7. 70 Lefferts Place is a secret artists’ collective
70 Lefferts Place, hidden behind a gate and large foliage, is an Italiante-style home also named for James W. and Lucy S. Elwell. James William Elwell was a longtime Brooklyn shipping merchant and member of the New York Chamber of Commerce who owned shipping firm James W. Elwell & Co. Elwell was also a philanthropist who donated over $3 million to institutions including the Graham Institute and Brooklyn Orphan Asylum. The home was built around 1854 alongside a flower conservatory, and it remained in the family’s hands until it was purchased by the Father Divine Church in 1939. The yellow home was put on the NRHP in 1986.
Most recently, the home became the primary base of the AllInOne Collective, a community of artists and activists founded in 2020. Prior to this, the historic home served as an illegal hostel that charged $25 a night. Now, the collective rents the entire building and was created by Audrey Banks, a painter and performance artist. The 22-room villa has attracted over 15 tenants, who range from digital artists to fashion models to data journalists. The basement functions as a gallery space for collective members and outside groups.