Architectural Preservation Studio, DPC

Mill Run, PA

The professional staff from Architectural Preservation Studio  was responsible for the materials conservation of Frank Lloyd Wright’s 1936 masterpiece, Fallingwater. Over a 15-year period, Preservation Group  performed the following: reviewed original construction documents and subsequent repair documents and reports; evaluated conditions and probes; analyzed select materials; designed the re-roofing and re-waterproofing of roofs and terraces, as well as below-grade damp-proofing; specified the restoration for original steel-casement windows and doors; reconstructed failed concrete reconstructions; restored the masonry; analyzed interior paint finishes; specified interior paint-removal methodology and re-painting; designed repair methods for concrete and stucco; and developed a new coating system for the concrete.  Preservation Group  also produced a graphic conditions assessment, consisting of 178 measured CAD drawings, and a preservation master plan.

In order to develop the new concrete-coating system, Preservation Group evaluated three environmentally-contained paint-stripping methods and approximately 120 samples applied by four different paint manufacturers over a one-year paint-testing period. Re-roofing and re-waterproofing involved working closely with three different roofing-membrane manufacturers. Today the building is leak-free for the first time in its 75-plus years of existence.

Issues of condensation under the roofing membranes resulting from the lack of a thermal bridge between the exposed rounded-slab edges and the slab-soffit ceilings were resolved through consultation with WASA Studio’s Engineering Group. In addition, Preservation Group produced scaled stone-by-stone drawings for all of the affected terraces and interior spaces where flagstones had to be lifted in order to perform waterproofing and structural repairs to the failing cantilever beams.

*designed with WASA Studio
Photo Courtesy of the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy

Mill Run, PA

The professional staff from Architectural Preservation Studio was responsible for the materials conservation of Frank Lloyd Wright’s 1936 masterpiece, Fallingwater. Over a 15-year period, Preservation Group  performed the following: reviewed original construction documents and subsequent repair documents and reports; evaluated conditions and probes; analyzed select materials; designed the re-roofing and re-waterproofing of roofs and terraces, as well as below-grade damp-proofing; specified the restoration for original steel-casement windows and doors; reconstructed failed concrete reconstructions; restored the masonry; analyzed interior paint finishes; specified interior paint-removal methodology and re-painting; designed repair methods for concrete and stucco; and developed a new coating system for the concrete.  Preservation Group  also produced a graphic conditions assessment, consisting of 178 measured CAD drawings, and a preservation master plan.

In order to develop the new concrete-coating system, Preservation Group evaluated three environmentally-contained paint-stripping methods and approximately 120 samples applied by four different paint manufacturers over a one-year paint-testing period. Re-roofing and re-waterproofing involved working closely with three different roofing-membrane manufacturers. Today the building is leak-free for the first time in its 75-plus years of existence.

Issues of condensation under the roofing membranes resulting from the lack of a thermal bridge between the exposed rounded-slab edges and the slab-soffit ceilings were resolved through consultation with WASA Studio’s Engineering Group. In addition, Preservation Group produced scaled stone-by-stone drawings for all of the affected terraces and interior spaces where flagstones had to be lifted in order to perform waterproofing and structural repairs to the failing cantilever beams.

*designed with WASA Studio
Photo Courtesy of the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy

Newport, RI

The Breakers, the Newport, RI summer home of Cornelius Vanderbilt II, was completed in 1895. An architectural icon of the Gilded Age, this house contains more than 135,000 sf and is set on 14 acres of prime landscape at the edge of the Atlantic Ocean. It is the “crown jewel” in the collection of historic house-museums presently owned by the Preservation Society of Newport County. The exterior is mainly comprised of limestone—in the form of four-story high load-bearing walls—which is embellished with Classical ornamentation. The main roof is covered with multi-colored glazed Spanish tiles.

Prior to the repairs, a detailed in-depth survey of all elements was performed, which called for the following renovations: the limestone façades and chimneys were cleaned and repaired; the tile roof was replaced with new custom terra-cotta tiles, which were intended to match the original appearance as closely as possible; and new built-in copper gutters were connected to a rehabilitated storm-drainage system.

