11-115 Montague Street

Project History

The Berkeley and Grosvenor apartment houses were built together in 1885 at 111-115 Montague Street. The 8-storey structures were part of an 1880’s boom in tall buildings. The architects Walter and Henry Parfitt were born in England and established an office in Brooklyn around 1875. They first designed typical brownstone rows, but later began experimenting with Queen Ann-style houses in brick and terracotta. The Berkeley and Grosvenor design includes a base in rock-faced brownstone, and a massive central pier and gable, which gives the appearance as if they were one. The lobby decorations were by Tiffany, the rent was 100 dollars per month and they were advertised as “10 minutes from Wall Street.”
By 1952 the buildings were emptied due to fire code violations and by 1971 the Montague had become a welfare hotel. While the grand interior detail was stripped, the powerful exterior has been faithfully restored to its’ original grandeur.