Brooklyn Sculptor Fools Preservationists With a Fake 19th-Century Carriage House
A sculptor in Boerum Hill has created a striking faux carriage house using bricks salvaged from demolished Brooklyn buildings. The structure proved so realistic that it even caught the attention of city preservation officials.
The artist behind the project carefully constructed the carriage house to resemble an authentic 19th-century building. Every brick was reclaimed from old Brooklyn structures, ensuring the design stayed true to the area's historic character.
The craftsmanship was so convincing that the sculptor received an unexpected call from the Landmarks Preservation Commission. Officials had assumed the structure was an original, not a newly built imitation.
Meanwhile, historical records about 28 West 10th Street in Manhattan revealed no links to famous figures like Dashiell Hammett, the Bowles family, or Marcel Duchamp. Instead, documents from the 1880s only listed James Boorman Johnston's widow and daughters as residents of the brownstone at that time.
The sculptor's work highlights how salvaged materials can recreate history with remarkable accuracy. The Landmarks call confirms the success of the project's lifelike design. As for 28 West 10th Street, its past remains tied to the Johnston family rather than the well-known names once rumoured to be connected to it.
