"For an old-house lover or preservationist, the recent renovation of one of Brooklyn Heights' oldest houses, now on the market, is heartbreaking. While the exterior of the circa 1820s wood frame at 24 Middagh Street has been beautifully restored, per the Landmarks Preservation Commission requirements, the rare almost fully intact historic interior has been gutted and reconfigured so that, apart from one or two mantels, it is unrecognizable."
"Contrast the fate of 24 Middagh with nearby 48 Willow Place, a townhouse designed and built in 1965 by owner-occupants and architects Joseph and Mary Merz. A mid-century-modern-loving family bought it 2021 for $5.8 million and flipped it in 2024, having updated it for modern living - so carefully the changes are hard to discern - without affecting the style or spirt of the original, thus ensuring its preservation for at least a few more decades."
An 1820s wood-frame house at 24 Middagh Street in Brooklyn Heights underwent an exterior restoration that complies with Landmarks Preservation Commission requirements while its rare, almost fully intact historic interior was gutted and reconfigured, leaving only one or two mantels recognizable. A preservation-minded rehabilitation with selective structural reinforcement could have retained more historic fabric, but such approaches are more expensive and no preservation sponsor intervened. Nearby 48 Willow Place received a careful mid-century-modern update that preserved its original spirit after a 2021 purchase and 2024 flip. The 24 Middagh property sold in 2022 for $4.2 million and now asks $9.995 million with new floors, staircase, and an open-plan parlor floor.
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