Houses at 216-264 Ovington Ave.

Twenty brownstone row houses line the south side of Ovington Avenue in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, between Ridge Boulevard and Third Avenue. Built from 1908 to 1910 by the Silliman Construction Company, they follow the angle of the street in a stepped rhythm. The houses show Neo-Renaissance ornament, including carved garlands, swags, heraldic elements and foliage panels, along with rusticated stringcourses, metal cornices and curved bay fronts. Two designs appear: five wider houses have a center entrance between two bays, while fifteen narrower ones have a side entrance and a single bay. Brownstones are rare in Bay Ridge, and this row is one of only two complete brownstone blocks in the neighborhood. Most original windows, stoops and many interior details survive. The block is also tied to the area's suburban growth, on land once part of the Ovington family's farm and later subdivided into building lots. The houses remain residential and are well maintained.