The next Renovation Happy Hour will be held on Thursday, January 25 6-8 PM, at 503 Lexington, the property belonging to Jon and Karen Minzner (see description below). We have visited this property in the past, and it is now in its finished state, ready for prime time. It is my understanding that it is a fine example of a loving renovation.
The Minzners state: 503 Lexington was built in approximately 1889 in the Italianate style. One of the early owners of the house subdivided the lot and built a new home at the back of the property in 1910, where he resided until the 1950s. In November 2018 the former owner passed away and the property sat vacant for 3 years until we purchased the home at auction, thereby reuniting the original lot under the same owner.
The restoration process was an arduous but rewarding experience. Extensive water damage from a leaking roof was repaired and the roof replaced. Massive debris from years of neglect was removed. Masonry was repointed. Plumbing and electrical systems were replaced and updated to modern standards. The decrepit boiler was replaced with a state of the art HVAC. Insect critters of many species, shapes and sizes were ruthlessly exterminated.
The renovated structure retains as much of the original charm as possible. All but one of the 17 windows in the home were original and we removed, re-glazed, and re-roped them. The missing window was recreated in accordance with historic guidelines. Several layers of flooring were removed revealing the original wood floors, which were preserved and refinished. The original woodwork and staircase were largely intact and were restored. Original transoms that had been removed have been restored. The living room fireplace that had been plastered over has been uncovered. Non-historic metal porch components were replaced with period appropriate wood.
We believed that the property is now appropriately updated to conform to current lifestyles. A full bath en suite was added to the primary bedroom, a non-historic 1st floor full bath was converted to a powder room and laundry, and the kitchen was fully modernized. Custom cabinets were also added to the dining room. The final result is a 3 bedroom, 2 and 1/2 bath home that will hopefully last another 130 years.
