Cypress Avenue East Historic District
Why it's listed
Cypress Avenue East is a 26-acre neighborhood in Ridgewood, Queens, made up of 247 structures built between 1900 and 1914. Most are three-story brick tenements with two apartments on each floor. The most distinctive feature is the alternating light and dark speckled brick on adjoining facades, laid up to imitate rusticated stone and producing horizontal bands of shadow along each row. The district matters because it preserves a cohesive group of tenements modeled on the "Mathews Flats" first built in Ridgewood by G.X. Mathews. Builders August Bauer and Paul Stier erected most of them in 1912-14 from plans by Louis Berger, using wide lots, interior airshafts, large windows in every room and separate sanitary facilities in each apartment. Earlier rows from 1904 and 1908 on Seneca Avenue, also designed by Berger's firm, use round brick arches that may have inspired the later Mathews Flats. The buildings remain largely intact, with only minor alterations such as new doors, awnings and storefronts.
Significance in brief: The district is argued to be historically and architecturally significant as an intact, cohesive residential neighborhood. It contains imitations of the "Mathews Flats" model tenements first developed in Ridgewood by G.X. Mathews. Most buildings were put up in 1912-14 by builders August Bauer and Paul Stier from plans by architect Louis Berger, using the same interior layout as the Mathews Flats but different facade detailing.
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 83001767, listed September 30, 1983. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Roughly bounded by Linden and Cornelia Sts., Seneca and St. Nicholas Aves., New York |
|---|---|
| County | Queens |
| Listed | September 30, 1983 |
| Reference number | 83001767 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | 1900-1914 |
| Architect / builder | Louis Berger (architect); August Bauer and Paul Stier (builders); Spaeth and Hempleman and Jacob Rodler (builders of earlier rows) |
| Architectural style | Renaissance, Romanesque and Romanesque Revival detail on brick tenements |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Buildings remain largely intact; typical alterations include new stoops, doors, ironwork, awnings and rebuilt storefronts. Three buildings are non-contributing. |
| Acreage | 26 |
| Coordinates | 40.70272, -73.90882 (NPS GIS) |
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 83001767.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5200308
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.