A Bona Fide Piece of American Home History in Delaware County, $99,000

  |  July 21, 2017

Old home restorers and fans alike: Drop what you’re doing and look at this turn-of-the-century Victorian in Delhi village.

What’s so special about it? Aside from its beguiling exterior with ornate woodworking and trim galore, this Victorian was designed by George Franklin Barber, an American residential architect known for mass-marketing floor plans for his homes. That’s right; good old GFB was doing it in 1890 before Sears & Roebuck started mass-marketing homes in 1908. If you like old floor plans and architectural renderings (who doesn’t??? Wait, we can’t be only ones), check out Cottage Souvenir No. 2, where the plans for the Delhi house likely originated. Note the liberal usage of turrets in GFB’s designs.

There are a total of three GFB homes in Delhi alone, and 50 more spread out across the state of New York, most of which are still standing, and you can see a complete list of them here. You know. For when you start planning your GFB tour of upstate New York. Again, only us?

This Delhi GFB house is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and while it needs work, it does include some big updates like a new roof, wiring, plumbing, full second floor bath, kitchen appliances, insulation, electric panel box, and covered rear porch. The listing states it needs “final finishes and personal touches.” Walls stripped down to studs might go a bit beyond “personal touches” in our estimation, but the amount of work already completed appears promising. Includes 3 beds/2 baths, 1800 square feet, a detached carriage house, and a quarter-acre lot located walking distance to Delhi’s main drag.

25 Main Street, Delhi (Frank Lumia Real Estate)

 

About Kandy Harris

Kandy is a writer and musician/music teacher living in Saugerties, NY.

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