Commandant's House, 1954. Tucked away behind a large gate in the slice of Brooklyn between Vinegar Hill and the Brooklyn Navy Yard, the Commandant's House or Quarters A is a little-seen architectural gem. Constructed in 1806 for the top officer of the Navy facility, the Federal style mansion was possibly designed by Charles Bulfinch. Bulfinch, considered by many to be America's first professional architect, is best known for the U.S. Capitol Building. (Some suggest this attribution is perhaps 20th-century wishful thinking.) Commodore Matthew Perry was the most famous resident of the house. He lived here while the commanding officer of the naval installation in the 1840s. The house continued to serve as the charming and picturesque residence of the Commandant until the Navy Yard closed in 1964. The government sold the house in 1979, and it has remained a private home since then.

Between 1954 and 1957, the Municipal Art Society surveyed historic buildings in all five boroughs to create a database of potential landmarks to preserve. Local residents and MAS staff compiled individual sheets devoted to about 200 buildings. Each sheet outlined the building’s date, location, and style and provided a description and a small photograph. This is the list of Brooklyn buildings.