The original house on this level half-acre lot fronting the historic road to the ferry at Snedens Landing was built in 1929. It was a small dwelling with steeply pitched roofs and an irregular facade. The neighborhood was one of modest houses of various styles and vintages—some of great age—centered on a venerable crossroads. Over the years the house had become increasingly dilapidated. Ivy was undermining the walls. Rot had taken its toll on the woodwork. The screened-in porch had collapsed, and there was mold everywhere.

Eli Josephs, a developer and neighbor, bought the derelict building in 2003. Rather than tearing down the house to build a bigger one, ostensibly easier and probably less costly as well, he decided to restore it. His goal was to retain the structure's original scale and demeanor, while adding the essentials of contemporary living. The history of the neighborhood and the exterior vocabulary of the house was to be respected. Manhattan architect Jo Machinist, a Piermont resident, was chosen to do the job.

The resulting design owes its style to the English Vernacular of the 1920s, characterized by steep rooflines, asymmetrical massing, uneven fenestration and dramatic, tall chimneys. The original materials and details were replicated whenever possible: a wood shake roof, stucco walls, round-headed windows and multitransomed windows. The chimney was rebuilt in indigenous brownstone and the paths in recycled brick.

Interior walls and ceilings were changed to make a double-storied living room with a cathedral ceiling and a brownstone and mahogany fireplace. The existing kitchen became the dining room and the old garage an eat-in kitchen. The house is far more spacious than its predecessor, but the footprint is identical. This was a timely and courageous rescue!

The information for this article originally appeared in the July-September issue of South of the Mountains, the publication of the Historical Society of Rockland County.