Lefferts Manor Historic District (Boundary Increase)
Why it's listed
Prospect Lefferts Gardens is a residential district at the northern edge of Brooklyn's Flatbush neighborhood, made up mostly of brick and stone rowhouses built between 1895 and 1925. It includes the eight-block Lefferts Manor development, laid out after James Lefferts divided his family farm into about 600 building lots in 1893. Restrictive covenants controlled the size, setback, cost and materials of houses and required one-family homes. Prominent Brooklyn architects such as Slee & Bryson, Axel Hedman and Benjamin Driesler designed the Romanesque Revival, neo-Renaissance, neo-Federal, Colonial Revival and neo-Tudor houses. Development came in three waves: about 160 houses from 1895 to 1899, 507 between 1905 and 1911, and 87 from 1915 to 1924. The district is the only substantial area of rowhouses in old Flatbush, and it contrasts with the apartment buildings around it. Maple Street between Bedford and Rogers Avenues is noted for its limestone rows under red tile roofs.
Significance in brief: The district is a largely intact middle-class neighborhood of rowhouses and freestanding houses by prominent Brooklyn architects, marking the southernmost extension of Brooklyn's brownstone neighborhoods. It was developed on the Lefferts family farm under restrictive covenants that set house size, setback, cost and materials and limited lots to one-family homes. Maple Street between Bedford and Rogers Avenues is cited as a fine example of a street shaped by the "white city" movement.
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 100001801, listed November 9, 2017. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Fenimore, Maple & Midwood Sts., Lincoln & Rutland Rds., Bedford Ave., Brooklyn |
|---|---|
| County | Brooklyn |
| Listed | November 9, 2017 |
| Reference number | 100001801 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | c.1895-c.1925 |
| Architect / builder | Various (including Slee & Bryson, Axel Hedman, Benjamin Driesler, Frank S. Lowe, William A. Miller, Peter Collins, Caughy & Evans) |
| Architectural style | Late Romanesque Revival, neo-Renaissance, neo-Federal, Colonial Revival, neo-Tudor, neo-Medieval |
| Areas of significance | Community Planning and Development, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Listed as occupied and in good to excellent condition; uses are mainly private residence, with some religious use. One 1939 apartment building at 150 Lefferts Avenue is called an intrusion. |
| Acreage | 2.91 |
| Coordinates | 40.65722, -73.95722 (Wikidata) |
What listing means for this property
This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).
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 100001801.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q15242197
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.