After Fire and Decades of Decay, Clinton Hill Wreck on St. James Restored to Former Glory

We were amazed and thrilled to see the long crumbling pre-Civil War wood-frame house at 173 St. James Place has been restored to its former glory — and then some! — when we happened by Tuesday. What a transformation!

After suffering a fire, it was covered in plywood and tar paper for years. Now the wood siding, porch with Doric columns, and bracketed cornice are back in place. Even the torn and sagging garage has been majorly spiffed up with new doors matching the ones at designation and beautifully restored masonry. The garage roof has been planted with a garden, and plantings in pots brighten the porch steps.

The final paint color is a pale gray-blue with soft white trim, a pleasing contrast to the chartreuse and pink plantings on the roof of the buff-colored stone garage.

Built by John Funk, the house dates from circa 1852, according to the Landmarks Preservation Commission, which does not define the style. It appears to be vaguely Greek Revival-Italianate, with an unusual cornice the designation report speculates was a later addition. Its petite, curvy brackets ornamented with foliate detail were reproduced to match what is visible in the 1940 and 1980 tax photos.

The applicant of record for the restoration is architect and Pratt professor Brent Porter, who helped out with the Broken Angel around the corner. Work has proceeded in fits and starts over years. In 2018, the house got new siding (wood in the front, cement fiber in the back).

The longtime owners also converted the house to a two-family, and rental listings for both units went up last week, asking $4,800 and $4,900 a month. The interiors are pretty generic; open houses are planned for tonight and tomorrow.

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