1429

This classical brick two flat was quite distressed when the current owners purchased it but as you see the building from the street now you would never know it. Just this summer the entire parapet wall around the perimeter of the building was tuck pointed and repaired. This building was constructed in 1912 by Carlson and Johnson. The architect was Edward Benson. The original owner was Henry S. Jonas who was a waiter at the Atlantic Hotel.

The simple façade is divided by wide limestone banding above the windows and a smaller band below the windows. Above the second floor is another decorative stone molding with the raised parapet above. The intention is to make the building look taller and more substantial. The front entrance porch covers half the façade and the wide staircase has stepped brick sidewalls which were the fashion of the day and not suitable for railings. These are accented with limestone caps. The porch columns are brick with limestone accents indicating the influence of the craftsman style. The entrance door with sidelights has been painted a welcoming red.

Inside the vestibule you have a glimpse of the original woodwork and design. The original mailboxes and call tube are there as well as the wainscoting and the moldings and crown accents around the door. The door is both oak and glass.. The frosted glass may date from the 1920s. Prior to that era curtains may have been installed on the inside of the door.

The apartment opens into a reception hall with a full view of the living room and dining room. One wall of the living room is covered in a white bookcase. Because of the layers of lead paint on the moldings the owners chose to replace them and used similar design to the original. The woodwork is painted white. All the floors are original oak and maple. In the dining room one wall has had the plaster removed to expose the brick. At the back of the room is the built in china cabinet with leaded glass windows in the original oak. Off the dining room is a bedroom used as an office. The dining room windows are angled to let in more light.

At the back of the dining room is a doorway that once had a door separating the dining room and living room from the back portion of the house. The floors in this area are unique because of an experiment with staining maple flooring. The effect is of a mottled surface in shades of brown.

Just to the left is the beautiful new bathroom with subway tile and basket weave tile on the floor. Across from the bathroom is the master bedroom with a full wall closet.

The hall continues to the kitchen. The pantry has been changed to serve as a laundry, and a built-in cabinet has been changed to serve as a pantry. It has a rolling blackboard wall which is used for memo writing. The kitchen was gutted and the plaster removed from the outside wall. The open industrial shelving in stainless steel complements the stainless steel appliances. The counter is black granite and the lower IKEA cabinets are a bright red. In the center of the room is a butcher’s block on top of a vintage 1920s machinist metal cabinet. The back door opens onto a service porch which leads to the back yard and a new garage.

Off the kitchen was a third bedroom. By enlarging the opening and adding French doors this room has become a media room or den available to transform into a guest room at a moment’s notice. The mottled maple floor extends into this room so that it does not seem separate from the kitchen. This classic two flat has been updated to fit the needs and tastes of the modern owner in this wonderful neighborhood.