Prospect Park South Historic District

The development of this suburban district, the most architecturally significant in Flatbush, was spurred on by the advancement of public transit, the construction of Prospect Park, and the opening of the Brooklyn Bridge, all of which contributed to the rapid growth of the City of Brooklyn. Approximately fifty acres of land, mostly belonging to the Dutch Reformed Church and the Bergen family, were purchased in 1899 by the real estate developer Dean Alvord. Inspired by the ideas of Fredrick Law Olmsted, the creator of Prospect Park, and by the picturesque, rural suburbs that were being developed across the U.S. starting in the 1850s, Alvord hoped that his plans for Prospect Park South would succeed in incorporating rural beauty into the confines of an urban block. The success of the neighborhood greatly influenced the suburban development of southern Brooklyn, with many areas such as Ditmas Park following the planning and architectural precedents set by the district.

In 1905, Alvord sold his interest in Prospect Park South to the Chelsea Improvement Co. and the forty-five vacant lots were filled in with new frame houses. By the 1920s, the neighborhood was almost entirely built up, with many freestanding houses replaced by apartment houses. The juxtaposition of various architectural designs typifies development convention around the turn of the twentieth century. Houses were built in a wide range of styles including Spanish Mission, Italian Villa, Queen Anne, colonial Revival, and Tudor Revival. Although many of the houses have undergone alterations, Prospect Park South retains much of its pastoral, turn-of-the-century ambiance. ©2014