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09 · American Vernacular & Regional

Brownstone

c. 1840–1900

Row houses with brown sandstone fronts, a high stoop to the main floor over a raised basement, and a cornice.

Look for

Cornice Monumental stairway Sash window Keystone
Brooklyn Heights Historic District, New York City, New York: an example of Brownstone architecture
Brooklyn Heights Historic District, New York City, New York. Photo: Rickbern, CC BY-SA 3.0
Park Slope Historic District, New York City, New York
Park Slope Historic District New York City, New York · GK tramrunner at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0
Fort Greene Historic District, New York City, New York
Fort Greene Historic District New York City, New York · Beyond My Ken, CC BY-SA 4.0
Cobble Hill Historic District, New York City, New York
Cobble Hill Historic District New York City, New York · Beyond My Ken, CC BY-SA 4.0
Brownstones in Harlem, New York City, New York
Brownstones in Harlem New York City, New York · Paul Sableman from St. Louis, MO, CC BY 2.0

what it is

A brownstone is a row house whose front is faced in brownstone, a brown sandstone from the Triassic and Jurassic periods that can be cut in any direction and carves easily. Typical houses in Brooklyn and Manhattan are three or four stories tall. The main floor sits above a raised basement and is reached by a stoop, a steep flight of steps to the front door. Fronts follow Greek Revival, Italianate, Second Empire and Neo-Grec fashions (Neo-Grec uses shallow incised ornament), and most end in a projecting cornice.

Brooklyn Heights, Fort Greene, Cobble Hill and Park Slope in Brooklyn, and the Mount Morris Park district in Harlem, hold large groups of them. Fort Greene has 1,158 contributing buildings from 1840 to 1890, and Park Slope has 1,802. Mid-Atlantic row houses in Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington are faced in brick, while brownstones are faced in sandstone and put the entrance almost a full story above the sidewalk.

how to spot one

Cornice A deep, overhanging ledge that caps the top of a facade. It is often supported by brackets and marks where the building ends. Monumental stairway A wide outdoor staircase leading up to a building's main entrance, often spanning much of the front. It is common on classical temples, government buildings and museums. Sash window A window made of one or more glass-filled frames, called sashes, that slide up and down in grooves. It is standard on Georgian and Federal houses and common on Victorian buildings. Keystone The central wedge-shaped stone at the top of an arch, which locks the other stones (voussoirs) in place. It is often enlarged or carved over windows on Georgian and Federal buildings.

Also look for

Bracketed eavesTransom windowBelt courseBalustrade

history

Brownstone for New York's row houses came mainly from two sources: quarries in the Passaic Formation of northern New Jersey, and the Portland quarries on the Connecticut River, where commercial quarrying began in 1783 under the Brainerd Quarry Company. Rows of houses went up in Brooklyn Heights after Robert Fulton's steam ferry service began in 1814 and the area became a commuter suburb for Manhattan. Fronts there are Greek Revival, Italianate, Second Empire and Neo-Grec. The stoop likely continues Dutch building practice, and it also lifted the entrance away from the horse manure in the streets.

Brownstone rows spread across Brooklyn and Manhattan through the late 1800s. Fort Greene's houses date from 1840 to 1890, Park Slope's from 1862 to about 1920, and Mount Morris Park's from 1878, with Neo-Grec, Queen Anne and Romanesque Revival designs. In that period the term brownstone became synonymous with row house. Brooklyn Heights became New York's first historic district in 1965. The Portland quarries, which once employed more than 1,500 workers, ended operations after a flood in 1936 and a hurricane in 1938.

where to find it

Brooklyn's Brooklyn Heights, Fort Greene, Cobble Hill and Park Slope historic districts, and the Mount Morris Park Historic District in Harlem.

easy to confuse with

Elfreth's Alley, an example of Mid-Atlantic Rowhouse Mid-Atlantic Rowhouse Continuous rows of narrow red brick houses with shared side walls, white stone trim, sash windows, and cornices or bays. Osborne House, an example of Italianate Italianate Low roofs on deep eaves with ornamental brackets, tall round-topped windows with heavy hoods, and square cupolas. Victorian terraces, an example of Victorian Terrace Victorian Terrace Britain's brick row house: bay windows marching down the street, stucco trim, and rhythmic chimney stacks. Boston Public Library, McKim Building, an example of Renaissance Revival Renaissance Revival The Italian palazzo reborn as banks, clubs, and brownstones: rough stone bases, orderly window rows, and a heavy top cornice.