1402 - Demolition and Preservation in Brooklyn
September 15-21, 2003 | March 15-21, 2004
HI, I'M BOB VILA.
WELCOME HOME AGAIN
TO OUR BRAND NEW PROJECT
HERE IN NEW YORK CITY.
BROOKLYN, TO BE SPECIFIC,
AND AN AREA KNOWN AS DUMBO,
"DOWN UNDER THE MANHATTAN
BRIDGE OVERPASS".
THIS IS THE BUILDING WE'RE
REMODELING INTO 3 APARTMENTS.
TODAY WE'RE GOING TO TAKE
A CLOSE LOOK AT THE BEGINNING
OF DEMOLITION,
TALK WITH
AN ARCHITECTURAL HISTORIAN
AND MEET SOME REAL CHARACTERS
HERE IN BROOKLYN.
STICK AROUND. IT'S GOOD
TO HAVE YOU HOME AGAIN.
CAPTIONING MADE POSSIBLE BY
YOU'RE LOOKING AT THE SWEENEY
BUILDING, CIRCA 1900.
ORIGINALLY A METAL-PLATING
AND FABRICATING BUILDING,
NOW IT'S BEEN CONVERTED INTO
LUXURIOUS LOFT CONDOMINIUMS.
LET'S GO INSIDE AND MEET WITH
CHRIS VILA, MY SON,
WHO'S GONNA GIVE US
A LITTLE TOUR.
CHRIS, THIS WOULD
BE YOUR DREAM
APARTMENT, RIGHT?
THIS HAS GREAT--
GREAT POSSIBILITIES.
UNBELIEVABLE VIEWS
OF THE BROOKLYN BRIDGE
AND THE SKYLINE BEHIND IT.
AND ALL THE BOAT TRAFFIC
ON THE EAST RIVER.
YOU COULD SIT
HERE FOR HOURS.
YOU COULDN'T DO
ANY WORK HERE.
THIS IS NOT YOUR TYPICAL
ARTIST'S LOFT, THOUGH.
IT'S LUXURY.
THIS IS VERY LUXURY.
THESE ARE VERY
EXPENSIVE LOFTS.
AND YOU'RE NOT GOING TO
FIND A LOT OF ARTISTS
MOVING INTO THIS BUILDING.
BUT THERE IS A REAL
MARKET FOR THEM
AND I SUPPOSE THERE'S
PROBABLY A 20% DIFFERENCE
BETWEEN THE COST OF REAL
ESTATE IN MANHATTAN--
RIGHT, IT'S SLIGHTLY
OFF HERE. A LITTLE
MORE AFFORDABLE.
HOW MANY SQUARE FEET
IN A LOFT LIKE THIS?
THIS SPACE IS 2400
SQUARE FEET, ROUGHLY.
HOW MANY ROOMS?
YOU'VE GOT 2 BEDROOMS,
AND A THIRD THAT COULD
BE USED AS A CHILD'S
BEDROOM OR A DEN.
AND THEN THIS
BIG OPEN SPACE.
THIS ENORMOUS OPEN
LIVING AREA WHICH LEADS
INTO THE KITCHEN--
I LOVE WHAT THEY'VE DONE
TO THE KITCHEN.
THE OPEN PLAN, THE LIGHTS,
THE INDUSTRIAL LOOK.
IT'S GOT A VERY
INDUSTRIAL FEELING TO IT.
THEY'VE HAD A LOT OF
THESE THINGS DESIGNED
ESPECIALLY FOR THIS BUILDING.
ALL THE CABINETRY WAS
DONE HERE IN BROOKLYN.
Bob: AND THE STANDARDS
AGAINST THE WALL ARE
STAINLESS STEEL, RIGHT?
ALL STAINLESS STEEL
BRACKETS, EXACTLY.
AND THEN YOU'VE GOT
THIS GREAT MARBLE
COUNTERTOP.
THESE ARE TERRIFIC.
LET'S TAKE A LOOK
AT THE MASTER.
THE MASTER SUITE.
WELL, THE SCALE OF THE APARTMENT
IS PRETTY IMPRESSIVE.
THAT'S ONE OF THE REAL
BENEFITS OF LIVING IN
A LOFT LIKE THIS.
THE IMMENSE SCALE.
