In Bushwick, this 1885 former Brewery can be your personal mansion for $4M
Photo credit: DDReps, courtesy of Compass
Every so often a truly unique listing comes our way, and this is one of those times. This stately building at 31 Belvidere Street in Bushwick was originally the office for the adjacent William Ulmer Brewery when it was built in 1885. Today, it’s been converted to an incredible two-family mansion, complete with massive arched windows, giant windows, a cobblestone courtyard, and that beautiful mansard roof.
The building was designed by architect Theobald M. Engelhardt in the Romanesque Revival-meets-German Rundbogenstil (round arch) style at a time when Bushwick and Williamsburg had more than a dozen German-owned breweries. The original brewery complex took up the entire block and consisted of the brewhouse, an engine house, a stable/storage house, and the office. The brewery ceased operations in 1920 during Prohibition, but the office remained in the Ulmer family until 1952, when it became storage for a lighting company next door. According to a 2008 New York Times article, in the 1980s, a stone sculptor and marble worker bought and restored the building into a workspace and rented it out.
The entire building is 6,000 square feet, not counting the basement. It’s currently configured as a two-family home. Architectural details throughout include 13-foot ceilings, cherry wood floors, moldings with marble and granite fixtures, and arched windows. Outside, a wrought-iron fence opens to a cobblestone courtyard that leads to a 530-square-foot private garage.
The upstairs was recently renovated and has a tenant in place through August. It has a large kitchen, living room, two bedrooms including a master, a great room, and an additional room. There’s also a roof deck (not pictured) accessible from this level.
The lower floor is currently vacant and can be sold separately for $2 million. There’s a large, open kitchen/living room that has been updated with tons of counter and cabinet space. There’s also a large great room and another open room.
As the listing states, “the M1-1 zoning allows any commercial use.” The building was landmarked in 2010 (the first brewery in New York City to gain that distinction), so any physical changes will require approvals.
[Listing details: 31 Belvidere Street at CityRealty]
[At Compass by Nathan Horne]
Photo credit: DDReps, courtesy of Compass
