Brooklyn Heights part V: The Herman Behr Mansion
I always love castles and mansions what seems like they’re filled of stories/ fairy tales. Also, their architectural styles are always look like so vintage and romantic (I think this two words are the best ones to describe them what may be not so relevant, but they just give me the feeling that they are the right and perfect words.) For the castles, you can imagine the lives of the Royal families there such as the stories of the King and Queen, the Prince and Princess, or the servants. For the mansions, you can think of the life stories of some rich people like the famous celebrities, writers, artists, musicians, poets, merchants, even yourself! When I was looking at the old picture of the Herman Behr Mansion and its story yesterday, I was imagining I was living inside the mansion, and my life for living there…
The Herman Behr Mansion was designed by a Brooklyn architect Frank Freeman, and constructed in 1888–1889. It is the “the city’s finest Romanesque Revival house”. According the sources on the internet, Romanesque Revival style “emphasizes clear, strong picturesque massing, round-headed ‘Romanesque’ arches, often springing from clusters of short squat columns, recessed entrances, richly varied rustication, blank stretches of walling contrasting with bands of windows, and cylindrical towers with conical caps embedded in the walling.”
The mansion was owned by abrasives manufacturer Herman Behr who is the father of golfer Max Behr and tennis player Karl Behr. After the Behr family moved, it was expanded to the Palm Hotel in 1919. In 1961, it was one of the Franciscan brothers’ residence which was in conjunction with St. Francis College. In 1977, it was rental apartments. And in 2008, it was sold for $10980000.
The mansion was three stories, excluding the attic and basement. In 1919, when it was the Palm Hotel, it was added to a six stories building. As the web source saids, it has been described as “one of the real treats of Brooklyn Heights, a Romanesque color-fantasy of salmon brick, terra cotta and rockfaced sandstone with crazy animal ornament reminiscent of modern, violent comic books — grimacing lizards, lions and dragons.”
The mansion’s 1st floor is in undressed sandstone. Other exterior parts is constructed of Belleville Brownstone. And they are with a brick terra cotta facing. The main entrance has a broad stone staircase. By the sides are two semicircular towers, and each of them has 3 big windows. Also, they each form a balcony. Between this two balconies on the second floor, there’s the third balcony. There are two semicircular windows on the third floor. A rectangle window in the gable is franked by two tall chimneys. Inside the mansion, there are a lobby finished in mahogany, a small library, and a fireplace constructed of Scotch sandstone. To the right of the lobby, it’s a big drawing room which is 2/3 of the building deep. It is finished in polished mahogany with a white and gold paneled ceiling. At the end of the drawing room is the dining room what is in cherrywood with a white and gold domed roof. The parlor is to the left of the entrance. Servants’ dressing and sitting rooms, pantries, kitchen, billiard room, butler’s room, and laundry are in the basement. There are bedrooms, a dressing room and bathroom on second floor. A chamber hall and a few smaller rooms are on the third floor. There are a studio, servants’ quarters and storage space in the attic.
above are some other lovely things i saw in Brooklyn Hights :D aren’t they lovable?!