*designed with WASA Studio

Newport, RI

The Breakers, the Newport, RI summer home of Cornelius Vanderbilt II, was completed in 1895. An architectural icon of the Gilded Age, this house contains more than 135,000 sf and is set on 14 acres of prime landscape at the edge of the Atlantic Ocean. It is the “crown jewel” in the collection of historic house-museums presently owned by the Preservation Society of Newport County. The exterior is mainly comprised of limestone—in the form of four-story high load-bearing walls—which is embellished with Classical ornamentation. The main roof is covered with multi-colored glazed Spanish tiles.

Prior to the repairs, a detailed in-depth survey of all elements was performed, which called for the following renovations: the limestone façades and chimneys were cleaned and repaired; the tile roof was replaced with new custom terra-cotta tiles, which were intended to match the original appearance as closely as possible; and new built-in copper gutters were connected to a rehabilitated storm-drainage system.

*designed with WASA Studio

Newport, RI

The Breakers, the Newport, RI summer home of Cornelius Vanderbilt II, was completed in 1895. An architectural icon of the Gilded Age, this house contains more than 135,000 sf and is set on 14 acres of prime landscape at the edge of the Atlantic Ocean. It is the “crown jewel” in the collection of historic house-museums presently owned by the Preservation Society of Newport County. The exterior is mainly comprised of limestone—in the form of four-story high load-bearing walls—which is embellished with Classical ornamentation. The main roof is covered with multi-colored glazed Spanish tiles.

Prior to the repairs, a detailed in-depth survey of all elements was performed, which called for the following renovations: the limestone façades and chimneys were cleaned and repaired; the tile roof was replaced with new custom terra-cotta tiles, which were intended to match the original appearance as closely as possible; and new built-in copper gutters were connected to a rehabilitated storm-drainage system.

*designed with WASA Studio

Newport, RI

The Breakers, the Newport, RI summer home of Cornelius Vanderbilt II, was completed in 1895. An architectural icon of the Gilded Age, this house contains more than 135,000 sf and is set on 14 acres of prime landscape at the edge of the Atlantic Ocean. It is the “crown jewel” in the collection of historic house-museums presently owned by the Preservation Society of Newport County. The exterior is mainly comprised of limestone—in the form of four-story high load-bearing walls—which is embellished with Classical ornamentation. The main roof is covered with multi-colored glazed Spanish tiles.

Prior to the repairs, a detailed in-depth survey of all elements was performed, which called for the following renovations: the limestone façades and chimneys were cleaned and repaired; the tile roof was replaced with new custom terra-cotta tiles, which were intended to match the original appearance as closely as possible; and new built-in copper gutters were connected to a rehabilitated storm-drainage system.

*designed with WASA Studio

Newport, RI

The Breakers, the Newport, RI summer home of Cornelius Vanderbilt II, was completed in 1895. An architectural icon of the Gilded Age, this house contains more than 135,000 sf and is set on 14 acres of prime landscape at the edge of the Atlantic Ocean. It is the “crown jewel” in the collection of historic house-museums presently owned by the Preservation Society of Newport County. The exterior is mainly comprised of limestone—in the form of four-story high load-bearing walls—which is embellished with Classical ornamentation. The main roof is covered with multi-colored glazed Spanish tiles.

Prior to the repairs, a detailed in-depth survey of all elements was performed, which called for the following renovations: the limestone façades and chimneys were cleaned and repaired; the tile roof was replaced with new custom terra-cotta tiles, which were intended to match the original appearance as closely as possible; and new built-in copper gutters were connected to a rehabilitated storm-drainage system.

*designed with WASA Studio

Newport, RI

Marble House was designed by the architect Richard Morris Hunt for Mr. and Mrs. William K. Vanderbilt and was constructed between 1888 to 1893. The house was conceived as a birthday present from Mr. Vanderbilt to Mrs. Vanderbilt. Marble House was the third commission by Mr. Hunt for the William K. Vanderbilts, with the two previous ones being Petit Chateau 1878 (demolished) on Fifth Avenue in New York City and Idle Hour 1878 (destroyed by fire) in Oakdale, Long Island.