HOW WOULD YOU LIKE TO WAKE UP
EVERY MORNING TO THIS, HUH?
REALLY IMPRESSIVE.
AND THEY HAVE
USED HEAVY-DUTY WINDOWS
BECAUSE YOU DO WANT TO
CONTROL THE AMOUNT OF NOISE
YOU GET FROM THE TRAFFIC.
IT REALLY DAMPENS OUT
THE NOISE FROM THE BRIDGE,
WHICH IS SO CLOSE.
BUT EVERYTHING IS OVERSCALE.
THE CEILING HEIGHTS ARE,
WHAT, ABOUT 12?
EASILY 12 FEET HIGH.
SO YOU'VE GOT A SELF-
CONTAINED MASTER HERE,
BIG WALK IN.
VERY BIG WALK IN CLOSET,
NICELY DETAILED.
THEN LET'S CHECK OUT
THE BATHROOM.
THIS IS THE MASTER BATH,
BUT THEN THERE'S ANOTHER
2 BATH
ROOMS IN THIS--
THERE'S 2 OTHERS.
THIS IS THE MASTER.
OH, WOW.
THIS IS TERRIFIC.
WHAT'S THIS FLOOR?
THIS IS ALL IMPORTED
FROM CARRERA.
THE DEVELOPERS HAD
THIS MADE SPECIALLY.
IT'S LIKE A BASKET WEAVE,
BUT IT IS MARBLE.
IT'S ALL MARBLE.
IT ALL CAME FROM
THE SAME SOURCE.
ALL THE MARBLE
ON THE TUB AND--
AND THEY'VE GONE TO
A LOT OF TROUBLE
TO RECREATE THE FEELING
OF EARLY 20th CENTURY.
IT'S ALSO KIND
OF INDUSTRIAL.
IT'S ALL EXPOSED.
IT'S IN FITTING WITH
THE REST OF THE BUILDING
AND THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
WELL, LET'S TAKE A LOOK
FOR DAVID AND JED WALENTAS
UP ON THE TAR BEACH,
AS IT'S CALLED.
NOW THEY CALL IT
THE TAR BEACH BECAUSE
IT'S A WHOLE COLLECTION
OF ROOF DECKS UP THERE,
RIGHT ON THE ROOFING, RIGHT?
IT'S SORT OF A NEW YORK
TERM FOR ROOFTOP BEACHES.
MIGHT BE WARM UP THERE.
AND THEY PUT IN
SPIRAL STAIRCASES.
EACH PENTHOUSE HERE HAS
ITS OWN PRIVATE ENTRANCE
TO ITS OWN PRIVATE DECK.
VERY NICE.
HEY, GUYS.
HELLO, BOB.
[ALL GREETING ONE ANOTHER]
DAVID, LET ME ASK
YOU A QUESTION FIRST,
AND LET'S GET OUT OF HERE.
I ALWAYS HATE WALKING
ON THESE THINGS BEFORE
THEY PUT THE DECK ON.
HOW DID YOU COME UP WITH
THE IDEA OF CREATING
A CONDOMINIUM ROOF DECK
FOR THE USE OF THE WHOLE
BUILDIN?
G HERE?
WELL, WE HAD THESE
SPECTACULAR VIEWS,
AS YOU CAN SEE.
WE HAD THIS BIG ROOF DECK,
AND PEOPLE LOVE TO BE
ON THE ROOF IN THE CITY.
ESPECIALLY THIS TIME
OF YEAR, RIGHT?
SO WE CREATED A TAR BEACH.
4 OF THE UNITS ARE
DUPLEXES WHICH ARE TIED
TO THE APARTMENT BELOW,
AND COME UP,
AND WE BUILT 6 PRIVATE
CABANAS THAT WE CAN SELL
TO ANYONE IN THE BUILDING,
SO IF YOU BUY AN APARTMENT
ON A LOWER FLOOR
OR IN THE BACK WITHOUT A VIEW,
YOU CAN HAVE YOUR OWN
PRIVATE ROOF CABANA.
YEAH. THAT'S A WONDERFUL
ALTERNATIVE.
SO THERE ARE A HALF DOZEN
THAT ARE INDIVIDUAL...
