In an area composed primarily of late nineteenth century rowhouses, the woodframed Italianate villa at 70 Lefferts Place is one of few extant remnants of Clinton Hill South’s mid-nineteenth century suburban past.

Constructed c. 1854 for the prominent merchant James W. Elwell, the house is one of the two oldest houses on Lefferts Place and a rare surviving freestanding house in Clinton Hill South. This neighborhood had a number of similar residences in the mid- to late nineteenth century when new modes of transportation made Brooklyn a viable commuter suburb of Manhattan. The majority of these single family residences were demolished or severely altered during the proliferation of development that occurred in this area of Brooklyn beginning in the latter part of the nineteenth century. For nearly 80 years the Elwell House was owned by members of the Elwell family; its rich cultural history was augmented by its subsequent association with the charismatic black evangelical leader, Father Divine, from 1939 to 1981. Likely derived from architectural pattern books, the Elwell House maintains many of its original Italianate characteristics, such as its cubical massing with projecting front bay, flat roof with wide projecting eaves and finely carved wood brackets, attic windows, pronounced front pediment, paired round headed windows at the second story of the front façade and rooftop cupola. The wraparound porch at the main façade was enclosed around 1939, near the time of the sale of the house to the followers of Father Divine.

James W. Elwell, “one of the oldest and most highly esteemed businessmen in Manhattan,” purchased the property on Lefferts Place in 1854. In 1838, Elwell joined his father in the commission business and in 1852 he established the freight and shipping commission firm, James W. Elwell & Company. Like many other businessmen who worked in Lower Manhattan, Elwell maintained a suburban residence and lived at 70 Lefferts Place until his death in 1899. Late in life Elwell was 2 known for his philanthropic tendencies; he was said to have spent more than $3 million on charitable purposes over the course of his lifetime. After Elwell’s death, the property at 70 Lefferts Place was deeded to his daughter, Jane, and her husband George Palmer. 70 Lefferts Place remained in the Elwell/Palmer family until 1939, when the Palmers sold the house to followers of Father Divine. The building became an important extension of Father Divine’s Peace Mission Movement, and would serve as a place of residence and worship for over 40 years, until at least 1981.

The James W. and Lucy S. Elwell House (constructed c. 1854) is a two and-a-half story house with a basement and cupola. It is cubical in form with a projecting central bay and an enclosed wraparound porch. The body of the house is painted yellow while the window frames, moldings, doors, brackets and other trim are painted white. Historically, the house was painted a light color, while the door frames and outer window trim were painted a contrasting, darker color.

The front doors and window frames were historically painted white.54 Main Façade: The main, or Lefferts Place, façade of the house is five bays in width at the first floor enclosed porch, which extends the full width of the facade, and three bays in width at the second floor. While the first story of the façade is clad with its historic horizontal wood clapboards, the second story is clad with replacement aluminum siding that mimics horizontal boards. The house sits on a raised brick foundation. Historically there were two horizontal basement windows on either side of the main entrance stoop; these have been covered with polished granite sheets.

The wraparound porch was constructed c. 1900. It was enclosed c. 1939 and appears today almost exactly as it did then. The house’s main entrance is located in the center of the façade and has its historic wood double doors. The doors are set within a wood frame and have a transom with a four-paned fanlight. The doors themselves are paneled wood and glass; each door has a round-headed seven-paned window in the upper portion with a denticulated sill. These windows are consistent in design with the upper sash of each of the first floor windows that are found on the front facade. The door to the right has a non-historic doorknob and lock, and a mail slot has been cut into the door to the left. There are non-historic metal kickplates on the doors and two doorbell buttons have been mounted to the frame to the right of the double doors.

Four pairs of identical regularly spaced windows—two on either side of the main entrance—are present on the first floor. The windows are set in tall rectangular wood frames and have wood mullions. The lower sash of each window consists of a single pane, while the upper sash consists of seven panes that form a round-headed shape in the rectangular wood frame.

There are two more pairs of identical windows on either side of the wraparound porch–two on the west-facing façade and two on the east-facing façade. Vertical wood corner moldings frame the porch at either side. The enclosed porch is one story in height and has a flat roof with slightly projecting eaves. There are small regularly spaced carved wood brackets at the eaves and a wood fascia. The porch’s historic wood balustrades have been replaced with iron handrails, and the brick steps have been covered with polished granite sheets. Three non-historic sconces have been 8 mounted to the façade—one above the entrance and one at either corner of the porch. A metal downspout is located to the left of the main entrance and pierces the overhanging eave.

The second story of the main façade features a pair of round-headed windows at the central projecting bay. These windows, which are set in wood frames, are rectangular in shape with semi-circular toplights. The historic wood sashes have been replaced with aluminum sashes.

Other fenestration at the second story consists of four identical rectangular windows in wood frames—two on the side elevations of the central projecting bay and one on each of the outer bays. These windows also have aluminum replacement sashes with one pane per sash.

The attic story of the main façade features a small horizontal window in the central bay.

It is positioned directly above the paired round-headed windows and is sandwiched between two wood brackets. The attic window sits in a wood frame and consists of two replacement aluminum sash sliding windows side-by-side, separated by a wood mullion. Identical attic windows are found on both side elevations of the central bay, also positioned directly above the second story windows.

The roof projects dramatically over the second story of the façade and is supported by intricately carved wood brackets. The brackets, which are original to the house, each feature a carved flower motif and a delicate curved elliptical profile. A pronounced pediment projects over the central bay; the rest of the roof is flat. A large rooftop cupola is located at the center of the roof.

The cupola is square in shape; each of its four sides has a pair of windows with wood frames and segmental arched openings. These windows have historic two-over-two wood sashes and simple wood sills with brackets. The cupola is sheltered by a flat roof with projecting eaves and coupled wood brackets. The brackets are nearly identical to those at the second story eaves, except without the carved flower motif. The house has two brick chimneys, one at the eastern end of the roof and another at the rear, or southern end, of the roof. A steel turbine vent has been mounted to the roof at the western end.