The design of Marble House was inspired primarily by the Petite Trianon at Versailles. Clad entirely in Tuckahoe marble throughout the exterior and varieties of marble in many of its interior spaces, the house is said to have cost $11,000,000 at the time of its completion in 1893. Now owned by the Preservation Society of Newport County (PSNC) and operating as a house museum, Marble House was the first of the over-the-top Newport Cottages built on a grand scale to exhibit the knowledge of classical architecture and to assert the social prominence of its owners. Marble House was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1971 and was designated a National Historic Landmark by the Department of the Interior in 2006.

APS was retained by the Preservation Society of Newport County (PSNC) to prepare a detailed exterior conditions assessment report for the entire exterior including the roof. Following that report, APS was retained by PSNC to prepare construction documents for the restoration of the flat and copper mansard roofs of Marble House. The roofing project was partially funded by Save America’s Treasures.

Newport, RI

The professional staff from Architectural Preservation Studio performed a complete exterior conditions assessment of one of Newport’s first grand mansions. Designed by Richard Upjohn in the Gothic Revival style, Kingscote was completed in 1841 for George Noble Jones, a southern plantation owner. The Jones family left Newport, RI during the Civil War and in 1864, sold the building to William H. King, who made his fortune in the China trade. Upon his death, King left the house to his son David and his wife, who renamed the house Kingscote.

In 1876, David hired McKim Mead and White to modify the house. The firm employed a shingle-style vocabulary that neither violated nor overshadowed the original exterior design, while at the same time incorporating modern touches into the existing, established interiors. Kingscote remained in the King family until 1968. The property, a National Historic Landmark which includes the collections of furnishings, artwork and ceramics, was bequeathed to the Preservation Society of Newport County in 1972. Preservation Group has completed contract documents for the exterior restoration and is currently administering phased construction.

*designed with WASA Studio

Newport, RI

The professional staff from Architectural Preservation Studio performed a complete exterior conditions assessment of one of Newport’s first grand mansions. Designed by Richard Upjohn in the Gothic Revival style, Kingscote was completed in 1841 for George Noble Jones, a southern plantation owner. The Jones family left Newport, RI during the Civil War and in 1864, sold the building to William H. King, who made his fortune in the China trade. Upon his death, King left the house to his son David and his wife, who renamed the house Kingscote.

In 1876, David hired McKim Mead and White to modify the house. The firm employed a shingle-style vocabulary that neither violated nor overshadowed the original exterior design, while at the same time incorporating modern touches into the existing, established interiors. Kingscote remained in the King family until 1968. The property, a National Historic Landmark which includes the collections of furnishings, artwork and ceramics, was bequeathed to the Preservation Society of Newport County in 1972. Preservation Group has completed contract documents for the exterior restoration and is currently administering phased construction.

*designed with WASA Studio

Providence, RI

The Governor Henry Lippitt House Museum was built from 1863 to 1865 by Henry Lippitt, who served as Governor of Rhode Island in 1875 and 1876. Governor Lippitt, President of the Lippitt Woolen Company, and his wife, the former Mary Ann Balch, lived in the mansion at 199 Hope Street with their six children. The house was home to three generations of the Lippitt Family before being donated to Preserve Rhode Island in 1979. The house museum is a National Historic Landmark listed on the National Register of Historic Places and was included in the Historic American Buildings Survey.

Architectural Preservation Studio was retained by Preserve Rhode Island to perform a comprehensive conditions assessment of the decorative-painted finishes. The primary focus of this study was issues that negatively impacting specific decorative-plaster finish locations.

Newport, Rhode Island

Architectural Preservation Studio, under WASA, was retained by the Preservation Society of Newport County (PSNC) to restore the exterior of Château-sur-Mer, an 1852 historic mansion in Newport, RI. Now operating as a house museum, Château-sur-Mer is considered to be the first of a new era of “cottages” for the uppermost echelon of wealthy Americans during the Gilded Age.

