Learning Places Spring 2016

SITE REPORT Field Visit #1: Vinegar Hill

Jessica Samide

02.17.2016

INTRODUCTION

During the first field visit to Vinegar Hill, Brooklyn, the class walked around the neighborhood and                               

examined the streets and buildings. As we discussed the structures, the class was able to take                               

photographs of anything that made an impression. In my field visit report, I will document the                               

photographs that I have taken and apply what I have learned during the field visit to my discussions.

PRE-VISIT REFLECTION

I look forward to visiting Vinegar Hill, Brooklyn since I have never been to this particular neighborhood                                 

of Brooklyn before. According to the Wikipedia page the neighborhood still possesses architectural                         

and design elements from the 19th century. I will be taking visual notes, mostly photographs, of the                                 

buildings and streets in the hopes of capturing the melding of 19th century design and more modern                                 

development. I plan to examine the pattern of the brickwork and other architectural details, such as                               

the width and material of the structural bays above the windows, which indicate the date of the                                 

building. I expect that there will be plenty of 1950s design influences in some of the buildings due to                                     

urban renewal. 

SITE DOCUMENTATION (photos/sketches)

 

 

 

 

 

This photograph was taken on Hudson Avenue. It is the driveway of what is now a private, residential                                   

building. The bright red and yellow fire hydrant stood out to me because it is not commonplace for a                                     

fire hydrant to be part of a residence’s private property. This hydrant indicates that at one time the                                   

driveway was part of a public road. 

This photograph is of the same driveway on Hudson                 

Avenue from a more eye‐level angle. The             

cobblestone road is the focus of this photograph.               

This suggests that in the past, when Vinegar Hill was                   

still part of a grid layout, a public road extended                   

through this property. It was probably a continuation               

of Water Street. 

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Hudson Avenue slopes downward as it runs towards the river. The sloping suggests that part of the                                 

river was filled in in order to create more usable land. The river was used for trading in the past. The                                         

first floor of the 19th century buildings look to have been storefronts. These factors indicate that                               

Vinegar Hill was a commercial neighborhood. 

This building has a diagonal corner           

entranceway with a thin column in the corner.               

This design is common in buildings that have               

been used commercially in the 19th century.             

The large glass panes in the door and windows                 

also suggest commercial use. The building is on               

the corner of Plymouth Street and Hudson             

Avenue. 

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The two photos above are different architectural details from the same three story residence on Front                               

Street. The door is wooden. It appears to be an original feature to the home. The glass windows on                                     

either side were probably added at a later date. On the right, the structural bay above the window is                                     

rusting. Traditionally these structures would be made out of stone. Metal became the replacement in                             

the 20th century. The brickwork is a running bond pattern.  

 

The street signs for Water Street and Hudson Avenue                 

are brown in color instead of the green signs that are                     

typical for New York City. The brown signs mean that                   

these two streets are part of the historical district.                 

The brown street signs are not an uncommon sight in                   

Vinegar Hill.  

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QUALITATIVE SITE OBSERVATIONS

1. Neighborhood / Street Character 

a. Vinegar Hill is old fashioned with its cobblestone streets and wooden houses.  

b. It is very quiet and quaint. It comes across as being detached from the rest of Brooklyn 

and New York City.  

2. Vitality of Neighborhood 

a. General Description 

i. Vinegar Hill was very quiet and inactive in many parts. Parts of the 

neighborhood looked rundown and old. The closer I was to Farragut Houses 

and DUMBO, the more populated it became. 

b. Pedestrian Activity 

i. There was very little pedestrian activity in Vinegar Hill. Most of the pedestrian 

activity was by the Farragut Houses.  

c. Vehicular Traffic 

i. There was more vehicular traffic than there was pedestrian activity. 

3. Age of Buildings (provide evidence for prediction)  

a. Many of the buildings are wooden framed structures from the 19th century. These 

buildings are either shingled or if it is a brick building, the bricks showcased the 

Flemish bond. The corner buildings have diagonal entrances, which are congruent 

with the 19th century.  

b. The Farragut Houses are from the 1950s. During the post World War II era living in the 

suburbs was the ideal. Fully attached houses were not as desired. The Farragut Houses 

have sizable grassy areas between buildings. The buildings are all free standing in an 

effort to give a more spacious appearance.  

c. The Con Edison buildings were built in two separate eras. The original building dates 

back to the 19th century. The brickwork on the original building is the Flemish Bond. 

The newer building is probably a 1950s structure. The brickwork is more consistent 

and a running bond pattern. 

