In praise of the decaying, wood-columned 1840s holdout obscured behind a board in Brooklyn Heights

Originally part of a uniform row of four Greek Revival homes built in the 1840s, 46 Willow Place is the sole survivor of its original colonnade group. Characterized by wooden columns and dentilled cornices, the property represents a pre-Civil War era when middle-class Manhattan commuters began settling in the Willowtown enclave. While its sister houses were replaced by modernist structures in the mid-20th century, this address remained with a single family for over five decades.

Following a $4.1 million sale in early 2026, the building is currently obscured by green construction boards. Local observers hope the new ownership signals a comprehensive restoration of the decaying facade rather than a demolition. As a prominent architectural holdout, the house stands as a significant, if weathered, reminder of the neighborhood's mid-19th-century aesthetic trends.

Summary by Dispatch AI — read the full story at Ephemeralnewyork.