The Rat-Squirrel House in Happier Times

My desire to know more about the ill-fated Rat-Squirrel House of Cobble Hill led me to track down this Municipal Archives tax photo of the building at 149 Kane Street.

Judging by the image, very little has been done to the building over the decades. The cornice, the lintels, the windows, the fire escape—they're all the same (if worse for wear) as they were nearly 70 years ago. At some point, a nicer stoop railing and front gate were installed. Otherwise, one certainly gets a feeling from the photo for how starkly working class the South Brooklyn neighborhood was back them. The lack of cars or trees is striking. Funny how a little green and the onset of years can transform a neighborhood from hardscrabble to handsome.


The Shedman Cometh
Rat-Squirrel House Still Shedless, But More Popular With Media
Is This the End of Rat-Squirrel House?