WHAT, ARE THEY,
20 FEET WIDE OR SO?
THEY'RE ABOUT 20 FOOT
WIDE AND 35 FEET DEEP.
AND THERE'S ANOTHER 4
ON THE 4 CORNERS
OF THE BUILDING.
AND WHAT ABOUT ALL
THE PEOPLE WHO DON'T
HAVE THE EXTRA CASH
TO BUY A ROOF DECK?
FOR THEM WE BUILT
A 5,000 FOOT COMMON DECK.
SO THEY HAVE THEIR OWN--
SO THERE'S A SUN DECK
FOR THE WHOLE BUILDING.
EVERYBODY GETS A CHANCE.
EVERYBODY CAN COME UP.
OK. NOT BAD. I LOVE
THE TAR BEACH TAG
ON THE WHOLE THING.
WHAT ABOUT
THE CONSTRUCTION
DETAILS?
DID YOU HAVE ANY PROBLEMS,
ANY RESTRICTIONS THAT
YOU RAN?
INTO?
OBVIOUSLY THE BIGGEST CONCERN
IS A LIFE SAFETY CONCERN.
AND AS YOU CAN SEE,
WE HAVE A RAILING
SURROUNDING THE WHOLE THING.
IT HAS TO COME UP 42 INCHES
ABOVE THE FINISHED SURFACE.
WE HAD TO DO A LITTLE BIT
OF WORK AHEAD OF TIME
TO FIGURE OUT WHERE THE PAVERS
WERE GOING TO COME TO
TO MAKE SURE THE RAILING
CAME UP HIGH ENOUGH.
THAT'S CERTAINLY ALWAYS
YOUR BIGGEST CONCERN.
THEN THERE ARE OTHER LIFE SAFETY
CONCERNS. FIRE IS A CONCERN.
THERE'S A NEW YORK CITY BUILDING
CODE PROVISION THAT LIMITS
YOUR COMBUSTIBLE MATERIALS ON
A ROOF TO 20% OF THE SURFACE.
SO WHILE WE WANTED TO DO
THE WHOLE ROOF IN A WOOD DECK,
WE WERE REALLY
LIMITED TO 20% WOOD.
WE LOOKED AT SOME OF
THE PLASTIC WOODS, BUT
WEREN'T CRAZY ABOUT THAT.
WE ENDED UP WITH A COMBINATION
OF WOOD DECK, USING THE IPE,
WHICH IS ACTUALLY
THE SAME DECK THEY USED ON
THE BROOKLYN BRIDGE WALKWAY,
WITH SOME CONCRETE PRE-CAST
STONE PAVERS, WHICH GIVES
A NICE MIX.
CAN WE LOOK AT SOME
AREAS THAT ARE
CLOSE TO FINISHED?
Bob: SO THIS WOULD BE THE DOOR
INTO YOUR OWN PRIVATE CABANA.
AND THEN ONCE YOU'RE IN HERE
YOU'VE GOT TOTAL PRIVACY,
EXCEPT FOR ANYONE LOOKING AT YOU
FROM THE BRIDGE ACROSS THE WAY.
SO JED,
WHAT'S THE MATERIALS?
TELL US ABOUT
THE CONSTRUCTION
OF ALL OF THIS.
WELL, YOU CAN SEE WE HAVE
A PRESSURE-TREATED FRAME HERE,
SITS ON A PROTECTIVE SURFACE
THAT SEPARATES IT FROM
THE ROOF AND LETS IT DRAIN.
AND THE ROOF IS
A RUBBER MEMBRANE.
ROOF IS A DOUBLE-PLY
RUBBER MEMBRANE.
OVER INSULATION.
THAT'S THE SAME THROUGHOUT.
THE ROOF PITCHES FOR DRAINAGE,
AND WE TRIED TO LEVEL OFF
THE IPE DECK HERE.
THE IPE DECK. NOW THIS
IS A BRAZILIAN HARDWOOD
THAT IS RENEWABLE
AND IS NOT DAMAGING ANY
OF THE GREAT RAINFORESTS.
THAT'S EXACTLY RIGHT.
BUT IT'S DIFFICULT
TO WORK WITH, ISN'T IT?
DIFFICULT TO WORK WITH.
THE MECHANICS ARE NOT SO HAPPY.
