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222 Columbia Heights
222 Columbia Heights
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Changing New York; Columbia Heights, no. 222

The Cornell Mansion.

1936

222 Columbia Heights

Changing New York; Columbia Heights, no. 222

The Cornell Mansion.

IMAGE DATE1936
FromMuseum of the City of New York logoMuseum of the City of New York

Peter C. Cornell House at 222 Columbia Heights, 1936.

The Renaissance Revival home at no. 222 was constructed on a hill overlooking the bay at some point in the mid 19th century (tracking down a date for it is difficult). Named for its original owner, Peter Cornell, a Red Hook-born manufacturer of gun powder, the house was better known as the residence of Seth Low, the mayor of Brooklyn, later NYC mayor and president of Columbia University.

The home was unfortunately demolished during the construction of the Brooklyn Queens Expressway and Promenade in the 1950s. In 1980 a new home was constructed on the site. Replicating the general shape of the original building, this new structure was rendered in modern brown, glazed bricks and attempted its best at modern infill to the historic neighborhood. The rounded moldings of the facade have prompted some to refer to the home as the Tootsie Roll House.

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