In 1852, Château-sur-Mer was designed and built by Seth Bradford, a Newport contractor, as an Italianate-style villa for China trade merchant William Shepard Wetmore. In 1873-80, his son, George Peabody Wetmore, enlisted Richard Morris Hunt to enlarge the family home. The result transformed an impressive-yet-picturesque seaside estate into the imposing French Second Empire landmark that exists today. From its completion in 1852 until the appearance of the Vanderbilt houses in the 1890s, Château-sur-Mer was considered the grandest residence in Newport.

The house was further modified in 1915 by the architect, John Russell Pope. The Wetmore family occupied the house until 1969 when the mansion was purchased by the PSNC. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1968 and became a National Historic Landmark in 2006. Château-sur-Mer is significant for its Victorian architecture, furniture, wallpapers and stenciling, as well as its collection of porcelain, portraits, and original furnishings.

Château-sur-Mer suffered extensive interior water damage as a result of ongoing leaks through the roofs and masonry. At various locations, the stonework was spalled and cracked, and overall very soiled. Wooden elements, including windows, were in fair-to-poor condition. Original skylights and plexiglass replacements were in poor condition and leaked.

The multi-phased six-year $1.8 million project restored the façades of this palatial Victorian mansion. Initially, Architectural Preservation Studio performed a detailed visual inspection and archival research, resulting in a comprehensive illustrated report. There were no measured drawings of the building, so rectified photography was used to develop construction documents. The extensive restoration included masonry, slate and flat-seam copper roofing, skylights, wood windows and doors, veranda woodwork, and metal cornice and decorative pressed-metal ornamentation. Given the importance of the house and its contents to the material culture of the Victorian era, we were guided by the need for long-term service life, as well as discreet changes to the original design to improve water-shedding capabilities.

Newport, Rhode Island

The staff of Architectural Preservation Studio, under WASA, worked with the Newport Restoration Foundation (NRF) to perform an extensive architectural and engineering survey, and develop a comprehensive report for Rough Point in Newport, RI. Designed in English Manorial style by the architectural firm Peabody & Stearns, for Frederick William Vanderbilt, the 1887-92 mansion is also distinguished with landscaping by Frederick Law Olmsted. By the 1920s, architect John Russell Pope had made some exterior alterations to the house. In 1922, the house was purchased by James Buchanan Duke, benefactor of Duke University, who used architect Horace Trumbauer to make further alterations, adding two wings. The mansion was eventually inherited by Doris Duke who used it as a seasonal residence until her death in 1993.

The primary goal of the report was to provide NRF with a detailed study of Rough Point that examined the building, its construction, and its infrastructure systems. This resulted in a conditions analysis describing all existing deficiencies, and providing recommendations and schedules for remediation. 

Architectural Preservation Studio designed bronze storm windows for the building to protect the 250 original bronze- casement windows from further deterioration by the elements, as well as improve the exterior envelope’s performance. A custom mock-up was reviewed, adjustments made, and installation of the storm windows was completed in phases.  APS is now reviewing the bronze solarium doors, which will be replicated.

Newport, Rhode Island

The staff of Architectural Preservation Studio, under WASA, worked with the Newport Restoration Foundation (NRF) to perform an extensive architectural and engineering survey, and develop a comprehensive report for Rough Point in Newport, RI. Designed in English Manorial style by the architectural firm Peabody & Stearns, for Frederick William Vanderbilt, the 1887-92 mansion is also distinguished with landscaping by Frederick Law Olmsted. By the 1920s, architect John Russell Pope had made some exterior alterations to the house. In 1922, the house was purchased by James Buchanan Duke, benefactor of Duke University, who used architect Horace Trumbauer to make further alterations, adding two wings. The mansion was eventually inherited by Doris Duke who used it as a seasonal residence until her death in 1993.

The primary goal of the report was to provide NRF with a detailed study of Rough Point that examined the building, its construction, and its infrastructure systems. This resulted in a conditions analysis describing all existing deficiencies, and providing recommendations and schedules for remediation. 

Architectural Preservation Studio designed bronze storm windows for the building to protect the 250 original bronze- casement windows from further deterioration by the elements, as well as improve the exterior envelope’s performance. A custom mock-up was reviewed, adjustments made, and installation of the storm windows was completed in phases.  APS is now reviewing the bronze solarium doors, which will be replicated.

