This Old House – September 2019

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sale confi rmed, Karp faced a second challenge:

convincing historic district offi cials to green-light

demolition of much of the rambling structure whose

additions dated from the 1960s onward—while

preserving whatever might be worth saving. They

agreed, with the stipulation that he retain the front and

left side of the original portion of the house (on the

left), and replicate the height of the roof ridge.

The New Canaan project is the fi rst This Old House

Idea House tied to a home with a historical past—a

fi tting undertaking to mark the show’s 40th season.

“This is right in our wheelhouse,” says TOH host

Kevin O’Connor, noting the challenges a community

faces in preserving a beloved vintage home. “Everyone

wants it to survive, but how do you do it?”

Owing to its dilapidated condition and years of

add-ons, the Greek Revival house will survive mostly

in spirit. “Unfortunately, it had been cut apart and

pasted together so many times there were hardly any

real pieces left,” says project architect Christopher A.

Hull. He and Robin Carroll, Karp’s director of design

and residential construction, worked together to

reimagine the house as a 21st-century family home

without losing its 19th-century personality.

To do this, the team will restore 11 existing double-

hung windows and some interior trim, along with the

facade’s frieze, transom windows, corner pilasters, and

SHEATHING: ZIP System

SIDING AND TRIM:

LP SmartSide

ROOFING UNDERLAYMENT

AND SHINGLES: GAF

WINDOWS: Sierra Pacifi c

SKYLIGHTS:

VELUX Skylights

INSET: TOH host

Kevin O’Connor visits

with developer Arnold

Karp at the job site.

“This is right in

our wheelhouse,”

Kevin says of the

work to rebuild one

of the downtown

area’s iconic

historical homes.

TOP: For a durable,

long-lasting roof,

crews install a water

and ice membrane

and architectural

asphalt shingles over

sheathing panels with

a moisture-resistant

barrier built in. The

roof’s crown is

framed out in three

sections for a

12-by-12-foot skylight.

LEFT: Perched over

the central stairwell,

carpenter Jefferson

Cardenas works on

framing for the

skylight, which will

channel natural light

onto the stairway

below and down to

the basement level.

42 THISOLDHOUSE.COM SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2019 40 YEARS

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