4. Relationship Between Buildings 

a. The buildings that date back to the 19th century are attached to other buildings in a 

row.  

b. Farragut Houses differ from the usual attached buildings. Each apartment building is 

freestanding and detached from the other buildings in the complex.  

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5. Building Details 

a. Buildings on the corner have diagonal entranceways with a thin column in the corner. 

b. The buildings have ornamental moldings close to the roofs which are called cornices. 

The cornices would often extend a few inches to a foot further than the buildings’ 

structures. 

c. All of the original buildings on Hudson Avenue had storefronts on the first story.  

6. Relationship to the Waterfront 

a. Vinegar Hill is adjacent to the East River. 

b. The Con Edison power plant is located on the water’s edge. It blocks all of Vinegar 

Hill’s access to the East River.  

7. Other Observations 

a. Many of the street signs are brown in color. The streets that have brown street signs 

are part of the historic district. 

b. There is a bright yellow Buddhist temple on the corner of Front Street and Gold Street. 

c. There are streets that are mostly paved except for small parts where the pavement 

has been removed, which exposes the cobblestone underneath.  

QUANTITATIVE DATA for Area of Study

Subject Data

Street Names Bridge Street, Gold Street, Hudson Avenue, Little Street, John Street, Plymouth Street, Evans Street, Water Street, Admiral Perry Plaza, Front Street.

Street Width 

Bridge Street and Gold Street were wide enough to be two-ways and allow parking on both sides of the road. Plymouth Street and Hudson Avenue were two-way streets, but were wide enough for only one side of the street to have parking. The rest of the streets were more narrow and appeared to be one-way. Front Street allowed parking on both sides of the road.

Street Pavement 

Gold Street, Bridge Street, Evans Street, Little Street and John Street had entirely paved roads. Front Street, Water Street, Hudson Avenue, and Plymouth Street were a mix of paved and cobblestone

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roads.

Building Heights 

Most of the older residential buildings were about three stories tall. A few were as tall as four stories. There were newer apartment buildings that averaged between five and six stories tall. The purely industrial buildings were taller. Those tended to be around five to six stories tall. The Farragut Houses were the tallest buildings in Vinegar Hill. They stood at about fourteen stories high.

Building Widths (Window Bays) 

The residential buildings were three window bays wide.

Building Types/Uses  Residential, commercial, and industrial.

Empty Lots / Gardens  seven empty lots/ gardens.

Shops / Restaurants Bridge Coffee Shop, Los Papi’s Restaurant, Vinegar Hill House, Meshberg Group, Dept. Signs and Symbols.

Industrial Shops  Globe Storage and Moving Co., Inc.

Power Plants/ Factories  Con Edison Power Plant, Brooklyn Navy Yard

QUESTIONS to Research Further

QUESTIONS: 

1. Was the cobblestone and fire hydrant in the private residence’s driveway once part of a public 

road? 

2. What are the qualifications required for a street to become part of the historic district?  

3. Was Vinegar Hill a much more bustling commercial area in the 19th century because of its 

direct access to the East River? 

RESEARCH METHOD/SOURCE FOR EACH QUESTION ABOVE: 

1. Question 1  

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a. Look for old maps of Brooklyn using online encyclopedias and other online sources.  

b. Check out Brooklyn by name how the neighborhoods, streets, parks, bridges, and 

more got their names from the City Tech Library for more information on the streets 

of Vinegar Hill. 

c. Look for information and maps of Vinegar Hill streets while visiting the Brooklyn 

Historical Society. 

2. Question 2 

a. Utilize nyc.gov to look at the Historical Distict Maps. 

b. Look up more information on the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commision. 

c. Read through the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission's reports that 

are specific to Brooklyn. 

3. Question 3 

a. Use the Brooklyn Historical Society for access to their library and exhibits on the 

history of Brooklyn and the East River. 

b. Research online for articles that describe the history of Vinegar Hill in the 19th 

century. 

c. Examine maps of Vinegar Hill from the 19th century to see the development around 

the East River.

SUMMARY / POST VISIT REFLECTION

At first glance Vinegar Hill might not seem like a very desirable neighborhood in which to live, but                                   

upon closer examination it is an area rich in history. The original 19th century buildings still provide                                 

architectural details that act as clues to give us ideas on how the neighborhood once was. The                                 

buildings that are now mostly used for solely residential purposes were at one time shops. The East                                 

River was at one time accessible to pedestrians. I liked that Vinegar Hill seemed tucked away from the                                   

rest of Brooklyn. The quiet atmosphere was beneficial to observing the neighborhood. One of the                             

observations that made a great impression on me was the existence of street signs that classify parts                                 

of Vinegar Hill as a historic district.  

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