IT'S ALMOST AS HARD AS
THE STEEL FRAME WE HAVE HERE,
HOLDING ALL THIS TOGETHER.
SO BEHIND YOU, CHRIS,
IT'S THE SAME STUFF.
IT'S IPE FOR THE PRIVACY.
AND THEN HALF OF
THE SPACE IS KIND
OF ROOFED OVER.
WHAT'S THE CONSTRUCTION
UP THERE?
THIS IS GALVANIZED
STEEL JOIST,
JUST WITH A CORRUGATED
SHEETING OVER IT.
A LITTLE BIT OF OVERLAP,
ALL JUST SCREWED TOGETHER
WITH STAINLESS STEEL FASTENERS.
AND IT'S A NICE COMBINATION.
IT GIVES YOU A LITTLE
BIT OF SHADE
AND ALSO YOU HAVE A SUNNY
AREA OUT ON THE TERRACE.
WHAT AMENITIES DO YOU GET?
I NOTICE YOU GOT A WATER
LINE UP HERE.
WE BRING WATER, PHONE,
AND POWER, AND PROVIDE
A LITTLE BIT OF LIGHT.
NO GAS.
YOU CAN'T COOK UP HERE.
I GUESS WITH A LITTLE
ELECTRIC OR CHARCOAL GRILL.
AND ON THE OTHER SIDE
YOU'VE GOT A CONCRETE
PAVER SYSTEM
I'VE ACTUALLY NEVER USED
THIS INSTALLATION BEFORE.
IT LOOKS LIKE RIGID
FOAM INSULATION, RIGHT?
RIGID FOAM INSULATION.
AGAIN, THAT GETS IT UP
OFF THE ROOF
IT PROTECTS IT, AND PROVIDES
SOME STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY.
AND ANY TIME YOU
HAVE TO LIFT ONE UP,
YOU LIFT IT RIGHT UP.
LET'S WALK ON IT, HUH?
NOW DAVID, YOU'VE BEEN
OUT HERE IN DUMBO FOR
HOW MANY YEARS?
25 YEARS.
SO 25 YEARS AGO,
WHAT WAS IT LIKE?
IT WAS REALLY A WASTELAND.
IT WAS AN UNDERUTILIZED,
PARTIALLY VACANT
INDUSTRIAL NEIGHBORHOOD
THAT HAD BEEN BYPASSED, REALLY.
BUT THE VIEWS WERE HERE,
THE BUILDINGS WERE HERE,
AND WE FELL IN LOVE.
WE'RE IN
THE SWEENEY BUILDING,
BUT THAT ONE BEHIND
US IS THE FIRST
ONE YOU TURNED
INTO A CONDO, RIGHT?
THAT'S CALLED THE CLOCK
TOWER. WE CALL IT
THE WALENTAS BUILDING.
I PUT MY NAME ON IT.
WE CONVERTED THAT TO RESIDENTIAL
CONDOMINIUMS 5 YEARS AGO.
SOLD THEM OUT, AND THAT REALLY
CHANGED THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
AND THERE'S STILL A LOT
MORE SQUARE FOOTAGE HERE
TO DEVE?
LOP, RIGHT?
THERE IS. WE HAVE
ABOUT 2 1/2 MILLION
SQUARE FEET.
GENTLEMEN, GOOD LUCK.
THANK YOU.
WHEN WE COME BACK, WE'LL BE
AT OUR DUMBO BUILDING SITE
WITH THE DEMOLITION CONTRACTORS.
STICK AROUND.
ALL RIGHT, WE'RE UP
ON THE THIRD FLOOR
WITH KEITH ELMORE,
WHO'S KIND OF RUNNING
THE DEMOLITION ASPECTS
OF THE JOB RIGHT NOW.
KEITH, HOW MANY GUYS DO YOU
HAVE WORKING ON THINGS HERE?
I'VE GOT 3 GUYS HERE
AND 3 GUYS UPSTAIRS.
ALL RIGHT, OBVIOUSLY
DEMOLITION HAS TO START
AND GO FROM THE TOP OF
THE JOB DOWN TO THE BOTTOM.
GRAVITY COMES INTO PLAY.
AND WILL ALL OF THE FLOORING
BE RIPPED UP HERE?
ALL THIS TOP FLOORING
IS COMING UP.
