{"nrhp_refnum":"85002279","name":"Lefferts-Laidlaw House","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"136 Clinton St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"New York","county":"Brooklyn","state":"NY","lat":40.69375809500008,"lon":-73.96907930399993,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1985-09-12","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A Greek Revival frame house at 136 Clinton Avenue in the Wallabout area of Brooklyn, Kings County, built circa 1840 and associated with Rem Lefferts and John Laidlaw.","why_significant":"The nomination argues it is a rare surviving freestanding, temple-fronted Greek Revival residence in Brooklyn and possibly the only one left in Kings County. It carries sophisticated Greek-inspired ornament inside and out and retains a bluestone walk and part of an original fence. It also recalls Wallabout's growth after the Brooklyn Navy Yard was established.","narrative":"Set on a small rise on the west side of Clinton Avenue in Brooklyn's Wallabout area, this two-story frame house is fronted by a pedimented portico in the manner of a Greek temple. A one-story ell and a rear extension, which incorporates remnants of an earlier small house, complete the building. Rem Lefferts and John Laidlaw bought the lot in 1836, and directories suggest the house was built around 1840. It later served several members of Brooklyn's merchant and professional class. Its design follows patterns popularized by period builders' guides, with corner pilasters, a decorated entrance surround, carved rosettes, acanthus moldings and marble mantels. A semi-circular bluestone walk and part of the original iron fence survive in the front yard. The nomination calls it possibly the only temple-fronted Greek Revival residence left in Kings County, and a reminder of Brooklyn's shift from Dutch farmland to dense urban neighborhoods near the Navy Yard. Restoration work is under way, guided by early photographs.","period_of_significance":"1800-1899 (specific dates c. 1840-1855)","architect_builder":"Rem Lefferts & John Laidlaw","architectural_style":"Greek Revival","criteria":[],"status_note":"Occupied private residence; undergoing a complete restoration, with synthetic siding being removed and missing ornament replicated.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:50:44.75878-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_NY/85002279.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/85002279/afec42645c-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/85002279/afec42645c-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 3.0","author":"Onorland","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lefferts-Laidlaw_House.JPG\" rel=\"noopener\">Onorland</a>, <a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC BY-SA 3.0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lefferts-Laidlaw_House.JPG"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/75318433","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lefferts-Laidlaw_House","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q6516651"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/new-york/brooklyn/lefferts-laidlaw-house-85002279/"}