East Flatbush Residents Celebrate 25th Street’s New Historic District Marker

The “architectural quality” and “incredible stewardship” residents have maintained over their historic homes and East 25^th Street block in East Flatbush was celebrated this week with the installation of a new historic marker.

“The [Landmarks Preservation] Commission designated the East 25th Street Historic District last year to recognize both the architectural quality and the residents' incredible stewardship of their historic homes and their block,” LPC Chair Sarah Carroll said at the marker unveiling.

“The installation of these historic district markers will memorialize the Commission’s designation of this historic district â€" the first in East Flatbush â€" and let New Yorkers and visitors alike know about East 25th Street’s architectural and historic importance.”

The East 25th Street Historic District was designated last year, as it contains “an unusually intact and cohesive group of 56 row houses built between 1909 and 1912.”

The block was developed by German immigrant Henry Meyer on former farmland once worked by enslaved people of African descent, according to LPC. Each house has either a limestone or brownstone front and angled or rounded bay, with both sides of the street mirroring each other. The long, unbroken rows of Renaissance Revival-style houses are distinctive for the section of Flatbush, according to LPC.

Since the 1970s, the district has become home to many African American and Afro-Caribbean families, “whose remarkable community spirit is visible in the outstanding integrity of these homes and in their award-winning gardens,” the commission adds.

Julia Charles, founder of the East 25th Street Historic Initiative, said the unveiling of the market celebrated a culmination of the intersection between history, honor and inspiration.

“These historic district markers highlight and celebrate the developer, architects, craftsmanship and residents who have made this block special from its inception to present day. The markers will emphasize our historic achievement for generations to come and hopefully encourage other preservation efforts,” she said.

The marker, located in front of 336 East 25th Street, highlights the boundaries of the district and its historic importance. The newly installed markers are 19-by-36-inch terra cotta-colored signs and feature a map on one side and a brief description and history of the district on the other.

The marker installation is part of the New York Landmarks Preservation Foundation’s Historic District Marker Program, aimed at fostering public awareness and civic pride in designated historic districts in the five boroughs.

Councilmember Farah N. Louis, whose District 45 covers the new historic area, said the designation was testament to the power of neighbors working together to preserve the integrity of their community.

“By protecting the Renaissance Revival-style rowhouses along East 25th Street between Clarendon Road and Avenue D, we are ensuring that future development does not demolish and forever erase the history of this neighborhood,” she said.

“It is so important that the resiliency of our city and cultural diversity remains unshakeable.”