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# City Has A Long History Of Messing Up Our Neighborhood’s Stanchions
- URL: https://bklyner.com/city-has-a-long-history-of-messing-up-when-it-comes-to-the-now-demolished-columns-at-westminster-foster-ditmas-park/
- Published: 2015-06-12T17:00:18.000Z
- Updated: 2015-06-16T13:04:18.000Z
- Author: Anna Gustafson
- Tags: Brooklyn Daily Eagle, columns, Fiske Terrace, Midwood Park, Midwood park Property Owners Association, stanchion, #API-Imported

![A postcard shows the stanchions that were just torn down as they appeared in  1909. Image courtesy Donald Loggins](/content/images/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Westminster-Road-stanchions-702x527.png)

A postcard shows the stanchions that were just torn down as they appeared in 1909\. Image courtesy Donald Loggins

More than a century has passed, but our neighbors living in the area in 1910 appeared to be just as angry at the city as community members are now, following the [DOT’s destruction of two historic stanchions](http://Cozier turns down petition he favored  city won't light ornamental columns residents erected inf iske terrace  property owners are angry  went ot expense of $2,000 to beautify neighborhood on plans approve by city authories  "While Deputy Comissioner Cozier o the Department of Water Supply, Gas and Electricty has the utmost confidence in the judgement of hi superinedente of light and power, this confidence is noiti shared by the members of the Fiske TErrace and Midwood Park Property Owners associations and their fmailies, who live in the section of Flatbush bounded by Ocean avenue and the Brighton Beach Railroad on the east and west, and Foster avenue and the cut of the Long Island Railroad on the north and south. It is even safe to say that the several hundred residents thus descrdibed have an exceedingly poor opinion of Superintendent Lacombe's judgement, for the reaosn that he has turned down their cherished plan of having the city light the handsome, ornamental columns that two associations have erected on the street corners bounding the section and at an expense of nearly, if not quite, $2,000.  The author goes on to describe the neighborhood, noting that property owners had worked "various plans to keep the section beautifiul with shrubs, trees and flowers.Several of the streets hae parked places in the center of the thoroughfares and the care of these parked spaces has been willingly assumed by the residents, although the titles of the parks are vested in the city. The erection of the ornmamentl columns was the final effort of the two associations to beautify and dignify the neighborhood.  Just how the associations came to take up the ornamental street corner column project is interesting. Just to the north of the section, between Foster and Newkirk avenues, where Ditmas Park's southern boundary begins, several apartment houses have been built, and, quite recently, on Foster avenue, at the corner of East Seventeenth street, a block of stores with apartment houses above were also put up. This decided the people just to the south that a line of demarkation should be made along Foster avenue as a sort of notice to everybody that "thus far and no farther" could apartments be built. The lots of MIdwood Park are strictly restricted to one-family houses. When the matter was talked over the members of the Fiske Terrace Association suggeested that it would be a good plan to put columns on Ocean avenue, at Avenues G and H, and the two associations immediately started a subscription in aid of the plan.  Raised $2,000 for the columns in no time  Talk about enthusiasm! The two associations raised nearly $2,000 in a jiffy and appointed committees to work in harmony. The two committees were made up of some of the best-known men in the section and an aplication was made to the Flatbush Board of Local Improvements for its consent to hte scheme.  %28then the plan went to the Municipal Art Commission%29 --- It had been the plan of the committee to surmount the posts with ornamental urns, following somewhat the general plan of the hansome columns that mark the boundaries of Prospect Park South. But the Art Commission suggested that if the posts were surmounted by receptables for electric lighting, with proper globes, the effect would be much more ornate and the columns, wwhich would become the property of the city upon their completeion, could be made to serve a splendid utilitarian purpose as well. The Art Commission said that the general design of the post was good and that it would be approved if the change to the electric light globe from the urn was made. Individual members of the commission had no doubt that the city would be willing to substitute lights in the column for the lights in the ungainly poles now in use.  %28once the columns were finished and paid for they decided%29 "to ask, by a petition, for the lights.  "The residents of Midwood Park and Fiske Terrace are so shocked at the turning down of their petition in view of the reoseate promises %28given by the commissioner%29 that they don't know what next to do."a) at Foster Avenue and Westminster Road.

