Lafayette Gardens Nursing Home, 447 Clinton Avenue,1958.

This Italianate mansion is nearly 170 years old! It is one of the earliest structures of this style in New York City. Constructed circa 1850, the brick and brownstone was originally the home of a local auctioneer. After being owned by a furrier, the house was purchased by William Wade, a manufacturer of printing ink, in 1866. The Wade family owned the home until 1920.

In the middle of the 20th century the building was owned and occupied by the Galilee Baptist Church; perhaps the Lafayette Gardens Nursing Home was a project of that institution (very little evidence of the history of the nursing home exists). The church occupied the home until the early 2000s, though during its tenure and after the building continued to deteriorate drastically. The windows were boarded up by plywood and cement blocks and the facade and interior were in terrible shape. The home was extensively renovated and restored in 2010 and now houses four rental units. In March of 2017, a 1,800 square foot unit was for rental market for $6,000.