Historic Sunset Park Church Nominated As National Landmark

SUNSET PARK, BROOKLYN — A historic church on Sunset Park's Fourth Avenue could make its way onto the National Register of Historic Places.

The Fourth Avenue Methodist Episcopal Church, found at 4616 Fourth Ave., was one of several sites Gov. Andrew Cuomo recommended get put on the state and national registers of historic places last week.

The late 19th-century church was built at a time when the neighborhood was going through rapid population growth ands designed by well-known architect George W. Kramer, the governor said in a release.

"The congregation, which had over 300 members at the time the church was completed, reached a high of nearly 3,000 by the mid-20th century," the release read.

The church as build between 1893 and 1894. It is an Akron Plan Combination Church, where Kramer was once the firm's preeminent architect.

Other New York City spots on Cuomo's list include author and civil rights activist James Baldwin's former home and the 32nd Precinct Station House, which was built in 1871 and 1872. The governor's recommendations also included suggestions from Hudson Valley all the way to the Finger Lakes.

"These historic locations highlight so much of what it is exceptional and exciting about New York's history and honor the legacy of some of the state's most distinguished leaders," Cuomo said. "By placing these landmarks on the State and National Registers of Historic Places, we are helping to ensure these places and their caretakers have the funding needed to preserve, improve and promote the best of the Empire State."

Having a property put onto the historic registers can help property owners revitalize the buildings, Cuomo added. The status makes properties eligible for various public preservation programs and services.

There are more than 120,000 historic buildings, structures and sites throughout the state listed on the National Register of Historic Places, individually or as components of historic districts.

Once the recommendations are approved by the state historic preservation officer, the properties are listed on the New York State Register of Historic Places and then nominated to the National Register of Historic Places, where they are reviewed and, once approved, entered on the National Register.