Shelter Island, NY

The Manor House is a unique Georgian/Colonial-style house initially constructed in 1737, with several later additions dating to the 1840s, 1880s, 1908, 1944, and 1964. The building retains a remarkable level of integrity. The uniqueness of the Manor House is bound to its physical architecture but also its landscape, sub-grade archaeology, as well as to its broader connections to early American history, including burgeoning international commerce, slavery, native peoples, and many other threads of history. Another unique aspect is that the Manor House and parts of the landscape were family-held for ten generations until 11th-generation descendants founded the Sylvester Manor Educational Farm (SMEF). SMEF was created in 2009 to preserve the land and house as a place to conserve, cultivate, and share historic Sylvester Manor; and to ensure that food production and art remain connected to the community and the land.

APS was retained by Sylvester Manor Education Farm to prepare a Preservation and Maintenance Plan for Sylvester Manor to serve as the guideline for future restoration and rehabilitation. The project included historical research, existing conditions documentation, MEP evaluation, exterior paint analysis, HAZMAT investigation, and sustainable design considerations. After this initial project, APS laser-scanned the structure to document the existing conditions and create background drawings in AutoCAD. With the engineering firm LFG, we are currently developing an electrical infrastructure master plan for the Manor House.

Verona, NJ

Architectural Preservation Studio, under WASA, undertook a detailed conditions assessment and preservation master plan for Kip’s Castle Park for Essex County Department of Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs. Constructed in the early 1900s and originally known as Kypsburg, the 10.5-acre park, located in Verona, NJ, includes the Castle and Carriage House. Kip’s Castle was listed in 2009 on the NJ State Register of Historic Places and is considered eligible for the National Register. In addition, in 1985, the site was designated a National Civil Engineering Landmark by the American Society for Civil Engineers, because of the site’s association in 1816-17 with the US Coastal Survey (precursor to the National Geodetic Survey).

The intent of the project was to develop a preservation master plan for the site and buildings to serve as a template for long-term preservation. The project also recommended appropriate uses and programming utilizing a consensus-based process that engaged the key stakeholders and balanced location, legal requirements, community needs, Parks-system priorities and historic significance. Architectural Preservation Studio designed the unexecuted restoration of the interior of Kip’s Castle.

Newport, Rhode Island

The professional staff of Architectural Preservation Studio, under WASA, worked with the Preservation Society of Newport County (PSNC) to prepare a detailed conditions-assessment report/historic-structure report and construction documents for repairs to the exterior envelope and interior structure of this important early Newport house. Hunter House is one of the finest examples of Georgian Colonial architecture from Newport’s “golden age” in the mid-18th century.

The north half of the Hunter House was constructed between 1748 and 1754 by Jonathon Nichols Jr., a prosperous merchant and colonial deputy. After his death in 1756, the property was sold to Colonel Joseph Wanton Jr., deputy governor of the colony and a merchant. He enlarged the house by adding a south wing and a second chimney, transforming the building into a formal Georgian mansion. During the American Revolution, Colonel Wanton, who was a Loyalist, fled from Newport. His house was then used as the headquarters of the commander of the French fleet, when French forces occupied Newport in 1780. After the war, Colonel Wanton’s house was acquired by William Hunter, a US senator and President Andrew Jackson’s charge d’affaires to Brazil. The Hunters sold the house in the mid-1860s, and it passed through a series of owners until the mid-1940s. A small group of concerned citizens, led by Mrs. George Henry Warren, initiated a preservation effort, purchasing the house in 1945 and thus forming the Preservation Society of Newport County.

As the Hunter House is not only a Newport landmark, but also a National Historic Landmark, APS took a values-based approach to our recommendations reflecting an initial assessment of its cultural significance, coupled with information derived from the existing building conditions. Our preservation philosophy is based on the guidelines defined by the Secretary of Interior’s Standards, as well as the international doctrine of the Venice Charter, Burra Charter and the Nara Document on Authenticity.

