327 President Street in 2007
327 President Street in 2009
Once boarded up
With new windows
What a difference new windows make
It was always a bit depressing walking by 327 President Street between Smith and Hoyt Street. For decades, this lovely brownstone had been boarded up, apparently tied up in a legal dispute after the owner's death. Even with plywood covering its windows, the house looked elegant, its detailed brownstone façade intact.
The house was finally sold in 2006. It took a while for the new owner to start on the renovation, but work has been progressing since last summer.
It is amazing what a difference the new windows make. It is so nice to see this house come alive again, don't you agree?
The house was finally sold in 2006. It took a while for the new owner to start on the renovation, but work has been progressing since last summer.
It is amazing what a difference the new windows make. It is so nice to see this house come alive again, don't you agree?
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3 comments:
I adored the little old man who owned the house. I used to walk up the block all the time and listen to his WWII stories (not sure how much was true). When he died about 14 years ago there was quite a mess with the estate and long disappeared relatives appeared out of the woodwork. I heard that he had two sisters living in Long Island and then I also heard that some relatives in Europe also stepped into the fray. I am so glad the house is being restored.
Cynthia
The house was abandoned for only about 10 years after the elderly owner died in the late 1990s. I saw him taken away in an ambulance on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day, and he died shortly thereafter. Since then, the house had been tied up in probate. The house is now essentially being gutted and rebuilt from scratch. The mechanicals had to be ripped out and replaced, i.e., electric, plumbing, gas, everything. There was also considerable interior water damage because of the broken or missing windows, and pigeons had taken up residence inside. I don't know how much of the original interior details remain because it had also been occupied on a couple of occasions by squatters, and that was when the house was boarded up and padlocked. Nevertheless, it will make a lovely home for its new owner once all the work is done.
A while back there was a dumpster in front and by the looks of what was going into it I assumed there had been squatters inside. I'm glad this building will be getting some TLC.
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