The Beauty of the Brownstone - How NYC Real Estate Got Its Classic Look

New York City’s most iconic residential neighborhoods typically include rows and rows of beautiful Brownstone homes. The gorgeous architecture tends to span the best of city life but also suggest a hint of something more than the purely urban. How did this type of home become so representative of places like New York City, Philadelphia, and Boston? The Brownstone has a surprisingly rich history that includes a number of twists and turns you may not expect!

Brownstones derive their names from a granular, porous sedimentary rock also called Triassic sandstone. During this time in history, enormous deposits of this material accumulated all along what today we know to be the Connecticut River Valley. When English settlers first arrived on American shores, they opted for brownstone material for homemaking because of its malleability relative to much harder granite, although the latter was readily available and abundant locally. In addition to it being easier to work with, brownstone was also preferable due to its gorgeous color.

As the United States population exploded over time, so too did the use of brownstones. Very quickly, its low mining cost became a third benefit over competing raw material for builders to consider when constructing new homes. Because there was so much brownstone in easily accessible areas to all major urban areas in the Northeast - specifically Boston and New York - it rapidly intensified its reputation as the material of choice.

Brownstones as we know them today date back to the early 1800s, when the Queen Anne style gained favor in places like Philadelphia, Boston, and New York. As the country grew wealthier, affluent members of communities in these booming cities sought ways to illustrate their newfound wealth. As such, they opted for elaborate home designs, complete with carved exteriors, intricate detailing, and high stairway entrances. Globally renowned architects like Robert Adam, Charles Bulfinch, and Normand Show heavily influenced the style as well.

Charles Bulfinch actually earned a place in history as the man who many experts recognize as the first American to practice architecture as his profession. Among the many projects he oversaw, such iconic landmarks as the Capital Building in D.c., the Boston Commons, and much of Harvard University are the result of his work.

Key visual elements of classic brownstones include overhanging eaves, a second-story porch, pedimented porches, dentils, oriel and bay windows, painted balustrades, spindle work, and more. The details typically vary, as preferences ebbed and flowed over the past few decades, but the overall look remains as immediately recognizable as ever. Brownstones are certain to continue playing a prominent role in the aesthetic wealth of places like New York city for many more centuries to come.