philadelphia psychiatrist Thomas Story Kirkbride in the mid-19th century.-History:The establishment of state mental hospitals in the U.S...
structure at St. Elizabeths Hospital
St. Elizabeths Hospital
St. Elizabeths Hospital is a psychiatric hospital operated by the District of Columbia Department of Mental Health. It was the first large-scale, federally-run psychiatric hospital in the United States. Housing several thousand patients at its peak, St. Elizabeths had a fully functioning...
, as suggested by the report.
External links
- Officers Row website dedicated to Admiral's Row
- The Kingston Lounge 2008 photo essay on Admiral's Row
- Brooklyn's Other Museum of Brooklyn page about Admiral's Row History
- Barry Popik aggregated information about Admiral's Row
- US Army Corps of Engineers government information on Admiral's Row
Video
- Admiral's Row RFP Pre-Submittal Meeting - Aug 11 2009 Punkcast#1639, includes tour of site.