Coney Island Pumping Station, Brooklyn

Address: 2301 Neptune Avenue
Architect:  Irwin S. Chanin
Constructed: 1938
LPC Action:   Public Hearing in 1980
LPC Backlog Hearing: Removed from the calendar without prejudice

LPC- Fact Sheet | Research File

HDC Testimony 

The Coney Island Pumping Station replaced an older, outdated station in 1937-38. The need for a high pressure water system in this area was dire, as the previous one failed during the Dreamland fire of 1911 and a catastrophic fire along the boardwalk in 1932. The new station, a project of the Works Progress Administration, was rendered, unusually for an industrial building, in the elegant Art Moderne style by prominent architect Irwin S. Chanin. It was his only public work. The elliptically-shaped building is faced in limestone over a granite base and originally featured prismatic glass windows with steel surrounds. The building stands in the center of a large grassy plot, which originally had symmetrical plantings. Three wide, concrete walks still lead to the station, and paired Art Deco statues of Pegasus, symbol of Neptune, originally flanked the entrance. The statues were removed in 1981 and put on display at the Brooklyn Museum, but advocates hope that someday they may be returned to their home in Coney Island.

More Info: http://amusingthezillion.com/2014/12/01/1938-art-moderne-coney-island-gem-among-96-proposed-landmarks-to-be-dropped-from-lpc-calendar/

Less

Neighborhood Map

Additional Neighborhood Sites