History of Crown Heights: The Fanshaw Houses

by Crown Heights Historian Shmully Blesofsky VIA his Instagram account History of Crown Heights.

President and Kingston to the left of 1414 President Street Circa 1915.

Same houses circa today on a different angle

The Fanshaw Houses:

In 1909, the second phase of development in Crown Heights began. Fanshaw Construction completed “Spotless Town” and built a row of houses on President Street to the left of 1414. They constructed mostly brownstones and limestones with steps leading up to the front doors, along with a few brick houses that had ground-floor entrances.

Union Street Fanshaw Houses

Times Union, Saturday, June 5, 1909:

The Fanshaw company completed the block building 1451-1457 Union Street, right off Kingston Avenue, known as “Spotless Town.” They were instructed by the Eastern Parkway Company to build houses identical to the ones already on the street. The reason why the Eastern Parkway Company didn’t build the entire block initially is unknown.

1451-1457 Union Street circa today right off Kingston Ave

1438 President Street, built in 1909, became the residence of the Randel family.

1438 President Street1438 President Street Circa 1940

John Randel, a retired cement contractor, lived at 1438 President Street. Born in Manhattan, Randel spent most of his life in Brooklyn, contributing to many major Long Island developments through his cement work. He passed away in 1923, leaving behind two daughters, Grace and Ruth, and a son, John Randel Jr.

John Randel’s son, Frank L. Randel, also made notable contributions. In 1912, Frank filed a patent for an innovative food preservation method. His invention involved sealing food in metal containers without solder, thereby preventing lead contamination. Instead, Frank used a composition of uncured rubber and sulfur, creating a strong, vulcanized seal. This method ensured that the containers were airtight and contaminant-free, revolutionizing food storage practices.

Frank Randel owned a 1912 Premier car, for which he built a special garage. The construction of this garage was reported by the Times Union in 1909.