Brooklyn, New York

The Hunterfly Road Houses are the only surviving remnants of Weeksville, one of the first free African-American communities in Brooklyn. Constructed circa the 1870s, the National-, State-, and New York City-designated landmark consists of a group of four wood-frame vernacular houses, one of which is a reconstruction. Three of the houses face mid-block, evidence of a no-longer extant native-American path, subsequently a Dutch route known as Hunterfly Road, which cut diagonally across Brooklyn and connected to Jamaica Bay.

he professional staff of Architectural Preservation Studio, under WASA, prepared the preservation master plan, and designed and administered the restoration of the historic houses. The restoration involved extensive archival research and archaeological investigation that resulted in a Historic Structure Report incorporated into the master plan. The work included repairing original and replacement wood clapboards, windows, shutters, and cedar shingles. The built-up roofing was replaced on the one flat roof. Reconstructions of wood outbuildings in original locations – porches, a summer house, shed, privy and dog house – were installed. In addition, re-grading of the site was required to mitigate moisture infiltration problems. The replica house, lost to arson in the 1970s and reconstructed a decade later, was outfitted with a ramp for ADA compliance, as well as stations for the disabled to follow docent-led tours within each house via interactive live-video feeds. Complete redesign of the mechanical and electrical systems involved creating a centrally located plant in the reconstructed building’s basement. All interventions into historic fabric were sensitively planned to minimize impact.

The buildings’ restorations represent several periods (1870s, 1900s, 1930s, and 1960s to present). The historic group is interpreted as an African-American history museum, a significant addition to New York’s cultural landscape.

Brooklyn, New York

The Hunterfly Road Houses are the only surviving remnants of Weeksville, one of the first free African-American communities in Brooklyn. Constructed circa the 1870s, the National-, State-, and New York City-designated landmark consists of a group of four wood-frame vernacular houses, one of which is a reconstruction. Three of the houses face mid-block, evidence of a no-longer extant native-American path, subsequently a Dutch route known as Hunterfly Road, which cut diagonally across Brooklyn and connected to Jamaica Bay.

he professional staff of Architectural Preservation Studio, under WASA, prepared the preservation master plan, and designed and administered the restoration of the historic houses. The restoration involved extensive archival research and archaeological investigation that resulted in a Historic Structure Report incorporated into the master plan. The work included repairing original and replacement wood clapboards, windows, shutters, and cedar shingles. The built-up roofing was replaced on the one flat roof. Reconstructions of wood outbuildings in original locations – porches, a summer house, shed, privy and dog house – were installed. In addition, re-grading of the site was required to mitigate moisture infiltration problems. The replica house, lost to arson in the 1970s and reconstructed a decade later, was outfitted with a ramp for ADA compliance, as well as stations for the disabled to follow docent-led tours within each house via interactive live-video feeds. Complete redesign of the mechanical and electrical systems involved creating a centrally located plant in the reconstructed building’s basement. All interventions into historic fabric were sensitively planned to minimize impact.

The buildings’ restorations represent several periods (1870s, 1900s, 1930s, and 1960s to present). The historic group is interpreted as an African-American history museum, a significant addition to New York’s cultural landscape.

Brooklyn, New York

The Hunterfly Road Houses are the only surviving remnants of Weeksville, one of the first free African-American communities in Brooklyn. Constructed circa the 1870s, the National-, State-, and New York City-designated landmark consists of a group of four wood-frame vernacular houses, one of which is a reconstruction. Three of the houses face mid-block, evidence of a no-longer extant native-American path, subsequently a Dutch route known as Hunterfly Road, which cut diagonally across Brooklyn and connected to Jamaica Bay.

he professional staff of Architectural Preservation Studio, under WASA, prepared the preservation master plan, and designed and administered the restoration of the historic houses. The restoration involved extensive archival research and archaeological investigation that resulted in a Historic Structure Report incorporated into the master plan. The work included repairing original and replacement wood clapboards, windows, shutters, and cedar shingles. The built-up roofing was replaced on the one flat roof. Reconstructions of wood outbuildings in original locations – porches, a summer house, shed, privy and dog house – were installed. In addition, re-grading of the site was required to mitigate moisture infiltration problems. The replica house, lost to arson in the 1970s and reconstructed a decade later, was outfitted with a ramp for ADA compliance, as well as stations for the disabled to follow docent-led tours within each house via interactive live-video feeds. Complete redesign of the mechanical and electrical systems involved creating a centrally located plant in the reconstructed building’s basement. All interventions into historic fabric were sensitively planned to minimize impact.

