Thursday, July 29, 2010

amazing bug...


planning its attack on Curtis High School...

Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Horton's Row: for sale!

I love passing by this brick row of houses on Westervelt Avenue, close to Victory Boulevard:

photo via Landmarks Preservation Commission
I think this area is usually considered part of Tompkinsville but it so close to St. George who really knows? The lines between neighborhoods in NYC are so blurry.

photo via SI Treasure Blog
The row, known as "Horton's Row," was built from 1880 - 1882 by prominent New York City banker and broker Harry L. Horton. Originally, the row had twelve identical attached rowhouses that were built as affordable rental houses for middle-class families. While rowhouse are common in all of the other boroughs of NYC, this housing style is rare for Staten Island where mostly freestanding, single-family frame houses were built at that time.

Horton's Row, front view, circa 1885:

Photo source: Staten Island Historical Society Collection
Horton's Row, Park (Rear) View, circa 1885:

Photo source: Staten Island Historical Society Collection

View of Tompkinsville from Pavillion Hill, circa 1885:

Photo source: Staten Island Historical Society Collection
View from Brighton Heights, circa 1888:

Photo source: Staten Island Historical Society Collection
Today, only four of the nine remaining houses remain intact and they received landmark status in 2009.

photo via Landmarks Preservation Commission

photo via Landmarks Preservation Commission

photo via Landmarks Preservation Commission

photo via Staten Island Advance

photo via Staten Island Advance
I discovered today that two of the rowhouses are currently for sale and listed here and here. I really wish they had some interior photos!


More about Horton's Row can be found
here, here, here and here.

Thursday, July 22, 2010

watch the hairpiece!

A few weeks back, over a long weekend, my Dad and Fernando finally pulled apart and rebuilt our front porch steps.

The decking was rotted in a few areas:
So new boards were added:
Finished steps:

They are still in their primed state since the weather has been too hot for painting. They (and the deck) will eventually be painted Sherwin-Williams, "Summit Gray."
They don't creak one bit.

We've also had our eaves painted!

It was a scary process... I'm glad we didn't have to get involved.
This area needed patching:
Before:
And after (a toupee in Sherwin-Williams, "Black Magic"):

Next up in exterior painting: the bay window. If this heat wave ever ends...