Thanks to neighbor Donald Loggins, we discovered [this Brooklyn Daily article](http://bklyn.newspapers.com/image/53919849/?ref=bklyner.com) (go to page six) from July 31, 1910, which details how outraged residents were after the city turned down their request for ornamental lights on the brick columns that were erected the year before, in 1909 — something which apparently had been essentially promised to them.

“While Deputy Commissioner Cozier of the Department of Water Supply, Gas and Electricity has the utmost confidence in the judgement of his superintendent of light and power, this confidence is not shared by the members of the Fiske Terrace and Midwood Park Property Owners associations and their families, who live in the section of Flatbush bounded by Ocean Avenue and the Brighton Beach Railroad on the east and west, and Foster Avenue and the cut of the Long Island Railroad on the north and south,” the article states.

“It is even safe to say that the several hundred residents thus described have an exceedingly poor opinion of Superintendent Lacombe’s judgement, for the reason that he has turned down their cherished plan of having the city light the handsome, ornamental columns that two associations have erected on the street corners bounding the section and at an expense of nearly, if not quite, $2,000,” the piece continues.

![stanchion knocked down at Foster:Westminster](/content/images/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/stanchion-knocked-down-at-FosterWestminster-e1433474971215-702x702.jpg)

The DOT knocked down two historical stanchions at Foster & Westminster last week.

Saying the building of the ornamental columns “was the final effort of the two associations to beautify and dignify the neighborhood,” the article goes on to say that, “just how the associations came to take up the ornamental street corner column project is interesting.”

Apparently, neighbors were then distressed about encroaching development, and numerous concerns were voiced over apartment houses being built in the area, including at the corner of Foster Avenue and E. 17th Street, where “a block of stores with apartment houses were also put up.”

“This decided the people just to the south that a line of demarkation should be made along Foster Avenue as a sort of notice to everybody that ‘thus far and no farther’ could apartments be built,” the article said.

After deciding they wanted the stanchions, residents wasted no time raising money.

“Talk about enthusiasm!” the article exclaims. “The two associations raised nearly $2,000 in a jiffy and appointed committees to work in harmony. The two committees were made up of some of the best-known men in the section and an application was made to the Flatbush Board of Local Improvements for its consent to the scheme.”

![After: No more stanchions at Westminster & Foster](/content/images/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/dpc_stanchionless-702x527.jpg)

After: No more stanchions at Westminster & Foster

The plan then went to a city body called the Municipal Art Commission, and that group’s members said they give their stamp of approval — as long as neighbors amended their plan to include “receptacles for electric lighting, with proper globes.”

However, once the columns were completely constructed, things started to go awry for neighbors — who also had guards stationed at the stanchions to announce visitors.

Neighbors got the big thumbs down from this Superintendent Lacombe, with the city saying the installation of the lighting was too expensive and wouldn’t provide enough light to be useful.

“The residents of Midwood Park and Fiske Terrace are so shocked at the turning down of their petition in view of the roseate promises (given by the commissioner) that they don’t know what next to do.”

That is much like how neighbors said they felt when they saw the DOT’s bulldozers knocking down the two stanchions that once marked the entrance to their community.

After knocking down two of the columns, inciting outrage among numerous residents and civic leaders, the DOT stopped its demolition and is working with neighbors on a plan to rebuild the stanchions — we’ll have a full report from a meeting with the DOT, [Community Board 14](http://www.cb14brooklyn.com/?ref=bklyner.com), and West Midwood neighbors shortly.

If anyone else has stories they’d like to share about the stanchions, let us know! Comment below or email us at [editor@ditmasparkcorner.com](mailto:editor@ditmasparkcorner.com).