Historic district includes buildings from Brooklyn’s bygone industrial age. On January 30, 2008, the City Council voted to approve Landmarks’ designation of the Eberhard Faber Pencil Company Historic District, located in the Greenpoint neighborhood of Brooklyn, between West and Kent Streets along Greenpoint Avenue. The factory buildings serve as an example of the German Renaissance Revival style, with some buildings dating as far back as the 1880s. In 2005, the Department of Buildings issued permits for the demolition and alteration of some buildings within the district. One such permit was to facilitate the construction of a nine-story addition to, and interior demolition of, 58 Kent Street. 4 CityLand109 (Aug. 15, 2007). Notwithstanding the permits, Landmarks voted to preserve the Eberhard Faber buildings as a historic district in October 2007. 4 CityLand 159 (Oct. 15, 2007).

At the Subcommittee on Landmarks, Public Siting & Maritime Uses hearing on January 22, 2008, Diane Jackier, Director of External Affairs for Landmarks, testified in support of designation and noted the widespread support the agency received from preservationist groups during its public hearing. Council Member David Yassky, whose district includes Greenpoint, supported the designation as well and praised Landmarks for working to preserve historic sites beyond Manhattan.

The subcommittee unanimously approved the designation, sending it to the Land Use Committee, which did the same two days later. The full Council followed suit on January 30, 2008.

Council: Eberhard Faber Pencil Company Historic District, Brooklyn (Jan. 30, 2008).