For close to thirty years, this house--actually two houses--on Allen Street, covered with vinyl siding and studded with satellite dishes, was part of Phil Gellert's "Northern Empire."
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| Photo: Julie Metz |
In January 2021, the new owners presented their plans for the restoration of the building to the Historic Preservation Commission, providing two possible color schemes for paint even though the HPC does not opine on paint colors.
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I'm amazed and deeply grateful that there are people with the vision and determination to take on a project like that. That mess is so daunting that I thought we'd be stuck with it forever.
ReplyDeleteThat’s great news. After that major fire I just assumed that building was a goner, and I’m surprised to learn about its historical significance. One criticism, I REALLY wish that people in Hudson would (please god) stop painting everything that ugly, depressing charcoal gray. Stop!
ReplyDeleteCouldn't agree more - there ought to be a law against it.
DeleteThis is wonderful news about rescuing and restoring the architectural fabric of the city and creating good housing.
ReplyDeleteAmazing news about "talking Joey".
My attitude about paint color: it is just paint. Any color will protect the architecture. Paint color choices go through popularity phases and then crack and peel and get replaced. The important thing is to protect the building for the next 100 years.
Hilary
Color matters. As an artist color is very important to me, and it breaks my heart to hear people say “it is just paint”. I realize that the color of a building doesn’t affect it’s architectural integrity but the colors of houses are hugely important for the character of a neighborhood and of a community. That trendy charcoal gray that everyone is obsessed with is joyless and ugly. The houses all around me have been painted that color so it’s now all I see out my window. Look at photos of Iceland or Puerto Rico where home owners are creative. Even the most humble homes can be beautiful with a nice new color.
DeleteThis is going to be quite costly so it is a real positive that someone is taking this on in an appropriate way. If real estate values were not so high, this might have fallen to Galvan and languished untouched like so many other Galvan properties. Location, location, location.
ReplyDeleteAre they being converted back to single family homes? If so, this is the kind of restoration that some local so-called housing advocates think should be illegal.
ReplyDeleteNo. There will be six apartments--one on each floor in each building--just as it was before.
DeleteThanks for the info! Good to see people restoring and bringing in rental stock using federal and state tax incentives, rather than stressing local taxes through PILOTS. There are other options that would get everyone on the same side. This is a great example!
DeleteAdd shutters guys all the houses used to have them
ReplyDeleteFor a number of years I really disliked the gray approach I particularly disliked the painting of windows and siding in the same color. Then a friend of mine who was an architectural/art historian went on a trip with me to Maine and other states in New England. He converted me to subdued aesthetic. I quite like it now. It is very unassuming and spartan.
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