BUT THE STRUCTURAL SYSTEM
IS IN PRETTY GOOD
CONDITION THROUGHOUT.
YES. THINGS IS PRETTY GOOD.
THE JOISTS ARE PRETTY GOOD.
NOW, WHAT HAPPENS OVER HERE
WITH THE ELEVATOR SHAFT?
WELL, WE'RE TAKING
IT DOWN FROM TOP DOWN,
AND WE BURNED OUT
THE ELEVATOR CAR
AND THE RAILS.
YOU MEAN YOU USED THE TORCHES
TO REMOVE THE STEEL RAILS?
BOY, YOU CAN LOOK
ALL THE WAY DOWN HERE.
RELATIVELY DANGEROUS
PART OF THE JOB.
AND THAT IS THE PIT DOWN
THERE, WHERE IT LOOKS
TO BE FULL OF WATER.
YES, THAT'S THE PIT.
WE FILL IT UP WITH WATER
BECAUSE OF THE SPARKS.
WHAT ABOUT THE STRUCTURE
OVERHEAD HERE.
NOW, IS ANY OF THIS BEING
REMOVED, THESE POSTS AND
BEAMS ACROSS HERE?
WE'LL REMOVE JUST
THESE POSTS HERE,
WE'RE KEEPING THE ONES
IN THE BACK.
SO THE SPAN IS ABOUT 60 FEET,
BUT IT'S SUFFICIENT--
SUFFICIENT TO HOLD.
AND THEN ALL THIS
FLOORING GETS RIPPED OUT.
NOW WE'RE ON THE TOP FLOOR HERE,
SO WE HAVE THE
POSSIBILITY OF WINDOWS,
AND WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN
HERE IN THIS OPENING?
WE'RE ADDING 2--
A WINDOW HERE AND
A WINDOW BACK THERE,
AND WE'RE GOING TO MAKE
THESE WINDOWS LARGER.
SO WE HAVE TO REMOVE SOME OF
THE BRICKWORK ALONG HERE.
AND MOST OF THIS BRICK,
EVEN THOUGH WE'RE NOT EXACTLY
SURE THE AGE OF THIS BUILDING,
MOST OF THIS BRICK
IS MID-19th CENTURY
AND PUT TOGETHER
WITH LIME MORTAR.
AND IT COMES APART PRETTY
EASILY, DOESN'T IT?
YEAH, SO LET'S LOOK
OVER HERE.
SO THESE SQUARE HOLES
IN THE FLOOR
IS WHERE THE CHUTES WERE
FROM THE MACHINERY, RIGHT?
WHEN WE WERE HERE LAST WEEK,
WE STILL HAD A LOT OF MACHINERY
FROM--I THINK IT WAS
A MACARONI FACTORY IN
THE LATE 19th CENTURY,
AND IT WAS ALSO SOMETHING
TO DO WITH PEPPER.
PEPPER AND STUFF
LIKE THAT.
SEASONINGS.
SO HAVE YOU THROWN
ALL THAT STUFF AWAY?
SOME IS DOWNSTAIRS
ON THE LOWER FLOORS,
SAVED SOME OF IT.
THEIR KIND OF NEAT
LOOKING ARTIFACTS.
AND YOU GOT RID OF THE
PARTITIONS THAT WERE IN PLACE.
NOW WHAT DO WE DO WITH
THIS BIG, BLANK BRICK
WALL HERE, KEITH?
WE'RE GONNA CUT
INTO THESE WALLS,
THIS WALL RIGHT HERE,
AND WE'RE GOING TO
PUT ONE WINDOW,
PRETTY MUCH THE SIZE--
BIGGER THAN THE OTHER
ONE, RIGHT HERE--
BECAUSE WE'RE HIGH ENOUGH
IN THE BUILDING THAT WE
DON'T
HAVE PARTY WALLS,
WE DON'T HAVE A BUILDING
ON THE OTHER SIDE.
SO RIGHT HERE WE'RE
GOING TO HAVE A WINDOW.
WHAT ABOUT THESE BACK
WINDOWS OVER HERE?
WE'RE GOING TO ENLARGE
THESE BACK WINDOWS.
EVEN THOUGH IT'S KIND OF
JUST LIKE A TENEMENT SPACE,
IT DOES PROVIDE--
FOR LIGHT.