The buildings’ restorations represent several periods (1870s, 1900s, 1930s, and 1960s to present). The historic group is interpreted as an African-American history museum, a significant addition to New York’s cultural landscape.

Brooklyn, New York

The Hunterfly Road Houses are the only surviving remnants of Weeksville, one of the first free African-American communities in Brooklyn. Constructed circa the 1870s, the National-, State-, and New York City-designated landmark consists of a group of four wood-frame vernacular houses, one of which is a reconstruction. Three of the houses face mid-block, evidence of a no-longer extant native-American path, subsequently a Dutch route known as Hunterfly Road, which cut diagonally across Brooklyn and connected to Jamaica Bay.

he professional staff of Architectural Preservation Studio, under WASA, prepared the preservation master plan, and designed and administered the restoration of the historic houses. The restoration involved extensive archival research and archaeological investigation that resulted in a Historic Structure Report incorporated into the master plan. The work included repairing original and replacement wood clapboards, windows, shutters, and cedar shingles. The built-up roofing was replaced on the one flat roof. Reconstructions of wood outbuildings in original locations – porches, a summer house, shed, privy and dog house – were installed. In addition, re-grading of the site was required to mitigate moisture infiltration problems. The replica house, lost to arson in the 1970s and reconstructed a decade later, was outfitted with a ramp for ADA compliance, as well as stations for the disabled to follow docent-led tours within each house via interactive live-video feeds. Complete redesign of the mechanical and electrical systems involved creating a centrally located plant in the reconstructed building’s basement. All interventions into historic fabric were sensitively planned to minimize impact.

The buildings’ restorations represent several periods (1870s, 1900s, 1930s, and 1960s to present). The historic group is interpreted as an African-American history museum, a significant addition to New York’s cultural landscape.

North Hempstead, NY

The Schumacher House (also known as the Cornell-Van-Nostrand House) consists of an early 19th-century section with two mid-19th-century sections and a early 20th-century addition. The building is located in Clinton G. Martin Park, which is not its original location. The two-story 1,800-SF wood house is listed on the National and State Register of Historic Places but is also a designated local landmark.

The Town of North Hempstead executed recent improvements that have made the house more watertight. However, the house is still in need of significant exterior and interior restoration work. The Town retained APS for the current phase of the project, which will involve structural and exterior restoration work only, including:

• Restoration of the exterior envelope including siding, windows, trim, doors, gutters, leaders, etc.

• Restoration of exterior features, such as stoops, porticos, associated hardscaping.

A condition assessment was also prepared.

Port Chester, NY

The Bush-Lyon Homestead encompasses a residential structure, four outbuildings, and a stone water well. Located in John Lyon Park, the Homestead is among the longest surviving structures in Westchester County and pre-dates the Village of Port Chester’s incorporation. The Homestead was inhabited by the descendants of early settlers of New Netherland and was continuously occupied by these families until the site was acquired by the Village of Port Chester in 1925. This site is architecturally and historically significant as it includes a vernacular salt-box structure of colonial New York, contains examples of historic agricultural outbuildings, and was built and occupied by families that were early settlers of this region. As such, the Homestead was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1982.

Architectural Preservation Studio, DPC was contracted by the Village of Port Chester to produce a Historic Structures Report of the Homestead to serve as the guideline for future restoration and rehabilitation. The project included historic research, existing conditions documentation, dendrochronology, MEP evaluation, and a Phase 1A archaeological survey.

Wethersfield, CT

Architectural Preservation Studio (APS) was retained by the Town of Wethersfield to perform a comprehensive Conditions Assessment of the Standish House in Wethersfield, CT. The primary focus of this study is to provide the Town with a comprehensive assessment of the existing conditions of the exterior of the house and based upon this assessment present both recommendations and cost estimates for the necessary repair of this historic structure.

