12. Many of Fort Greene’s streets were named after terraces in Westminster

Colorful homes
Adelphi Street homes

Many of Fort Greene’s streets took their names from terraces and streets in Westminster, London. These include Adelphi, Carlton, Cumberland, Oxford, and Portland. Around the mid-19th century, what would become Fort Greene was an upper-class neighborhood for wealthy professionals, and to accommodate the growing population, many Italianate brick and brownstone row houses were constructed. Despite its name, the Italianate style was developed in the early 1800s by architect John Nash in Britain.

Today, many of these original Italianate homes are still standing, as well as historic homes in the Greek Revival, Second Empire, Romanesque Revival, and Neo-Grec styles. The Eastlake movement during the Victorian period also inspired many homes in Fort Greene, defined by geometric ornaments and low relief carvings.

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