This is the third post of "The Union Street Project," in which I unearth the history of every building along the once bustling Brooklyn commercial strips of Union Street between Hicks and Van Brunt, and Columbia Street between Sackett and Carroll.
I seem to proceeding east from Columbia toward Hicks on the north side of Union Street. This building is just to the right of the bank building I discussed last week. I found out a lot about that bank building. Not so here. I knew going into this that, with some buildings, I'd run into a brick wall (so to speak) and discover little. Some addresses leave a long paper trail. Others don't. Also, there are some buildings, I imagine, in which nothing terribly interesting ever happened. 135 Union Street appears to be one of those buildings.
The place is currently home to the Bluebird Midwifery. Before that, it held the Brooklyn General Store, a knitting supplies shop that moved to bigger quarters across the street a few years ago. Beyond that, I have heard from many sources that the bottom two floors were possessed by a small printing company. The building once had a long vertical sign running down the front that, I presume, advertised the place. It was taken down about seven years ago. Before the printing company? I have no idea. But the structure dates from at least 1855, when it is shown in a map of the time.
Not too exciting, I know. But I was told this by an old timer, however: "My friend Lucy lived at 135 Union St.. She married one of the owners of the original House of Pizza." The House of Pizza and Calzone is still there, across the street. I remember the two old men who used to own it. I wonder which one Lucy married.
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This is a very interesting series. I went to Pratt and always found Brooklyn kind of oddly mysterious. Which I think is funny, since I grew up in the Bronx.
ReplyDeleteThis building is much older than 1931. From the looks of its facade, it's probably from the 1850s or so.
ReplyDeleteVery possibly, Prof. But I could find nothing about it before the 1930s. Also, most of the buildings on that block seem to have been built in the 1920s. Many say so on the cornice. But I would love it if the building was in fact older.
ReplyDeleteI searched the address in the Brooklyn Daily Eagle and found the earliest posting 1872 - http://bklyn.newspapers.com/image/60752005/?terms=%22135%2BUnion%2BSt%22
ReplyDeleteSearch the street addresses you are interested in surrounded by quotes - for example - "135 Union St"