Wethersfield, CT

Architectural Preservation Studio (APS) was retained by the Town of Wethersfield to perform a comprehensive Conditions Assessment of the Solomon Welles House in Wethersfield, CT. The primary focus of this study is to provide the Town with a comprehensive assessment of the existing conditions of the exterior of the house and based upon this assessment present both recommendations and cost estimates for the necessaryrepair of this historic structure.

Weston, CT

The history of the 1841 David Dimon Coley House at the Weston Historical Society is closely entwined with the history of Weston specifically and the early settlements of Fairfield County in general. It appears that all of the families who married into the Coley family through the years were also early settlers and founders of Connecticut and specifically of this area.

Architectural Preservation Studio was retained by the Weston Historical Society for professional services associated with the preparation of a Condition Assessment & Feasibility Study of the exterior envelope and interior of the Coley House.  As no drawings of the house existed we were also tasked with measuring the house and producing floor plans and exterior elevation CAD drawings.

Weston, CT

The Coley Homestead, home of the Weston Historical Society, was established in 1834 by David Dimon Coley and once included more than 100 acres of farmland and meadows. The Homestead includes the Coley farmhouse (circa 1841), large barn and cattle shed (circa 1880), and a carriage house (circa 1840).

The history of the 1841 David Dimon Coley House and Barns of the Weston Historical Society are closely entwined with the history of Weston, specifically, and the early settlements of Fairfield County, in general. It appears that all of the families who married into the Coley family through the years were also early settlers and founders of Connecticut in this area.

As a series of independent projects, the Weston Historical Society retained Architectural Preservation Studio to provide professional services associated with the preparation of a conditions assessment and feasibility study for the exterior envelope and interior of the Coley House, the main Coley Barn and cattle shed, and the Carriage House. As no drawings of the structures existed, APS was tasked with measuring the house and barns and producing measured drawings of floor plans, exterior elevations and sections in AutoCAD. We completed construction administration for the interior and exterior restoration of the Coley House and the exterior of the Barns.

Weston, CT

The Coley Homestead, home of the Weston Historical Society, was established in 1834 by David Dimon Coley and once included more than 100 acres of farmland and meadows. The Homestead includes the Coley farmhouse (circa 1841), large barn and cattle shed (circa 1880), and a carriage house (circa 1840).

The history of the 1841 David Dimon Coley House and Barns of the Weston Historical Society are closely entwined with the history of Weston, specifically, and the early settlements of Fairfield County, in general. It appears that all of the families who married into the Coley family through the years were also early settlers and founders of Connecticut in this area.

As a series of independent projects, the Weston Historical Society retained Architectural Preservation Studio to provide professional services associated with the preparation of a conditions assessment and feasibility study for the exterior envelope and interior of the Coley House, the main Coley Barn and cattle shed, and the Carriage House. As no drawings of the structures existed, APS was tasked with measuring the house and barns and producing measured drawings of floor plans, exterior elevations and sections in AutoCAD. We completed construction administration for the interior and exterior restoration of the Coley House and the exterior of the Barns.

Redding, CT

Architectural Preservation Studio (APS) was retained by the Town of Redding to perform a Conditions Assessment and base drawings of the Umpawaug Schoolhouse in Redding, CT. The primary focus of the study was to provide the Town of Redding with a comprehensive evaluation of the existing conditions of the Umpawaug Schoolhouse. Based on this assessment, we presented both recommendations and cost estimates for necessary stabilization and restoration of this important structure.

he Umpawaug Schoolhouse was built during the period of 1789-1810.  Umpawaug District (District Number Seven) was one of seven school districts established in the Town of Redding in 1768 (previously there had been three school districts). It was built on the property of Peter Sanford and is included in the inventory of his estate.  This is the only surviving one-room schoolhouse in the Town of Redding and is one of very few brick one-room schoolhouses in Connecticut.

The Umpawaug Schoolhouse is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This evaluation takes into account the historic nature of the building. Any recommended repairs, improvements or replacement components are compatible with the building's historic features to the greatest extent possible.