Exploring the Rich History of NYC Brownstones | #NYC #Brownstones #history

🏠 These quintessential New York City landmarks were originally built for middle-class families and veneered with brownstone, a material synonymous with elegance and durability. New York City’s neighborhoods of Bedford Stuyvesant, Greenwich Village and Upper East Side boast some of the most beautiful brownstones.

Many are made of a light-chocolate-colored sandstone called “brownstone” which veneers the outside of each residence to some extent . This calls upon the gilded age symbolism of these structures being gilded and fancy on the outside but underneath containing brick, revealing their original middle-class status.

Many famous historic New Yorkers lived in these 19th century buildings, from Emma Lazarus, Teddy Roosevelt, Mark Twain, etc.Brownstones have various architectural styles from Italianite, Federal Style, Neo-renaissance, Gothic, etc each reflecting the unique character of each building. After the Historical Preservationist movement of the 1960s led by leaders , e.g. Jackie O, these buildings have been historically protected and are now an enduring symbols of Old New York.