Divinity is in the the details. It means that attention paid to small things has big rewards. It is a truth that can apply to anything, but in some cases those details are more readily observed than in others. Make no mistake, 136 Hancock has plenty of grandeur - but it's the little things that will make your heart beat faster. Sure, there are high ceilings (even on the top floor) and great proportion throughout; original parquetry wood floors; large windows that invite in sunlit garden views. The considerable mahogany double entrance doors don't require a sensitive eye to appreciate, nor does the ascending pier mirror in the front parlor, (no doubt where the first owners, Charles and Charlotte Schroder, hosted their well-attended soirees in 1885). And the upgraded mechanicals, roof and windows are a pretty grand thing as well. But it is the smaller details that elevate this home to an almost sublime level - the original brass pulls on the exterior doors; the rarely-seen etched house number in the vestibule glass door; the delicate plaster work; a very special mahogany newel post - and we aren't even out of the front hall yet. And what about the inlaid "W" monogram in the entryway floor - did you ever think you would fall in love with linoleum? This is the completely unique contribution of the the second owners, the Warford sisters, Marie, Jeanie and Anne, in 1908, (you can pay them a visit at Greenwood Cemetery). The high-quality, "battleship linoleum" floor has been impeccably maintained for 110 years. As you make your way through the 4 stories of this 2-family home, architect Isaac Delameter Reynolds has insured that these not-so-small wonders persist. The 2 wood fireplaces are surfaced in original Minton tile, while the other 4 fireplaces are of incised marble. Decorative doorknobs and hinges, carved moldings, fanciful plasterwork, stained-glass, elegant railings and balusters, original shutters, waist-high wainscoting and built-in cabinetry complete this expression of refined Victorian elegance. Alice Childress, the award-wining American playwright lived and wrote in this home for much of her adult life and was surely inspired by her surroundings. In her work as in her home, the grand and small elements reveal something infinitely greater than the parts. 136 Hancock is on a quiet, tree-lined street conveniently located steps away from the A/C express subway stop, G, S subway stops, LIRR at Nostrand Ave, and multiple bus lines. It's close to community playgrounds and parks and a short walk to neighborhood hot-spots such as Le Paris Dakar, Bunny, Bed-Vyne Wine & Spirits, Glorietta Baldy, Hart's, Tillys, Eugene & Co, Peaches Hot House, Sincerely Tommy, many cafes, and much, much more.
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