Last we heard of the decrepit Rat-Squirrel House of 149 Kane Street in Cobble Hill, the landmarked townhouse had received new windows, complimented by its new-ish facade and cornice. Although we've written quite a bit about the formerlywe hopevermin-friendly townhouse, a certain air of mystery and lack of certifiable history has always shrouded the sorry structure. No more, as a tip sent into Lost City, who deeply chronicles the sad townhouse, sheds light on the home's background. The tipster informs,
The Rat-Squirrel house belonged to my grandparents, Edward and Molly Fitzsimmons.. I remember it as a dark somewhat scary place when I was young and as I grew into my teens it became simply creepy... The basement was always dark and empty... The first floor had an unused parlor and sitting room that had all the furniture in it covered with sheets... There was also the only toilet, in the entire house, in a small unheated room under the stairs... The house never had a tub or shower... The second floor contained the kitchen in the back of the house. A trip over to ACRIS confirms the identity of the previous owner, Edward Fitzsimmons. Lost City writes of the reader tip, "I've always assumed that the Rat-Squirrel House...was once a normal, upstanding structure, occupied by normal, upstanding citizens—not the reclusive, Collyer-Brothers-like lady who let the landmarked building fall to wrack and ruin during the '90s and early 2000s... I was wrong." Perhaps with all the renovations the townhouse has been undergoing in the past several years, it will gain a shower; if not already.
· The Rat-Squirrel House Was Always Weird and Creepy [Lost City]
· All Rat-Squirrel House coverage [Curbed]
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