by Geoff Cobb 
Recently, I did a series of stories for Greenpointers about the twenty-five most historic local buildings. One of the posts I wrote was about 85 Calyer Street, the residence of Thomas Fitch Rowland, whose company, the Continental Iron Works, located around the corner on Quay Street built the famous ship. In 1859, Rowland founded the innovative factory. Two years later, he would help make history when visionary Swedish naval engineer…
7
Free to read, funded by readers. Join as a member and get a free gift.
Greenpointers has covered Greenpoint & Williamsburg since 2007 — community boards, rezoning fights, local businesses, and the people whose lives and work give the neighborhood its character. Local news is collapsing across the country, but we're still here: independently owned, no corporate backing, no paywall. 18+ years, 280k+ monthly readers and followers, funded by the community we serve.
Why your support matters
If it were a landmark, why was its exterior never protected? Why was it allowed to be stripped and converted into an aluminum clad box? What exactly is left to preserve here?
It was never an official landmark so they could do what they wanted with it.
This house was “lost” years ago. Clearly nothing left to preserve at this point. Your piece was informative and fun to read but your efforts at preservation are better directed towards buildings which can still be saved. Sadly, for this ugly vinyl clad structure, there really is nothing left of it to preserve.
I grew up on Guernsey Street between Calyer and Meserole in one of the five brick row houses off the corner of Calyer. I was always told that those houses were built to house the workers who built the Monitor. I’m not certain if this is true, but it is what I was told as a child.
they can’t knock that house down with that nice vinyl siding
Nothing is original about that house. So why keep it? Siding vinyl windows…they should of thought about it before it was purchased.
It is historic nevertheless. Do you want to see a huge building replace it?