Brooklyn Heights

Brooklyn Heights brownstone needs TLC

Eye on Real Estate: Boarded-up windows and a chained front door at 194 Columbia Heights

April 13, 2017 By Lore Croghan Brooklyn Daily Eagle
The brownstone in the center of this photo, 194 Columbia Heights, is suffering from neglect. Eagle photos by Lore Croghan
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Sad-looking 194 Columbia Heights has been languishing forever and a day.

This Brooklyn Heights Historic District brownstone is decrepit and uncared-for, an oddity on a prime block whose buildings have coveted frontage on the Promenade.

The Civil War-era brownstone with Renaissance Revival details has stood empty for as long as neighborhood residents can remember.

The front door is chained shut. The lights on either side of the door are broken. The front stairs are turning an ominous green, as though moss is growing on them.

Neglect is even more obvious on the side of the house that faces the Promenade.

Visitors who flock to the famed walkway get an eyeful of 194 Columbia Heights’ boarded-up windows and clinging vines that half-obscure its facade.

City Finance Department records indicate that 194 Columbia Heights’ long-time owner is Austin Moore. He purchased the house in 1969.

In 2009, a story by another Brooklyn Eagle writer told about a piece of 194 Columbia Heights’ roof blowing off and falling against a building next door to it. After that, Dr. Moore repaired the roof. As far as we can tell, no other repairs have been made since then.

The other day, we phoned Dr. Moore’s office to ask if he would talk about the house.

He hasn’t responded.

The stunning rowhouse next door at 192 Columbia Heights hit the sale market in 2014 with an asking price of $16 million.

The last time we checked, 192 Columbia Heights was still for sale. The asking price had been reduced to $13.25 million. Sotheby’s International Realty has the listing.

 

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