Brooklyn: 11th Avenue at Windsor Place, 1930 (NYPL)

Windsor Terrace, Brooklyn • Between 7th & 8th Ave

Windsor
Place

Backdrop: 11th Ave at Windsor Pl, 1930 — NYPL Photographic Views of NYC

175 years of one Brooklyn block. Every deed, every family, every season. And two people trying to come home.

The BlockEst. 1849 — Ongoing

175 years

of documented history on one block

1849

William Bell buys Vanderbilt's farm, founds Windsor Terrace

101 years

Vackner family at 42A (1925–Jan 2026). Then it sold for $2.1M.

May 21, 1888

Braxton Street renamed Windsor Place by Common Council — same vote turned Herkimer into Brevoort. Two prestige names installed in one action.

I am here because…

“Someone in my family lived here”Search the name index →“I live in one of these houses”Find your house →“I want to read about the block”Open the long history →“I just want a good story”Open the Wild Files →“I want to share a story”Tell us a story →

Or browse by section

ReadThe story of the block — book, history, voicesOpen →ExploreBrowse by house, family, person, or decadeOpen →ArchiveSearch records, photos, maps, newspapers, censusOpen →Make HistoryHelp write history. Tell us a story.Open →Help UsSarabeth + Mike are looking for an apartment on the blockOpen →

Stories from the archive

The Block Today

He grew up across the street. She grew up around the corner. They married each other and never left.

Twenty years at Rikers. His brother, twenty years in the public schools. Down the block, the unofficial mayor — has been for as long as anyone can remember.

Chapter 8: The New Brooklyn→

December 16, 1960

"New York looked like a picture out of a fairy book."

United Airlines Flight 826 fell on Park Slope at 10:33 a.m. Stephen Baltz, 11, was the only survivor. He died the next day. The scar is still on the brickwork at 126 Sterling Place.

Chapter 5: The Crash→

Below the Street

Windsor Place has always been wetter than it looks.

Vechte's Brook — a Gowanus tributary buried under asphalt since the 1800s — is audible at sewer grates on quiet mornings. NYC just announced a $68M flood project. Construction begins 2029.

Chapter 9: Below Windsor Place→

From the archive

Windsor Terrace records →

C. M. Weldner, a businessman, married Caroline Cox at 27½ Windsor Place. Dr. McCague officiated.

Brooklyn Citizen, Dec. 23, 1902

Ethel M. Squire married at 171 Windsor Place. Her father Jonathan Squire came from 383 Thirteenth Street, Park Slope.

Times Union, Apr. 6, 1912

Frances Merklin married Milton Elwood Cowles at 46A Windsor Place. She wore white silk voile with lilies-of-the-valley; Rev. Dr. A. F. Campbell officiated.

The Chat, Oct. 3, 1912

Myra and Arthur Levy married at 269 Windsor Place. Her mother, Mrs. William H. Green, was present.

Brooklyn Eagle, Oct. 6, 1912

Frieda May Nickel and Christian L. Boettger, both architects from Davenport, Iowa, married at 47 Windsor Place. Sweet peas and bridal roses; honeymoon by the Great Lakes.

Times Union, May 23, 1915 / The Chat, May 29, 1915

Augusta Helen Schnaars married Lt. Elmer N. Walton at 45 Windsor Place.

Times Union, Jan. 18, 1920

Mia Mary Plannagan and Leo McKeen married at the Church of the Holy Name, Windsor Place and 9th Avenue. Honeymoon in Albany.

Times Union, Feb. 26, 1922

Frances E. Hulsaver married pastor Edward Raynor Stiehler at 278 Windsor Place. White lace and tulle; honeymoon at the Thousand Islands.

Brooklyn Daily Times, Jun. 16, 1922

Joseph L. Murphy and Helen Rita Anderson married at Holy Name R. C. Church, Windsor Place and 9th Avenue.

Times Union, May 17, 1928

Doris Ellsworth Severe born at 245 Windsor Place, October 9.

The Chat, Oct. 16, 1926

Mary Louise Plumridge born at 55 Windsor Place.

Times Union, Sept. 8, 1931

A boy born to the Crosby family at 47 Windsor Place — two years before another Crosby child would be born at the same address.

Brooklyn Eagle, Nov. 17, 1933

A girl born to the Crosby family at 47 Windsor Place. The same address where two architects from Iowa were married in 1915.

