Perry Avenue Historic District

Located in the Bedford Park section of the Bronx, the land that comprises this historic district was once originally owned by financier, Leonard Jerome. After the neighborhood's blocks and housing lots were laid out in the 1870s, the area experienced rapid growth. The majority of new houses constructed were free-standing Queen Anne style houses with ample outdoor spaces for gardens.

Consisting of only one block, the district includes nine houses located along Perry Avenue. Designed by Charles S. Clark between 1910-1911, each structure is three stories tall and characterized by alternating facades of yellow and red brick. The houses are decorated with Queen Anne details such as masonry quoins, splayed lintels, modillioned iron cornices, hipped roof dormers, and sloping slate roofs. A fieldstone wall separates each structure and front lawn from the street.

During the neighborhood's development, many Queen Anne houses were replaced by modern single-family houses and apartment buildings. Today, although the district is surrounded on all sides by six-story apartment buildings, it retains its distinctive suburban character and serves as a reminder of the neighborhood's origins. ©2014