Central Park West Townhouse Restoration

Central Park West Townhouse Returned To Its Former Glory 
After a fire and insensitive rehab this CPW gem is restored

248 Central Park West, after restoration

248 Central Park West is a five-story townhouse constructed in 1887 to the design of Edward B. Angell. The building is a masterful example of its type and aside from its attractive and delicately balanced form, exhibits architectural stone carving of the highest caliber. The conservation of the stone bas-reliefs, along with the entire façade, represents an important achievement given their singular quality. 

Page view from William Noble catalog,
"Nine Elegant Residences on Central Park West"

248 is flanked on either side by two townhouses of the same vintage that were part of a block-long row of speculative townhouses developed by William Noble, a builder with offices on 57^th Street and 7^th Avenue. Six of the nine original houses have been demolished leaving only Nos. 246, 248 and 250 as evidence of this period in New York history. The design of each of the three facades is unique but they represent a set that was repeated in the now demolished buildings further south. As a building type the townhouse is a rare sight on Central Park West and this makes any preservation effort that much more important.

A Southerner's Yankee Abode
From the time of its completion until 1904, the house at 248 Central Park West was the home of Col. Richard Lathers. A distinguished figure in New York social and financial circles, Lathers began his business career as a commission merchant. Later he was active in the organization of the Erie Railroad, and he purchased and improved real estate in and around New Rochelle, NY.  In 1892, according to his memoirs, Lathers hosted a party at 248 Central Park West in which both the daughter of Robert E. Lee and the daughter-in-law of Ulysses S. Grant were in attendance. This was considered to be a remarkable feat of reconciliation, even twenty-seven years after the end of the war. Lathers died in 1903 and his wife passed away in 1904. Col. Lathers’ memoir, “Reminiscences of Richard Lathers; sixty years of a busy life in South Carolina, Massachusetts and New York,” was published posthumously and is available at the 42^nd Street main branch of the New York Public Library. No. 248 was severely damaged by fire in 1990 and was rehabilitated between 1993-1995 without much attention to detail or authenticity. Although a large amount of the interior was destroyed in the fire, the front façade was largely preserved. 

Graceful Brackets Frame the Windows.

Queen Anne Style Nearly Vanished from CPW
Stylistically the house is best described as belonging to the Queen Anne style, characterized by exaggerated gables, prominent bay windows, balconies, large brackets and slate roofs. It is a romantic style that makes use of design flourishes like turrets, pinnacles and pointed pediments. By 1887 the influence of Central Park’s architecture had taken hold and leapfrogged onto this Central Park West development as can be seen in the use of Nova Scotia sandstone, the extraordinary bas-relief carving of flora and fauna on the gate piers and the gigantic solid stone brackets supporting the second floor balcony. Steam Stone Works, with offices on 91^st-92^nd Street and First Avenue, executed the stonework and had a published phone number (30^th Street 606); therefore they must have been a prominent firm since Bell patented the telephone in 1876 and in 1887 commercial numbers were still a novelty. Most significantly the quality and type of stonework reflected Jacob Wrey Mould’s hand at Bethesda Terrace, and, like it, is representative of the finest architectural carving of the time. The preservation and conservation of just this carving alone warrants special attention because it is part of the same national heritage.

A True Conservation Story
The present owners of No. 248, recognizing the value of their building, wanted to restore and conserve the house they fell in love with and so retained Building Conservation Associates, Inc. in 2006 to design a project that would accurately restore the façade with the help of Karen Arrigoni of BCA Architects P.C. Deerpath Construction was hired in 2007 to carry out the restoration plans. The project lasted two years.

Curved Windows, Elegant Stonework, Restored.

Work included: cleaning and repointing the sandstone ashlar, conservation of the bas-relief (carved in the same Nova Scotia Sandstone), and restoration of stone losses, including stone that was beyond treatment. It should be noted that actual sandstone (not stucco) was used for the repair and for restoration of losses. This added a considerable degree of cost and complexity to the project and distinguishes it from the vast number of brownstone restorations that typically cover stone with stucco.

In addition to the stonework, there was a considerable amount of ornamental metal restoration. Most notably the original entrance gates were recreated since they were long missing. The design, a composition of leafy flourishes, was drawn from existing gates surviving on the adjoining building (No. 250). The windows, already in poor condition were replaced. It was felt that restoring the curves of the windows was absolutely essential to honor the building style. Windows were custom fabricated, based on BCA research, by Wood Window Workshop in Utica, NY, including the curved bay windows on the second and third floors. The restored bay windows successfully complete the overall architectural composition and are worth a trip to the building just to see the magical effect of the curved glass.

No. 248 will remain an example of superb stewardship by a private owner that should set the highest of standards for restorations of this type.