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

February 2, 2023

For an old house lover who doesn’t mind putting in a bit of work, this 1850s Boerum Hill row house has an abundance of well-cared for period details such as marble mantels, plasterwork, and wide-plank floorboards still in place. The two-family at 194 Dean Street hasn’t been on the market in decades, and the prime original details are mixed with kitchens that likely need updates and wallpaper and carpet that might not be to every taste.

In the Boerum Hill Historic district, the transitional Greek Revival/Italian house is one of a row built between 1852 and 1853 by builders Peter Bagley and JC Green, according to the designation report. Newspaper accounts in the late 19th century show advertisements for rooms for rent and some colorful history. A 1938 I-card shows it with 10 furnished rooms and one apartment before a circa 1940s conversion to a two-family dwelling.

The house was purchased by a preservation-minded couple in 1972. A guide for potential homeowners published by the Brownstone Revival Committee published in 1969 described the neighborhood as enjoying a renaissance, with artists, actors, and writers moving in and houses available from $5,000 to over $35,000, depending on their state of repair. At 194 Dean Street, the restoration work included preserving details, including Greek Revival ear moldings and both Greek Revival- and Italianate-style mantels, while installing some 19th-century-inspired carpeting and wallpaper in some rooms and, presumably, updating kitchens.

Still a two-family, the house is set up with a spacious owner’s triplex over a garden rental. The parlor level is particularly impressive with the aforementioned plasterwork as well as gas fixtures hanging from ceiling medallions.

A kitchen is at the rear of the parlor floor, but it isn’t shown. The only glimpse of a kitchen in the listing photos is a terra-cotta tile floor that can be seen in the garden unit.

Up the staircase and past the stair niche (aka coffin corner) on the second floor are two bedrooms, both with marble mantels. The front one has an arch-framed bed niche and bold carpet while the rear bedroom has a tin ceiling, wood floors and direct access to a full bathroom. The only one of the two full baths in the triplex shown, it has some period charm with a claw root tub and pedestal sink.

Laundry is in the triplex’s second full bath, located on the top floor. The listing says a new boiler and hot water heater have been installed in the cellar, but doesn’t mention any recent electrical or other plumbing upgrades.

In addition to a front yard with a planting bed, there is a rear garden that has potential for an owner with a green thumb.

James Kerby of Douglas Elliman has the listing and it is priced at $3.995 million. What do you think?

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