Brooklyn Eagle, Aug. 28, 1935

Maureen Ellen Cochrane born April 23 at 220 Windsor Place.

Brooklyn Eagle, May 2, 1941

James Harvey born February 5 at 92 Windsor Place.

Brooklyn Eagle, Feb. 13, 1945

Elesha Clarke Driscoll born February 3 at 284 Windsor Place.

Brooklyn Eagle, Feb. 17, 1949

Mary Barbara born at 105 Windsor Place. Her grandmother Regenia F. Lanahan was present.

Brooklyn Eagle, Mar. 10, 1951

Charles Alfred Gabbert Jr. born February 19 at 42-A Windsor Place. His grandmother Catherine Vackner was present — the same Vackner family that would own that house for 101 years.

Brooklyn Eagle, Mar. 9, 1952

On the same October day, both Arline Rossman and Rosemary Beavers were born at 98 Windsor Place.

Brooklyn Eagle, Oct. 29, 1952

Diana Marie McGeeney born March 25 at Windsor Place. Her mother Elizabeth Leach was on the block; her father was stationed at Camp Lejeune.

Brooklyn Eagle, Jun. 27, 1953

Walter E. Beadle and Lydia E. Arnold married at Windsor Terrace — the earliest marriage record found in the neighborhood. Rev. Dr. Saively officiated.

Brooklyn Eagle, May 3, 1885

Lott and Jean Purvis married at Windsor Terrace, with a reception at the Melrose Hose Company firehouse. Honeymoon in Sag Harbor. Rev. C. L. Wells officiated.

Brooklyn Daily Times, Jun. 7, 1888

Elizabeth Franklin, a concert pianist, and Walter B. Scott, a professor of English, both of Princeton, NJ, married at the Church of the Holy Apostles, Windsor Terrace.

Times Union, Jul. 8, 1936

Susan Mary Fechner and Paul Fechner married at St. Mark's Lutheran, Windsor Terrace. Honeymoon in Puerto Rico and Cuba.

Brooklyn Eagle, Sept. 17, 1939

Kathleen Regina Horan and Joseph Cunningham married at the Church of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, Windsor Terrace. Her brother, Private First Class Martin J. Horan, was in the wedding party.

Brooklyn Citizen, Nov. 21, 1944

Dorothy Dowd and Frederick Lothrop von Rodeck married at the Church of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, Windsor Terrace. Her father Captain Joseph J. Dowd attended; the groom had been stationed in Guam.

Brooklyn Citizen, Jul. 11, 1946

C. M. Weldner, a businessman, married Caroline Cox at 27½ Windsor Place. Dr. McCague officiated.

Brooklyn Citizen, Dec. 23, 1902

Ethel M. Squire married at 171 Windsor Place. Her father Jonathan Squire came from 383 Thirteenth Street, Park Slope.

Times Union, Apr. 6, 1912

Frances Merklin married Milton Elwood Cowles at 46A Windsor Place. She wore white silk voile with lilies-of-the-valley; Rev. Dr. A. F. Campbell officiated.

The Chat, Oct. 3, 1912

Myra and Arthur Levy married at 269 Windsor Place. Her mother, Mrs. William H. Green, was present.

Brooklyn Eagle, Oct. 6, 1912

Frieda May Nickel and Christian L. Boettger, both architects from Davenport, Iowa, married at 47 Windsor Place. Sweet peas and bridal roses; honeymoon by the Great Lakes.

Times Union, May 23, 1915 / The Chat, May 29, 1915

Augusta Helen Schnaars married Lt. Elmer N. Walton at 45 Windsor Place.

Times Union, Jan. 18, 1920

Mia Mary Plannagan and Leo McKeen married at the Church of the Holy Name, Windsor Place and 9th Avenue. Honeymoon in Albany.

Times Union, Feb. 26, 1922

Frances E. Hulsaver married pastor Edward Raynor Stiehler at 278 Windsor Place. White lace and tulle; honeymoon at the Thousand Islands.

Brooklyn Daily Times, Jun. 16, 1922

Joseph L. Murphy and Helen Rita Anderson married at Holy Name R. C. Church, Windsor Place and 9th Avenue.

Times Union, May 17, 1928

Doris Ellsworth Severe born at 245 Windsor Place, October 9.

The Chat, Oct. 16, 1926

Mary Louise Plumridge born at 55 Windsor Place.

Times Union, Sept. 8, 1931

A boy born to the Crosby family at 47 Windsor Place — two years before another Crosby child would be born at the same address.