YES, IT DOES PROVIDE
DAYLIGHT AND VENTILATION.
AND THEN WHAT
HAPPENS UP TOP?
WE'RE GOING TO ADD
ANOTHER FLOOR,
AND WE'RE GOING TO
PUT SOME STRUCTURAL
STEEL UP THERE.
SO THERE WILL HAVE TO
BE A LITTLE BEEFING UP
OF THE STRUCTURE.
ALL RIGHT, KEEP
YOUR HARD HAT ON.
SEE YOU LATER.
OK. THANK YOU.
NEXT WE'LL LOOK FOR CLUES TO
THE HISTORY OF THIS BUILDING
WITH ARCHITECTURAL
HISTORIAN BILL HIGGINS.
NEXT TIME ON...
WE'RE BACK IN NEW YORK CITY
AT OUR REMODELING PROJECT
IN AN AREA OF BROOKLYN
KNOWN AS DUMBO--
"DOWN UNDER THE MANHATTAN
BRIDGE OVERPASS".
WE'LL GET STARTED
WITH DEMOLITION
AND AN ARCHITECTURAL HISTORIAN
WILL HELP LOOK FOR CLUES
TO THE HISTORY OF THE BUILDING.
ALSO, WE'LL VISIT
A SPECTACULAR LOFT APARTMENT...
AND WE'LL GO UP ON THE ROOF
TO CHECK OUT THE CONSTRUCTION
OF THE ULTIMATE ROOF DECK.
SO DON'T MISS IT.
THAT'S NEXT TIME ON HOME AGAIN.
NEXT TIME ON...
WE'RE STARTING DEMOLITION,
SEARCHING FOR
ARCHITECTURAL HISTORY,
AND VISITING
THE ULTIMATE ROOF DECK.
DON'T MISS IT.
WELL, THERE'S A LOT OF WONDERING
ABOUT THE HISTORY OF
THIS LITTLE BUILDING,
AND SO LAST WEEK
WE GOT TOGETHER WITH
ARCHITECTURAL HISTORIAN
BILL HIGGINS TO TAKE
A CLOSER LOOK.
Bob: NOW BILL, WHEN MOST
PEOPLE LOOK AT A BUILDING
THAT'S AS DILAPIDATED
AS THIS ONE,
THEY THINK, "TEAR DOWN."
AS AN ARCHITECTURAL
HISTORIAN, YOU'RE
LOOKING AT A TAPESTRY
THAT'S TELLING YOU
A STORY OF WHERE
THIS BUILDING'S BEEN.
I'M LOOKING AT A STORY
WITH A NUMBER OF CHAPTERS
THAT PROBABLY STRETCH
OVER 160 OR 170 YEARS,
FROM THE TIME THIS BUILDING
STARTED AS A 3-STORY RESIDENCE,
TO IT'S GRADUAL CHANGE
TO WAREHOUSE
AND COMMERCIAL AND
MANUFACTURING USE.
IT GREW BY A STORY.
TELL US WHAT IT LOOKED LIKE
WHEN IT WAS A RESIDENCE,
IN MAYBE 1830 OR '40.
WHEN IT WAS A RESIDENCE,
MAYBE ABOUT 1840,
IT WAS 3 STORIES HIGH.
IT HAD THESE WONDERFUL
FEDERAL PERIOD CAST IRON LINTELS
THAT YOU SEE ON THE SECOND
AND THIRD FLOORS.
SO THE DECORATIVE ELEMENTS
ABOVE THE WINDOWS
ARE A TIP OFF THAT
IT WAS RESIDENTIAL
AND OF THAT PERIOD.
YES, THEY ARE.
HOW DO YOU KNOW THAT IT
WAS ADDED ONTO WITH AN
ADDITIONAL FLOOR UP TOP?
IF YOU LOOK AT THAT TOP FLOOR,
AND LOOK AT 2 THINGS--
LOOK AT THE BRICKWORK,
AND LOOK AT THE LINTELS.
THAT WONDERFUL DECORATIVE
CHARACTER OF THE LINTELS
ON THE SECOND AND THIRD FLOOR
CHANGES TO THOSE VERY SIMPLE
FLAT BRICK LINTELS,
AND THE QUALITY OF
THE BRICKWORK CHANGES.
