Restoration of historic glass lite and cast iron sidewalk vault.

This building dates from 1860 and is built primarily in stone and utilizes the same round-arched Italianate detailing that appears on early cast-iron façades. It is located in the SoHo Cast-Iron Historic District. It was masonry buildings such as this, in fact, that inspired many of the first prefabricated cast-iron façades.

Henson was retained to perform the exterior restoration as well as sidewalk vault and light repairs, and the renovation of the storefront bulkhead and entrance, all in compliance with the Landmarks Preservation Commission. The sidewalk vault and cast-iron sidewalk lights were repaired and restored to enable future use. The owner of the building wanted to conserve the neglected and weathered appearance of the building’s façade. Accordingly, all interventions to the building were very subtle.