marigolds & music at the big blue house

One evening on a midsummer’s walk home from the subway, the golden light began to illuminate one of the houses that has long captured my imagination – the big blue house on 9th Street which is home to Slope Music. Recently, I stumbled across its history on the web and remembered the photo, which had been sitting in my archives.

Built in 1856 and known as the William B. Cronyn house, this French Second Empire style home is currently owned by Vita and Charles Sibirsky. The Sibirsky family has lived there since 1981 and has grown Slope Music to include a dozen teachers and a notable conservatory. According to local blog City of Strangers, once upon a time the house used to be an ink factory - the Higgins Ink Company, which produced India ink - and once served as a conduit for runaway slaves.

Though Park Slopers have been admiring the lovely house for many decades, it was finally listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982. And that evening as the golden light caught the mansard roof and cupola, I had a chance to meet Charles as he came outside to chat about old-timey cameras like mine. If only I could find photographs of the big blue house’s interiors…