THE BRICK ITSELF ON THE TOP
FLOOR BECOMES A BIT CRUDER.
THE MORTAR JOINTS BECOME
WIDER AND LESS REGULAR
THAN THEY ARE ON THE
SECOND AND THIRD FLOORS.
IT'S JUST A DIFFERENT CHARACTER
AND QUALITY OF CONSTRUCTION.
WHAT ABOUT AT
THE STREET LEVEL?
LET'S GO A LITTLE BIT CLOSER
AND LOOK WHAT IS THERE.
NOW, IS THIS BROWNSTONE?
THIS IS BROWNSTONE,
PROBABLY QUARRIED
IN CONNECTICUT,
TIP OFF TO A DATE
OF ABOUT 1840 OR SO.
AND WHAT HAPPENED HERE?
WAS THERE A SET OF STEPS
OR SOME?
THING?
IT'S POSSIBLE THERE
WAS A SET OF STEPS.
WHEN IT WAS A HOUSE IT WOULD
HAVE HAD STEPS, A STOOP.
MAYBE ON THIS BAY,
MAYBE ON THE OTHER BAY.
WOULD HAVE BEEN
A BRICK BUILDING.
HERE'S THE ORIGINAL
BRICK WITH ITS ORIGINAL
MORTAR JOINTS.
VERY NICE QUALITY,
FINE BRICK,
VERY FINE MORTAR JOINTS.
BASEMENT WOULD HAVE BEEN
FACED IN THE BROWNSTONE.
THIS IS TOOLING
ON THE BROWNSTONE, RIGHT?
HAND TOOLING ON THE
BROWNSTONE, WHICH GIVES
IT ITS FLAT SURFACE,
BUT ALSO GIVES IT
A DECORATIVE QUALITY
THAT IS PART OF
THE ORIGINAL ARCHITECTURE.
SO WHEN THE RESIDENCE
WAS CONVERTED TO
COMMERCIAL USE,
THEY RIPPED EVERYTHING APART,
BUT THEY REUSED SOME OF
THE MATERIAL THAT WAS HERE.
FOR THE BENEFIT OF
US FUTURE ARCHEOLOGISTS,
THEY KEPT THIS ONE
CORNER INTACT.
EVERYTHING ELSE
WOULD HAVE COME OFF,
BUT, AS YOU CAN SEE,
THEY SALVAGED PIECES
OF IT.
THEN ONCE THEY RECONFIGURED
IT TO ITS COMMERCIAL
CONFIGU?
RATION,
THEY THEN PUT
PIECES OF IT BACK.
SOMETIMES IN A KIND OF
ACCIDENTAL CONFIGURATION.
REUSED IT.
LET'S GO INSIDE
AND LOOK AT SOME OF
THE PARTY WALL MASONRY.
SO, I'M NOT SURE
WHERE TO BEGIN BECAUSE
EVERYTHING IS EXPOSED,
BUT WHAT DO YOU SEE HERE,
FOR EXAMPLE?
WHAT I SEE HERE IS
AN ORIGINAL PARTY WALL,
BRICK PARTY WALL HERE,
WITH A WOOD NAILER,
TYPICAL OF THE PERIOD.
THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN USED
FOR FURRING STRIPS AND
LATER L?
ATH AND PLASTER.
MEANT TO ACCEPT THE
FRAMING OF A LATER
LATH AND PLASTER WALL.
WHAT ABOUT THIS?
LOOK AT ALL THAT.
WHAT I ALSO SEE
IS EVIDENCE OF
AN EARLIER PERIOD.
REMEMBER THAT WHEN
THIS BUILDING WAS BUILT,
IT'S THE EARLIEST THING
SURVIVING ON THE BLOCK,
AND THERE WAS NOT
A BUILDING NEXT
DOOR TO IT,
SO THERE WAS AN EXPOSED
WALL WHICH HAD A WINDOW.
YOU HAD VIEWS OF
THE EAST RIVER FROM HERE.
THAT'S RIGHT.
FABULOUS.
WHAT ABOUT ON THAT SIDE?
HERE, AGAIN, WE HAVE
AN ORIGINAL BRICK
PARTY WALL.
