The Wonderful Story for the End of the Year

Ten years ago, prompted by an inquiry from someone seeking to learn the location of a house that appears in the book Modern Buildings by Henry S. Moul Architect, which was labeled simply "Residence of the Late Hon. Elbert Payne, Hudson, N.Y.," I did a post about 4 McKinstry Place and the people for whom it was designed and built: "The Human History Behind a Hudson House." 

The picture below shows how the house looked in 2014, when I wrote that post.

In 2021, the house got new owners, and in the intervening years, it has undergone an extensive and meticulously authentic restoration. The current owner told Gossips, "Everything, and I mean everything, had to be redone--for example, 80 percent of the front porch is reconstructed and about 50 percent of the elaborate exterior moldings are new." Of the decorative millwork details, he said, "While these were probably 'order by mail' elements for our old friend Henry S. Moul, they had to be painstakingly recrafted by hand to match."

The pictures below show the house in the early stages of the restoration.

The architect, Michael Walch, comments about the restoration on his website, which can be accessed here. This photo of the completed restoration is from that website.

This photo of the lovely family who own the house and are making it their home was provided by John M. Schobel, one of the members of the family.

What may be most worthy of note is that this remarkable restoration/renovation took place in a part of city—McKinstry Place—that is not part of any designated historic district, although, in my opinion, it should be.

COPYRIGHT 2024 CAROLE OSTERINK