Old Houses

Rome wasn't built in a day...and good stewardship takes time, too. So, we're back with more seasonal maintenance tasks (make sure to read Part 1 as well!).1. Invest in a smart thermostat. Even when you’re not at home, the interior of your house should remain above 50 degrees Fahrenheit to avoid problems like frozen pipes. A smart thermostat will alert you if temperatures get too low, signaling a problem...

A Distinctive Home in the Storied "Playground on the Potomac" - Lester Cottage - CIRCA Old HousesNewsflash! Regardless of what the vinyl window and siding sales force would have us believe, there’s no such thing as maintenance-free. ALL homes require steady, ongoing care. The beauty of OLD homes (I mean, beyond the obvious…) is how gracefully they accept attention and love. But we have to keep at it....

CIRCA founders, Ethan and Elizabeth Finkelstein, have partnered with NYS Clean Heat as they look to make energy-efficient choices for their own cheap old farmhouse renovation. Learn fom their journey as we show you how best to tackle energy-focused upgrades in any old home.

Old houses do not need to feel like museums, frozen in time, one-note style statements. An Italianate house with mid-century inspired decor? Love that! A vintage bungalow with contemporary furnishings? Adds such interest!

Are you curious about how to control unwanted moisture in historic buildings? Repair stained and leaded glass? Preserve and reuse historic gas stations??Then you are in luck! “Preservation Briefs” is a series of 51 guides that address these questions, and hundreds of others, in expert technical detail. And they are available online from the National Park Service.I rely on Preservation Briefs for every...

You know those people who love getting up in the morning because their jobs feel like play? I used to be intensely jealous of them…until I became one nearly a decade ago. This isn’t a post on deep meditation or how to “get rich quick” (sorry!). It’s a topic that makes me a little giddy (clearly): historic rehabilitation strategy.  Circa 1920...

Almost nothing makes my heart sing more than someone telling me they’re interested in old houses. Maybe they live in one, grew up in one, want to buy and rescue one, or turn one into their dream coffee/book/thrift shop with podcast studio and artist workspace. A question I often get is, how do I become a preservationist? Well, my friend, there are many paths. The place to start is in your own, deep...

What is it that moves so many of us to take up these shells of past lives, put them on our backs and carry them into the future?As I celebrate nearly one year! of writing for The Magazine at CIRCA, this is a question I continue to ponder.  Registered and Part of THE Oldest Estate and Home in Manhattan – CIRCA Old Houses Old houses make...

Old houses get a bad rap for needing tons of maintenance. Let’s set the record straight - ALL houses need maintenance. New houses may be especially problematic because 1) they use materials that are touted as “maintenance free” - e.g., vinyl siding and windows, 2) those materials can age in unattractive and sometimes calamitous ways, and 3) it is often impossible to repair modern materials and...

Is there one historic feature you consider “to die for” - literally? For you, maybe it’s a cupola or a wraparound porch. For me, it’s windows. I once campaigned to preserve the old wood windows in my New York City tenement apartment (needless to say, the landlord paid no heed). When I finally became the owner of my own ca-1890 house, its original windows were among the main attractions. The...

If you love old houses but don’t spend every day swimming in the waters of historic preservation public policy, you may well ask, what is the National Register of Historic Places? You’ve come to the right place!

Siding, trim, windows, and eaves — where to start when developing the paint scheme for you historic house? Kate Wood has the tips you need.