Exterior Restoration Underway at the Edwards-Barton House

Historic Richmond Town’s Edwards Barton House has stood watch through the centuries at the corner of Richmond Road and Court Place as a majestic reminder of  vernacular Victorian architecture. However, the iconic home, built about 1869, had recently started to show its age. The restoration team at New York City’s most complete historic village, led by Historic Craftsmen, Don Defillo, has taken on the task of exterior siding, wood trim and window restoration.

Richmond Town experienced a building boom in the Victorian period.  One shining example of this architectural style is still extant in Historic Richmond Town’s Edwards-Barton House. With its scalloped roof shingles, paired entry doors, elliptical transom, and beautifully detailed wood trim, it remains a nearly perfectly preserved piece of Victorian architecture, right here in New York City. 

The historic home was built for Webley J. Edwards and his wife Deborah Edwards before 1870. It would later be home to a plethora of prominent local citizens and cornerstone neighborhood businesses including the much-beloved Aquilino’s Pizzeria, from 1921-1966.

Don Defillo, a member of the Historic Richmond Town restoration team since the early 1970s, has begun the task of recreating the exterior appearance of a country home, once prominent in rural New York in the latter part of the 19th century. It is his task to identify the appropriate types of windows, sash work and wood trim, that the home would have had nearly two centuries ago. Don has also helped to restore the site’s Voorlezer House, Bennett House, Tavern and Stephens House. 

Historic Richmond Town is home to 40 preserved and restored historic structures on nearly 100 acres of beautifully manicured park land. The site is open to the public for touring year round and is host to dozens of educational programs and special events. For more information to plan your visit head to www.historicrichmondtown.org.