Doorway Restoration for a Greek Revival Rowhouse in New York City
Façade before restoration
Façade after restoration
As specialists in the recreation of historic entryways, we have the great fortune to see many of New York’s buildings from a unique perspective including this historic Greek Revival row house in the East Village, located on the same block as the Merchant’s House Museum.
The building was constructed in 1845 for Samuel Tredwell; a cousin once removed of Seabury Treadwell, whose family lived in a house down the block—known today as the Merchant’s House Museum —for almost a full century. Like his cousin Seabury, Samuel arrived in the neighborhood close to the peak of its popularity as a residential district. Both had constructed for themselves stately townhouses in an exemplary Greek Revival style, and both were successful merchants, part of a class of entrepreneurs and business people who helped spark the immense economic success of New York City in that era.
By the early part of the 20th century, almost the entirety of the East Village had been converted to commercial use. By the middle of the century, the two Tredwell houses on East 4th Street were the only remaining houses on the block. Eventually, the property at 29 East 4th St would be managed by the Merchant’s Museum trust and accordingly cared for. However, the counterpart down the block, 37 East 4th Street, received substantially less care over the years. But, despite all the change and tumult of the 150 years since its construction, the house remained, ready, one day, to be restored to its original glory.
To quote the 1970 Landmark Preservation Commission designation memo establishing the property as a landmark, the house at 37 East 4th St is “unusually impressive” and rich in typical Greek Revival features, including a rusticated stone basement, doorway entablature supported by stately Ionic columns, cap moldings surmounting the window lintels, simple wood roof cornice, fascia, and delicate carvings around the transom. Along with the Merchant’s House, it is one of the last remaining examples of this style in the neighborhood.
However, the landmark designation could not fully protect the rowhouse from long-term neglect, and many of its significant features were largely faded or degraded even at the time of designation.
Once the initial stages of the full restoration were completed, including some structural stabilization of the building, we got to work on a complete site survey to capture essential dimensions and assess the condition of the entryway components before removing the components and bringing them back to our shop. We reassembled the entryway and performed a final evaluation of each component for rot, damage, and decay.
The goal from the beginning was to preserve as much of the existing door as possible. Still, once we assembled all the original components back in the shop and began a close investigation, we realized that most of them were simply too frail to be restored. The panels on the door, though solid, turned out to be plywood replacements that had been installed at some point. The decision was made to recreate an entirely new doorway that would match the original from 1845, including the entrance door, sidelights, transom, door frame, pilasters, and decorative moldings.
Thomas Thomas and Son, Samuel T Skidmore House, 369 Fourth St., Principal Elevation, 1844. Ink and watercolor. Courtesy of the Winterthur Library, Winterthur, Delaware.
As is the case with all historic entryways we work on, research plays a huge role in the design and preparation. All of the historical details must be correct. For this project, we consulted the original 1844 drawings for the construction of the house, which we found in the Winterthur Library in Delaware.
Shop drawings based on meticulous measurements and historical records
This was useful to supplement the meticulous measurements we could take from the existing doorway we removed from the site. Although it was beyond repair, it allowed us to complete our drawings and begin fabrication.
Door
Doorway before restoration
Doorway after restoration
The door itself is a six-panel and reveal down the middle, which makes it look like it’s a double door. We fabricated it out of reclaimed Eastern white pine, which was the species used in the original door, and assembled it with mortise and tenon joinery to match the original door construction. This would be accompanied by sidelights, enframement, and transom.
Molding
Hand carved classic egg and dart style molding on the transom
The moldings and decorations are among the most important components of a historic door, helping to capture the aesthetic and feel of a historic door. Custom knives were made for the molding profiles. Some of the more intricate elements including the delicate and beautiful acanthus decoration and hand-carved classic egg and dart style moldings on the transom.
Glazing
Antique glass set by hand with linseed glazing putty
We also used reclaimed antique glass in the sidelights and transom, set by hand with linseed glazing putty. These traditional materials and methods greatly enhanced the authenticity.
This was an exciting and successful project that allowed us to work on a truly special building. With careful stewardship, it will be a reminder of New York City’s rich history for decades to come.
