Winner of The Victorian Society Religious 2009 Preservation Award

The DeLamar Mansion, completed in 1906, by mining millionaire, Joseph Raphael DeLamar, has been occupied by the Polish Consulate since 1973. It is one of the most splendid examples of Beaux-Arts Architecture in New York City. 

Our office received the Architectural commission for the cleaning and restoration of the exterior facade and for the replacement of the existing windows. Extreme care was taken in selecting the products to be used for the cleaning. Making sure that they were non-toxic , environmentally friendly, and minimally abrasive to the building. 

The products that were selected, allowed for a safe working atmosphere for both the occupants of the building and for pedestrians at the street level. Window replacement was tedious. As no two units were exactly alike. Also, there were no record drawings of the exterior of the building available as a reference. 

This required that all aspects of this intricate facade needed to be field measured, photographed and documented, in order to prepare the exterior elevation views and details needed. Our firm began the project in April of 2008, Landmark Commission and Department of Building’s approvals were obtained by June of 2009 and work began in earnest for completion in time for the Christmas holiday. 

The cleaning of the intricate stone work at times required the literal use of toothbrushes, to gain access to the small details. A large amount of hand labor was employed by the general contractor, Conwood Construction Corp., so as not to cause any undue harm to the building’s facade. 

During the process, several areas of thick crust of city soot and grime, along with other areas that had old dirt painted over, were meticulously cleaned to reveal its original beauty. Work was completed and the scaffolding and bridging were removed in time for the celebration. At a cost of $1,200,000.00, the original splendor of this monumental home has been brought back, for this great City to enjoy and historians to admire.