Brooklyn Heights Townhouse Restoration

We are a NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission award-winning firm.

We have worked on dozens of historic buildings from the reconstruction of a log cabin in southern Indiana built in 1824 and adaptive reuse of late 1800’s manufacturing buildings in Tribeca and Soho to the complete restoration of townhouses dating back to 1840.

This Brooklyn Heights residence was built in 1831 as a 3-story house. In 1881, it was substantially altered by architect William Tubby in the Flemish style. The project involved extensive historic research and preservation, recreating details and original elements. The stair step detail at both sides of the gable on the top floor were restored, details above and below the windows re-created, new handmade custom wood windows fabricated, new brick custom made, and new custom cast iron fence fabricated. Working from tax lot and other historic photos, we prepared drawings to re-create the profiles of the original cast iron then found a company to custom cast it. With the exception of the horizontal handrail sections, all elements were new custom castings. We designed new doors with glass in them, re-using the strap hinges and rivets, and adding wrought iron grillage in the spirit of the original design. This was unanimously approved by the Landmarks Commission. The chimney was carefully dismantled by hand, the brick cleaned, the mortar tested for original color and composition, then rebuilt. We were successful in obtaining permission from the Landmarks Commission to enlarge the windows vertically, and to create very large windows on both sides of the extension. The new windows feature a new modern bluestone projecting trim that accentuate the mass of the addition. The facade restoration included recreating the copper finial from 1888, as well as, recreating the Flemish stepped detailing.  At the rear of the rooftop, we received approval from the Landmarks Commission to cut into the slope of the slate roof to create an inset balcony with views of lower Manhattan.