68th Police Precinct Station House and Stable
Why it's listed
Built in 1886 at Fourth Avenue and 43rd Street in Brooklyn's Sunset Park, this police station house and its connected stable were designed by New York architect Emile M. Gruwe. The three-story brick station is dominated by a projecting corner tower, a Norman-inspired entrance portico, carved limestone and brownstone details, wrought-iron beam anchors and a corbelled cornice with bartizans. The stable has a hay loft level, round-arched openings and a crenellated cornice. The buildings combine Venetian and Norman Romanesque elements into a balanced Romanesque Revival composition meant to convey the authority of the police. The station housed the Eighteenth Precinct, later renumbered the 68th, until 1970, serving as a civic focal point for a growing neighborhood. Few Romanesque Revival station houses in Brooklyn survive, and Gruwe's nearly identical 75th Precinct station was later altered. The complex has been vacant since 1970 and was damaged by fire in 1980, though both buildings remain sound.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the buildings are a significant example of Brooklyn police station design in the Romanesque Revival style, expressing the strength and authority of the local police force. They are one of the few surviving Romanesque Revival station houses in Brooklyn and one of the few known works of architect Emile M. Gruwe. The station also served as a civic focal point in the growing Sunset Park community.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 82003359, listed June 3, 1982. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 4302 4th Ave., New York |
|---|---|
| County | Brooklyn |
| Listed | June 3, 1982 |
| Reference number | 82003359 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1800-1899 |
| Architect / builder | Emile M. Gruwe |
| Architectural style | Romanesque Revival (with Venetian and Norman Romanesque elements) |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Continuously occupied from 1886 until 1970, then vacant, with active interest in reuse. A fire damaged the station house interior in 1980, but both buildings remain sound. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 40.65042, -74.00890 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary for a privately owned home: it does not by itself restrict what an owner may do with their own money, and it does not require public access. Restrictions come from local landmark or historic-district ordinances, which are separate (how they differ).
Owner-occupied houses are not eligible for the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit, which applies to income-producing buildings, but many states offer credits for homeowners. Listing also opens the door to preservation easements and to buying a plaque. Start with what listing means for homeowners, renovating a listed house and selling one.
Noted as vacant in the nomination. Nomination documents can be decades old; current status may differ. If you are considering buying an empty listed property, read the due-diligence checklist.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 82003359.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q4642361
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.