On April 12, Gossips published this photograph by Howard Gibson from the online PhotobyGibson.com collection.
The picture, taken in 1958, shows an intermediate step for 726 Columbia Street, between the building as it was when it was constructed in 1856 and what was revealed when the stucco was removed in March.
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| Photo: Win Jackson |
The same day the photograph appeared on Gossips, Walter Chatham, the architect for the project, contacted me to say, "I based the restoration of the 726 Columbia facade on my belief that we were dealing with the remnant historic facade and that we could simply 'excavate' and supplement the original facade. Now you have shown me a photo that both explains the mystery of the large blocked in opening that was revealed when the stucco came-off; and it also shows that this isn’t the original facade at all. . . . Stay-tuned but I think we are heading for some design adjustments to deal with this new information."
This morning, Chatham appeared before the Historic Preservation Commission to present those design adjustments. The proposal is now to restore the facade to the way it was when Dick Saulpaugh's Cadillac dealership occupied the space. Chatham said they wanted to "mix it up a little," restoring 724 Columbia Street to its original 1856 appearance and restoring 726 Columbia Street, which evidence reveals was new construction in the 1950s, to its appearance in the 1958 photograph.
Chatham described the new proposal as "a rare nod to the 1950s and '60s in Hudson, which was a wonderful period in our city's history." The HPC enthusiastically granted a certificate of appropriateness for the new design.
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What about the horrible sidewalk in front, and that big round concrete thing by the sidewalk that serves no purpose other than to attract garbage? And the litter and general ugly look between the sidewalk and the building? Is that the way things looked in the 1950s, Walter? Anyone who works for Galvan, or who speaks for Galvan, is likely as full of bs as Galvan is.
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