Farragut Houses, Building 1

237 Nassau Street | also 253 Nassau Street, 251 Nassau Street | DUMBO | built 1950

Open on the map3 entries

The lot about 1940
About 1940. Via 1940s.nyc
The lot about 1985
About 1985. Via 80s.nyc

The city photographed every building for its tax records around 1940 and again in the 1980s. NYC Municipal Archives.

Written with AI from the source each entry cites, then fact-checked.

  1. 1945

    Clearance of about 340 lots begins for the Farragut Houses

    Clearing of the land for the Farragut Houses began in 1945. The site then held 341 lots, 198 of them wooden structures, in what had been a heavily industrial area near the Navy Yard. About 970 families, along with 144 occupied stores and 677 apartments, had to be relocated before demolition, and eight streets vanished when the small blocks were joined into superblocks.

    “The land for Farragut Houses was cleared starting in 1945. Prior to demolition, there was still an active neighborhood, with 144 stores that were occupied…”

    Source: Wikipedia

  2. 1949

    First tenants move into the Farragut Houses as the state funds the project

    The state approved a $15,087,000 fund for the Farragut Houses in 1949, and the first residents moved in that year. Rents averaged $33.50 to $44 a month, utilities included. The three superblocks of the development were finished by 1952, leaving ten buildings of 13 and 14 stories.

    “In 1949 the state approved the Farragut Housing projects fund for $15,087,000. The first residents started moving in that year; the average rent was between $33.50–$44 a month…”

    Source: Wikipedia

  3. 2013

    August 16

    Farragut Houses logs 4,034 unanswered repair requests

    The Farragut Houses had 4,034 unanswered repair requests on August 16, 2013, according to Wikipedia, with problems that ranged from doors that would not close to mold in bathrooms. Residents filed many complaints, especially in winter, when the aging buildings caused piping and heating problems. The complex holds ten buildings of 13 and 14 stories.

    “…on August 16, 2013, the Farragut Houses had 4,034 unanswered repair requests, with complaints ranging from difficulties closing doors to mold growing in bathrooms.”

    Source: Wikipedia

Further reading

Nearby

All 12 buildings with stories in DUMBO