Murray Klein
1930

The terra-cotta ornament on this small commercial building is nearly identical to similar structures throughout the five boroughs. Several of these were associated with Child’s restaurants (including the landmark location on the Coney Island Boardwalk), although there is no indication this was ever occupied by the chain. Instead, records indicate that the first tenant of this building was the Tiny Tim Golf Club, which occupied the entire upper floor. Miniature golf was in the midst of a wild surge in popularity at this time. According to government estimates in 1930, there were 25,000 courses in the country, 15,000 built within the previous year. Indoor courses were the latest rage, allowing year-round play even in urban areas like Brooklyn. After the Great Depression brought a quick halt to miniature golf’s popularity, later occupants of the building included the Prospect Park Jewish Center in the 1940s, which later built its own building in the neighborhood. The building’s architect, Murray Klein, designed a number of theaters and other places of amusement in Brooklyn during the 1920s and ‘30s.