WE HAVE A MUCH MORE
EXTENSIVE LENGTH
OF THESE WOOD
NAILERS IN PLACE.
YOU CAN SEE THERE'S
ALSO ONE ON THE BOTTOM
WHICH WAS MEANT TO
ACCEPT A BASEBOARD.
MORE EVIDENCE THAT
THIS HAD AT LEAST
A PARTIALLY RESIDENTIAL
CHARACTER ORIGINALLY.
AND THE WAY THE STRUCTURE,
THE WOODEN ASPECTS OF IT,
ARE MARRIED TO THE MASONRY
THROUGHOUT HERE,
IT'S PRETTY SOPHISTICATED.
IT'S QUITE SOPHISTICATED,
AND IT'S ALSO VERY STRONG.
THIS FROM THE VERY
BEGINNING WAS MEANT TO
BEAR A LOT OF WEIGHT.
SO IT'S NOT NECESSARILY
A FRAME FOR A RESIDENCE.
THAT'S RIGHT.
OUR SUSPICION IS THAT
THERE WAS A KIND OF
MIXED FUNCTION HERE.
REMEMBER, THE PERSON
WHO BUILT THIS HOUSE,
MR. BURKBECK,
ALSO OWNED AND OPERATED
AN IRON FOUNDRY
RIGHT NEXT DOOR.
SO THIS MAY WELL HAVE
SERVED ONLY A QUASI-
RESIDENTIAL FUNCTION
AND THERE MAY HAVE BEEN
OFFICES, COUNTING HOUSE--
SO YOU'VE ALREADY DONE
SOME OF THE DOCUMENTARY
RESEARCH ON THE PROPERTY
THROUGH ARCHIVES.
YOU KNOW WHO BUILT IT
AND SO FORTH.
WE'VE DONE SOME,
WE NEED TO DO MORE,
AND THEN WE'LL PUT
THE PIECES OF THE PUZZLE,
OF THE PHYSICAL EVIDENCE,
TOGETHER WITH
THE DOCUMENTARY EVIDENCE
AND SEE IF WE HAVE
A COMPLETE STORY.
YEAH. GO OVER THERE AND
LOOK AT THE LINTEL IN THIS
FORMER WINDOW OPENING.
FROM THE SIDE, DOES IT
LOOK LIKE IT'S AN OLD
HAND HEWN PIECE OF TIMBER?
IT ACTUALLY LOOKS LIKE
IT'S A COMBINATION
OF HAND HEWN,
BUT ALSO SAWN.
SAWN WITH A RELATIVELY
EARLY SAW, THOUGH,
RATHER THAN A MECHANICAL
CIRCULAR SAW.
WHAT WE'RE ALSO SEEING
HERE IS FURTHER EVIDENCE
THAT THIS BUILDING
WAS OPEN TO THE LIGHT
ON THIS SIDE AS WELL.
WE'RE SEEING EVIDENCE
THAT THAT WAS IN-FILLED,
BUT THAT IT WAS IN-FILLED
AT A PRETTY EARLY DATE
BECAUSE WE HAVE MORTAR HERE
THAT I CAN SCRATCH OUT
WITH MY FINGER.
IT'S LIME MORTAR,
SO THIS WAS IN-FILLED
FAIRLY EARLY.
WE HAVE ANOTHER CHAPTER
ON TOP OF THIS, THOUGH,
OR RATHER BELOW THIS,
BECAUSE IF YOU LOOK HERE,
YOU CAN SEE THAT THERE'S
AN EARLIER GENERATION
OF IN-FILLED WINDOW.
I WISH I HAD A NICE,
TIDY CONCLUSION FOR THIS
BUT AT THIS POINT
I DON'T.
AND SOMETIMES
THE FASCINATION OF THIS
IS JUST THE MYSTERY.
THE DETECTIVE WORK, TOO.
ABSOLUTELY.
THANKS, BILL.
WE'LL BE BACK IN A MOMENT WITH
A PREVIEW OF OUR NEXT SHOW.
DON'T GO AWAY.
AND WE'RE OUT OF TIME.
COME HOME AGAIN NEXT WEEK
TO DUMBO IN BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.
UNTIL THEN, I'M BOB VILA,
IT'S GOOD TO HAVE YOU
HOME AGAIN.
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