My Old House
The Brooklyn Museum’s Schenck family houses have had a profound personal effect on me. In 1990, I was the editor for a book on the Schenck houses called Dutch by Design, written by curator Kevin Stayton. I found that book and the houses it was about so fascinating that I not only taught myself Dutch but I also wound up buying an old Dutch Brooklyn farmhouse of my own.
The book had five chapters. Kevin had countless fascinating illustrations lined up for chapters 1,2, 4, and 5, the chapters dealing specifically with the houses themselves. But almost no illustrations were planned for the middle chapter, a general history of the Dutch in Brooklyn. I suggested that we find Dutch houses still standing out in the streets of Brooklyn and use photos of them as illustrations. “Sure,” said Kevin. “Go knock yourself out.”
Finding the houses was not as difficult as it might seem. A book published in 1945, Old Dutch Houses of Brooklyn by Maud Esther Dillard, provided pictures and addresses of all the Dutch Brooklyn houses standing then, and I had only to see if they were still there. Most, sadly, were gone, but some, miraculously, had survived—and in the strangest places.
Hubbard House, circa 1915
Take 2138 McDonald Ave., the so-called Hubbard House, an 1830 Dutch farmhouse down under the elevated tracks of the F train in Gravesend. There, in 1990, I met Theresa Lucchelli, a wonderful cat-fancying former cocktail waitress who had lived in the house since 1904 and remembered Gravesend as a rural paradise. I asked her if was okay with her if I approached the Landmarks Commission about making the house a landmark. “Sure,” she said. “Go knock yourself out.”
Hubbard House, 2002. Compared to the 1915 photo, the house looks somewhat different. The lean-to on the left side in the photo of 1915 had a second story added to it in 1924.
Theresa died at the age of 95 in 1997, and the Landmarks Commission never has done right by her house. But after her death I bought and renovated the place with help of a private group known as the New York Landmarks Conservancy, and now I sometimes sit by the fire there of an evening as the F train rumbles past and reflect that I owe it all to the Schenck family houses at the Brooklyn Museum.
Brooklyn Museum: Community: bloggers@brooklynmuseum » Dutch Houses in Brooklyn:
July 19th, 2007 at 8:46 am
[...] John published his post about his own Dutch house in Brooklyn, he also kindly provided a list of all the Dutch houses in [...]
Marilyn:
January 22nd, 2008 at 4:13 pm
Hi John
I came across your blog … I use to live in the old Schenck House and have quite a few photo’s of the family outside. It was a GREAT old home … too bad it was torn down, but nice to see part of it survive and know that I was a part of this history!!
Koen Steenbergen:
February 18th, 2008 at 4:26 pm
Hello John,
I’m a Dutchman living in Amersfoort. Our city will celibrate it’s 750 th anniversary next year, You in New York City will be celebrating the 400 th anniversary of the voyage of Henry Hudson in 1609 which resulted in the development of New Amsterdam. Can you tell if there are still some decendants living in the Flatlands area? We would like to contact them and send you some detailed information of our plans,
best regards,
Koen Steenbergen
The Amersfoort, Netherlands & Amersfort, Brooklyn Partnership « Fading Ad Blog by Frank H. Jump:
October 29th, 2008 at 10:38 pm
[...] Koen Steenbergen’s comments on Brooklyn Museum Blog Possibly related posts: (automatically generated)Art & Photography Opening @ P.S. 119 Amersfort School [...]
Michael Lando:
March 12th, 2009 at 9:17 pm
Hello John,
I don’t know if you remember me but I was pleased to see that you achieved your goal and received landmark status. I was just at the museum today with my daughter’s class at the Schenk House. Later on while doing some follow up research with her I remembered your house and did some searches, finally coming upon the article about the house’s designation. Drop me a line if you get a chance.
Best regards,
Michael Lando
Marilyn:
March 12th, 2009 at 9:32 pm
John
I would love to know where you found the picture for the cover of the book. Is the picture available for purchase through the museum?
Building Angel:
January 11th, 2012 at 3:48 am
Hey John.. I’m a new reader.. and I just love your writing..
Gregory van sickle:
June 5th, 2012 at 11:48 pm
Hello John, I was very pleased to see you had restored your home. Well done. I was curious if you knew the state of the van sicklen house @ 27 gravesend neck ? I found the house of my ancestors on line a while back. I have often thought when I have been in manhattan ( I live on the west coast in Vancouver ) about trying to contact the owner to see if I could visit the house. It is difficult to ascertain if there is much of the original house. And information you have would be much appreciated.
Thank you in advance, Gregory Van Sickle
Christine Rafferty:
February 12th, 2013 at 6:40 pm
Hi John,
I was at the museum last week and thought of you and Jim and our
forays into the Egyptian storage rooms.I did a kid’s book on the Jan Martense Schenck haus in the early 80′s.
Living in the San Francisco area now and loving California.
Hope you are well.
Christine