85 Westminster Road

Indulge your Victorian fantasy in this romantic masterpiece. Its statuesque beauty has unparalleled curb appeal showcasing a unique blend of Greek Revival temple style with the asymmetry and turrets of a Queen Anne. The dramatic two-story colonnade supports a classically proportioned entablature and leads to a fantastic wraparound veranda that follows the curve of the turrets. Almost a perfect square in shape, 34’ x 36’, this showstopper was designed by George Showers in 1905.

Imposing oak and glass double doors lead to the foyer where you will immediately be impressed with the late 19th Century grandeur with its dramatic proportions, original plaster & woodwork as well as the remarkable floor marquetry. To the left is a sitting room and to the right a music room with a side door leading to the side porch. The formal dining room, large enough to host a banquet, contains a handsome coffered ceiling. Two of the aforementioned rooms contain fireplaces that could be restored to wood burning. The massive eat in kitchen offers a commercial grade Garland stove along with a dishwasher and center island. Two skylights brighten the breakfast table that faces an oversized window facing the back garden, mostly grassy and partly shaded by a mature Norway Maple.

The staircase to the second floor is illuminated by a beautiful stained-glass window that spills onto a gracious landing giving way to three charming bedrooms, two full bathrooms and a laundry room. The master bedroom has en-suite bathroom with a deep soaking tub and separate shower. The master also contains a decorative fireplace that could be restored. The third-floor contains four more rooms and a large bathroom with a clawfoot bathtub. The room at the top of the turret could inspire a great novel with its octagonal design that is flooded with light from three sides. If art is your hobby then the large front room would serve as a perfect Parisian atelier. Whatever you choose, there is plenty of space with an unfinished basement with high ceilings to add if desired.

The owners of this property, along with their neighbors, are diligently working toward obtaining approvals for a shared driveway to be installed between this house and #83. If approved, it would provide the new owner with parking for two cars. Currently, they have a preliminary approval from the Landmarks Preservation Commission along with an easement letter issued by the Department of Buildings.

In 1899, Dean Alvord purchased this land now known as Prospect Park South which became the blueprint of the modern suburb. It was a meticulously planned community of country houses, each of them unique, with large front and back gardens. This “country in the city” neighborhood, then considered an extension of Prospect Park, quickly attracted the attention of wealthy Brooklyn Heights and Manhattan residents for its ease to get into Manhattan and Downtown Brooklyn as well as to the seaside in the opposite direction. 85 Westminster is one of these well-preserved homes located within the Prospect Park South Historic District.