Brooklyn Eagle, Nov. 17, 1933

A girl born to the Crosby family at 47 Windsor Place. The same address where two architects from Iowa were married in 1915.

Brooklyn Eagle, Aug. 28, 1935

Maureen Ellen Cochrane born April 23 at 220 Windsor Place.

Brooklyn Eagle, May 2, 1941

James Harvey born February 5 at 92 Windsor Place.

Brooklyn Eagle, Feb. 13, 1945

Elesha Clarke Driscoll born February 3 at 284 Windsor Place.

Brooklyn Eagle, Feb. 17, 1949

Mary Barbara born at 105 Windsor Place. Her grandmother Regenia F. Lanahan was present.

Brooklyn Eagle, Mar. 10, 1951

Charles Alfred Gabbert Jr. born February 19 at 42-A Windsor Place. His grandmother Catherine Vackner was present — the same Vackner family that would own that house for 101 years.

Brooklyn Eagle, Mar. 9, 1952

On the same October day, both Arline Rossman and Rosemary Beavers were born at 98 Windsor Place.

Brooklyn Eagle, Oct. 29, 1952

Diana Marie McGeeney born March 25 at Windsor Place. Her mother Elizabeth Leach was on the block; her father was stationed at Camp Lejeune.

Brooklyn Eagle, Jun. 27, 1953

Walter E. Beadle and Lydia E. Arnold married at Windsor Terrace — the earliest marriage record found in the neighborhood. Rev. Dr. Saively officiated.

Brooklyn Eagle, May 3, 1885

Lott and Jean Purvis married at Windsor Terrace, with a reception at the Melrose Hose Company firehouse. Honeymoon in Sag Harbor. Rev. C. L. Wells officiated.

Brooklyn Daily Times, Jun. 7, 1888

Elizabeth Franklin, a concert pianist, and Walter B. Scott, a professor of English, both of Princeton, NJ, married at the Church of the Holy Apostles, Windsor Terrace.

Times Union, Jul. 8, 1936

Susan Mary Fechner and Paul Fechner married at St. Mark's Lutheran, Windsor Terrace. Honeymoon in Puerto Rico and Cuba.

Brooklyn Eagle, Sept. 17, 1939

Kathleen Regina Horan and Joseph Cunningham married at the Church of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, Windsor Terrace. Her brother, Private First Class Martin J. Horan, was in the wedding party.

Brooklyn Citizen, Nov. 21, 1944

Dorothy Dowd and Frederick Lothrop von Rodeck married at the Church of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, Windsor Terrace. Her father Captain Joseph J. Dowd attended; the groom had been stationed in Guam.

Brooklyn Citizen, Jul. 11, 1946

From the neighbors

Did you live here? Know someone who did?

Record a two-minute story. Write a few sentences. Share a photo. Anything you remember goes into the archive.

🎙 Record your story Read the archive →

The archive in numbers

Full findings →

Newspaper page mentions

Families documented

Archive items (NYPL+Commons+DPLA)

Search everything →Decades 1860s–1960s →1920 census schedules →Where spouses came from →Help write history →Long history →Data sources →Brooklyn Daily Eagle (64k mentions) →252 family newspaper hits →

A housing search

We already live here. We just need a door.

Nine years on Windsor Place. If you know of anything coming available, Mike wants to hear from you.

175 Years • 9 Chapters

Read the full archive

Deed records. Census rolls. The 1940 tax photos. The 1960 plane crash. The buried brook. Primary sources, all linked.

NYC Municipal Archives • 1940

Every building, photographed

63 tax photos from the year the census captured the families inside.

1940 Photos →

1911

A Kings County history records Windsor Place took its name from the Windsor Terrace neighborhood around it.

Dec 16, 1960

A plane fell out of the sky 8 blocks north. Still visible.

$68M

NYC Bluebelt project targeting Windsor Terrace flooding, 2029

57 years

One family at #48 — current longest tenure, bought 1968

1915

Two architects from Iowa married at 47 Windsor Place. Sweet peas. Honeymoon by the Great Lakes.

Oct 29, 1952

Two babies born at 98 Windsor Place on the same day: Arline Rossman and Rosemary Beavers.

1952

Charles Gabbert Jr. born at 42-A Windsor Place. His grandmother Catherine Vackner was there. The Vackners stayed until 2026.

1944

A Windsor Terrace bride had her brother, a PFC, in the wedding party. He came in uniform.