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Through the 90's I lived in
the 2nd floor because my wife was the
minister of the church. Anyhow, most of the interesting architectural
details have been lost over the years, except for a grand fireplace
in what was probably the dining room.
The house was originally built for Thomas Smith, owner of the Union
Porcelain Works. His foundry is notable for its "century vases" which
exist in the permanant collection of many museums, including The Met:
http://www.metmuseum.org/Works_of_Art/viewOne.asp?dep=1&viewmode=0&item=1987%2E12
.
There is one unintentionally
interesting detail left from the original house: over the years, as
the concrete floor in the basement has worn down, the aggregate has
become exposed in places.
It seems, that to economize, he used damaged or seconded ceramic door
knobs from his factory as the aggregate in his concrete. So now, many
antique doorknobs are showing through the floor. The building also
housed the Greenpoint YWCA for a time before the Greenpoint Reformed
Church purchased the building in 1942.
With special thanks to Shelby Gragg
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Centennial Vase,
1877
Made by Karl L. H. Müller (ca. 1820–1887)
Made in Mid-Atlantic, Brooklyn, New York, America
Porcelain; 12 3/4 x 10 1/4 in. (32.4 x 26.0 cm)
Friends of the American Wing Fund, 1987 (1987.12)
The sculptor Karl Müller designed a number of works for the
Union Porcelain Works display at the 1876 Centennial Exhibition in
Philadelphia. Among his most notable were a pair of large Century vases,
each covered with a profusion of historical scenes and novel
combinations of patriotic motifs in relief. Identical in form and relief
decoration to the Century vases, this vase is about ten inches smaller
and is one of about twelve known in this size. North American bison
heads serve as handles; a profile portrait of George Washington
embellishes each side; and each of the six biscuit-relief panels around
the base depicts a different scene from American history. It is unique
in being the sole version that bears the designer's signature. The
museum owns a pair of small Centennial vases (69.194.1,2) and a
large-size undecorated example.
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