Brooklyn Navy Yard: Admirals' Row
March 13th, 2008 -
Admirals' Row is located in the southeast corner of the Brooklyn Navy Yard. This strip of six buildings was abandoned by the Navy in the 1970's and left to decay. Today, the interiors of several buildings are in a state of irreparable collapse. Fires and rain have destroyed roofs and floors while squatters have left mountains of debris. Vines and trees have moved indoors. Windows and walls have exploded inwards. Entire floors are missing.
However, some of the buildings are in remarkably good condition. Their staircases, light fixtures, plasterwork, shelves, mantlepieces and wood floors are only in need of polish and paint. The beauty of these architectural details, when compared to the complete devastation in other buildings, is a stunning indictment of the Navy's neglect.
These historic buildings now stand empty and quiet, though their demolition is being planned, to create a new supermarket. This controversial idea has been featured in the NY Times and written about at length on Brownstoner and Curbed. More photos of development in the Brooklyn Navy Yard can be seen at this blog here and here.
Historical information about Admirals' Row can be found at www.officersrow.org. These photos were taken in conjunction with the photoblog The Kingston Lounge, and in association with Pasilalinic-Sympathetic Compass, both of which have more photos of Admirals' Row.
Open Door
Pink Bathroom
Kitchen Detail
Fallen Plaster and Steps
Blue Room
Stairs
Entry Steps
Total Devastation
Kitchen Cabinets
Three Floor Collapse
Grand Ballroom
Dropped Ceiling
Fixture and Wall
Squatters' Home Steps
Burnt Attic
Vine, Collapse, Fireplace
Daylight Savings
8 comments:
Hi Nathan,
Your photos are amazing! I've enjoyed keeping up with your posts over the last month or so.
I'm currently working (as a middle school social studies teacher) at MS 265, literally a block away from the Brooklyn Navy Yard (we're Park @ N Oxford), so it's been especially interesting to see the photos of the buildings that I can see from my classroom window. I've shown the Navy Yard photos to my students, many of whom grew up in the shadow of these buildings, and they've been grateful for the access to such a secretive place.
As an amateur photographer, I'm wondering how you get access to such places--I know (or think, anyway) that access is restricted to most of these buildings. When you're out in buildings like that, or in the tunnels beneath East New York, are you traveling alone? How safe is it to explore these areas?
Hope you have time to answer those questions. Either way, though, I've really enjoyed looking at your photographs, and I'll look forward to future posts!
-BCW (redrawblak)
really amazing photos! great shots abstracting the skewed nature of the structures.
Thank you for shedding more light on such a beautiful, historic set of buildings. My own treks through them have sometimes left me at a loss of how to capture the overall feeling these old structures evoke, and you've done it commendably.
The best of luck as you continue to document the Navy Yard.
You got some great shots, and that was quite a fun trip!
The two which stand out for me the most are the really cool (colour-temperature-wise) shot of the 3rd floor stairs in Quarters B, and the first-light shot of the window in Q I.
Bummer about Quarters J though, huh? ;)
Wow, fantastic shots. The power of bureaucracy...
Incredible photos. Thank you for these.
Keep up the good work!
Hi Nathan
Interesting pictures. If you are interesting in seeing the last ships built in the Navy Yard 1967-1978, check out my web site.
www.BrooklynSteel-BloodTenacity.com
Admiral Row was still being used as Navy houseing in 1976.
I wrote the book Brooklyn Steel-Blood Tenacity. I tell what it was like working for Seatrain Shipbuilding inside the Navy Yard.
Fjt
I Love these photos, keep it up. I used to ride my bike there at night in 2001 and 2002 and always wanted to check it out, but there were a few big junkyard type dogs inside the fence that would run along the fence and let me know if I was planning on visiting they were planning on greeting me. I guess those dogs are gone.
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