For years, 1610-14 Christian Street drove us crazy. The three brownstones in shell condition on a block with a couple of million dollar homes represented a throwback to what countless Christian Street homes looked like just a decade ago. In spite of the redevelopment happening in all directions, these homes persisted, finally going on the market in 2009 at $250K per home.

In the past

Two years ago, these three homes were finally sold, ultimately at $175K for each. Not too shabby for homes that sit on 25′ by 70′ lots and each have about 3,000 sqft of interior space. The homes have finally been rehabbed, with each sporting three apartments, judging by the number of doorbells outside.

Recent shot

1614 Christian St.

1610 and 1612 Christian St.

You can tell that the owners made a conscious decision to attempt to preserve some historic details of the homes. 1614 maintains its unique stone facade, while 1612 still has that brownstone look. The facade of 1610, looks like it was too far gone to preserve, so it now has a stucco facade. Also, notice that all of the homes have what look like their original, ornate cornices restored appropriately.

One of the cornices

It’s true that these are conscientious rehabs, and the fact that these homes have now come back into use is only a good thing for the rest of the block. There’s just one thing that keep us from throwing both arms around this particular rehab job, and that’s the windows. Looking across the street, you see original windows that have been maintained and restored, or replaced with sensitivity.

Across the street. Pay no attention to the one remaining shell.

By taking the inexpensive route with what appear to be low-end vinyl windows, the owners of these properties definitely take away from what is otherwise a really nice rehab of a couple of inherently attractive homes. Hopefully, when the last shell on the block is (someday) rehabbed, the developers will take a look across that street and go that extra mile. Here’s hoping…