The Floating Farmhouse on East 29th Street ~ House

The other day, I was scouting on Third Avenue when I noticed something on East 29th Street…

…Was that a 19th-century farmhouse floating midway down the block??

Perched one flight up and perpendicular to the street, there are only a handful of wooden houses left in Manhattan, and this has to be the most unusual one I’ve ever seen:

Located at 203 East 29th Street, the “Rose Hill Historic House” dates back as far as…OK, this one’s a little tricky.

In 2006, Christopher Gray with the NY Times did a tremendous amount of research trying to dig up the age of the house. In a nutshell, one John Watts bought a land parcel in 1747 spanning ten blocks, from East 21st Street to 31st Street, and called his new farm Rose Hill.

The land was ultimately divided up into lots and sold. Below is a farm map from 1815 – I believe Cath Tower marks the lot that 203 East 29th Street was built on (note the many streets that would soon disappear with the encroaching grid system):

But when was the house built? Because of the lot’s unusual size (50 feet wide by 24 feet deep), the NY Times suggests it may have been laid out specifically for the relocation of a house from elsewhere on the Rose Hill estate (perhaps to remove it from the path of the new streets being constructed). If true, this would mean it dates to the late 1700’s.

An 1830 tax assessment records a “building” on the property and a later assessment in 1840 notes a “house,” but neither provide a description. An 1860 inventory describes a house with three stories, but 203 has four – so was the house later raised up? Or was the shortened fourth story left off for tax reasons? The house is finally verified with four stories in an 1880 tax inventory.

Below is a picture of the house taken in 1915. By then, it was a junk shop, with apartments above. Note the many fire escapes:

The same angle today:

This picture was taken about 30 years later on July 23, 1934. The Junk Store is still in business…

In 1979, the then-boarded up house was purchased by a couple who restored the exterior while sadly gutting the interior. Today, the upper floors are rented out as a 3-bedroom apartment – StreetEasy has a July listing for $6,000, with a look inside:

The door to the courtyard:

I saw this man taking a break from his crutches on the first floor stoop:

In the 1915 photograph, a man stands on the same stoop, perhaps hoping for customers:

I love the contrast between a 19th century clapboard house and the typical brick New York apartment building:

Amazingly, as far as I can tell, the house still has not been designated a landmark.

Wooden homes are scarce in Manhattan due to a mid-19th century law banning their construction, enacted in an attempt to reduce fires. I thought I’d seen them all, but it’s nice to know there’s still a chance of stumbling on one more – floating or otherwise.

Source By: http://www.scoutingny.com/the-floating-farmhouse-on-east-29th-street/

Priorities in ... living, working, organizing your surroundings. What do they depend on? On your style of life, your preferences, your desires. Then what kind of buildings would you prefer for ... let me say spending a week-end playing golf ? Just imagine - golf field, sunny day, competitive mood and desire to make a good game in fresh air. The answer is a golf club wooden house for the rest.
Golf is one of the games (if not to say styles of life) that is closely connected with the territory relief, natural environment "from here to the very horizon". And it would be better that there were nothing except nature around and associated with golf. Wood Golf Club - sounds nice, golf club wooden house - sounds like an integral part the natural surroundings.
Then a professional in golf would prefer wooden house. And the key word and key idea here is NATURAL: natural material (golf club wooden house which design makes it naturally embedded into landscape).

Nothing suits better to each other like sport, luxury, health and nature. In our almost fully artificial ages natural materials are considered to be the best solution especially for such a traditional game like golf. Tradition means classic, fundamental for serious and trustworthy people of business-like type. And it doesn't matter whether it is a classic log cabin (house), or modern timber house. They both can make a proper effect on the visitor.
Ones upon a time the great American architect Frank Lloyd Wright who believed in designing structures that were in harmony with humanity and its environment (a philosophy that he called organic architecture ) made a project of the house of "Prairie style". Its exterior reminds the hills of prairie. We mean the same approach to the Wood Golf Club. To make it absolutely modern - with modern level of comfort inside (interior facilities for modern people) - and natural wooden exterior of suitable forms- wooden house - what can be better and more "organic"?
We dare to make even more accent on the idea that the very authentic expert in golf would prefer to deal not only with a professionally designed wooden house but to do more: not to hide this material, let it show its noble structure in the textures of all surfaces in exterior and interior of golf club wooden house, to let the wood shine in its wooden colors and gradients, to let them demonstrate themselves in tactile warm and perfect views of walls, polished railings, light ceilings of the rooms of a wooden house. To let them take care of the ecological status of your environment. One want to have large windows, high ceilings in order not to lose the filling of flight even being in the construction, in the building, in golf club wooden house. There is nothing better than to have a rest in the wooden hall of this type.
To keep a comfortable regimes for the rest and storage of the sport tools. Nothing can help like wooden construction materials - easily achieved in our ideal golf club wooden house.
The sacred sense of the clubs, balls, and holes for a golfer is reflected in the individual sense and interest in exclusiveness regarding everything associated with the GAME, and first of all - the field and the golf house. A professionally organized field, good tools, nice wooden golf house and the feeling of the Great Nature in every detail makes the best respond to this interest.
Whatever standards are used in the base of design, style of the wooden golf house - classical or modern form, wood shows the best results, user-friendly material. Even more - the designer - friendly and the architect-friendly material. These specialist can feel free in the realization their most fantastic ideas regarding Wood Golf Club design. The best characteristics of the wood allow them to feel free.
Aren't you still interested in such a building? At least like a reader... Then try to search in the Internet: "wooden golf house". It is considered "comme il faut" to construct a kind of classic log cabin (house) or modern timber house - and enjoy living this life and playing the game, isn't it?

We never meant to make an advertising campaign of our own Company- like a producer of wooden houses of various types - but wanted to make illustration to this article and selected a few photos from the presentation of our product - please draw your kind attention. Well... not bad, not bad. Especially considering our widening market for wooden houses, our specialization and a substantial experience in this field. The conclusion is obvious: for the best style of a wooden golf house we are one of the best producers.

http://www.ownwoodenhouse.com/index.pl?act=NEWSSHOW&id=2015052901

Wooden houses with swimming pools - your personal heaven!

Water is the source of life on earth, and that’s why all people can’t live a day without it. People have always strived to live close to water, building cities and towns. Not always having the opportunity to do it, artificial ponds appeared in people’s life. As the time went by they started to name them "swimming pools".
The construction of swimming pools began in the Ancient East, Greece and Rome. Pools usually had a rectangular shape and served mainly for ablutions.
Not long ago, a swimming pool inside the house was associated only with luxury and huge costs. But nowadays, the interest in building houses with a pool inside is growing and many people want to have such a house.

Swimming strengthens the immune system, normalizes blood pressure, improves blood circulation, and develops musculoskeletal system. While swimming human’s body is supported by water so that muscles or joints are not excessively strained. Swimming can be a training exercise or just an enjoyable pastime. Swimming is fun and interesting! And for those who adore baths or saunas swimming pool can become a heaven with pleasant cool waters after a steam room.
Because of all these reasons, in recent years, you can often find swimming pools in wooden cottages and country houses.
If you want to have a pool of your own, you should think about some of the nuances in its design and construction. Whether it's a project of wooden sauna with a swimming pool or a project of a wooden house with a pool, the pool itself will be the center of communication for all the inhabitants of the house. But not many know how to build a swimming pool in a wooden house properly, and without this knowledge pool can be a source of great trouble.

If you want to build your dream home, you cannot do without a project developed by professionals. We will help you to develop projects of wooden houses with sauna and swimming pool, observing all the norms and regulations. Call us and we will build your dream!