Boerum Hill Row House With Plasterwork, Moldings, Wide-Plank Floors Asks $3.995 Million

By Best Plumbers On Feb 1, 2023

For an old house lover who doesn’t mind putting in a bit of work, this 1850’s townhouse on Boerum Hill has a wealth of neat period details such as marble cornices, plasterwork and wide plank floors that remain. The duplex at 194 Dean Street hasn’t been on the market for decades, and the top-notch original features are mixed with kitchens that likely need updating and wallpaper and carpeting that may not suit everyone’s tastes.

In the historic district of Boerum Hill, the Greek Revival/Italianate Transitional House is one of a series built by builders Peter Bagley and JC Green between 1852 and 1853, according to the determination report. Newspaper reports from the late 19th century show room rentals and colorful history. An I card from 1938 shows it with 10 furnished rooms and an apartment before it was converted into a two-family house around the 1940s.

The house was bought in 1972 by a heritage conservation couple. A guide for prospective homeowners published by the Brownstone Revival Committee in 1969 described the neighborhood as experiencing a renaissance, with artists, actors, and writers moving in, and homes ranging from $5,000 to over $35,000, depending on the state of repair. At 194 Dean Street, restoration work has included the preservation of details, including Greek Revival ear moldings and Greek and Italian style mantels, while some 19th-century-inspired carpets and wallpaper have been replaced in some rooms, and kitchens are thought to have been updated.

Still a two family home, the house is set up for rent with a spacious owner’s triplex set over a garden. The salon level is particularly impressive with the plasterwork mentioned above as well as gas fittings hanging from ceiling medallions.

A kitchen is located to the rear of the saloon floor but is not shown. The only glimpse of a kitchen in the listing photos is a terracotta tiled floor seen in the garden unit.

Up the stairs and behind the stair alcove (aka the coffin corner) on the second floor are two bedrooms, both with marble moldings. The front bedroom has an arch frame bed alcove and rich carpet, while the rear bedroom has a tin ceiling, hardwood floors and direct access to a full bathroom. It’s the only of the two full baths in the triplex shown, and has a certain period charm with a claw-foot tub and pedestal sink.

Laundry is in the second full bath of the triplex on the top floor. The listing states that a new boiler and water heater has been installed in the basement but makes no mention of recent electrical or other plumbing upgrades.

In addition to a front yard with a plant bed, there is a back yard that has potential for a green-fingered owner.

Douglas Elliman’s James Kerby has the listing and the price is $3.995 million. What do you think?

[Listing: 194 Dean Street | Broker: Douglas Elliman] GMAP