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The Wall Street Journal

House of the Day: Remsen Street Townhouse Uses New Stoop to Conquer.

By: Jackie Bischof
Published: 10/18/2012Source: The Wall Street Journal

The living and dining areas with French doors at rear 42 Remsen St. in Brooklyn Heights.

The townhouse at 42 Remsen St. in Brooklyn Heights.

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For homeowners Stephen Olsen and Cristina Delgado, the history of 42 Remsen St. in Brooklyn Heights has been like a picture puzzle that they have tried to piece together over time.

They first purchased the garden unit of the co-op building in 1984 and have since made three more purchases in the building and one sale, according to the couple and public records. They reside in a duplex in the building and have agreed, along with two other owners, to sell the building. It is listed for $10 million with Yolanda Johnson Vogelzang and Jeannette Floto of Corcoran Group.

In researching the home's history, the couple discovered that the stoop of the brick townhouse had been removed in the 1920s when the then-owners connected 42 Remsen with the building next door, the family home of one of those owners. The result was a mansion estimated to be 20,000 square feet. In the 1950s, 42 Remsen was converted into a rental and then a co-op in the 1980s separate from the building next door.

Mr. Olsen and Ms. Delgado learned about the stoop removal and other details about the home after meeting with the daughter of the couple who joined the two buildings. Mr. Olsen's research was supported by the Brooklyn Heights Association, which included the home in a 2009 historical tour.

"I like history and architecture," says Mr. Olsen. "You just piece it together over time."

The couple replaced the stoop in 2005. "It pulled the whole building together in a way you lose without the stoop," says Mr. Olsen.

They also have restored other original details in the home, such as the wood paneling around the fireplaces and the wooden beams in the ceiling. Their restoration of the stoop won them an award from the Brooklyn Heights Association, and also allowed them to put an internal staircase into their duplex and create a private entrance.

After two fires broke out in one of the tenant's apartment six years ago, the couple took the lead on an 18-month renovation of the building that they estimate cost about $1 million.

Part of the renovation involved removing some walls and adding windows to open up space and increase the amount of sunlight in their duplex.

Mr. Olsen, 55 years old, is in real-estate finance and Ms. Delgado, 53, is a contemporary art adviser. Together with their son, they have each made their mark on the home—from the parlor floor, designed to highlight the couple's contemporary art collection, to Mr. Olsen's work in the garden, which incorporates tree plantings suggested by their son.

The building is located a block from the water and a short walk from Brooklyn Bridge Park. It is also close to Grace Church, and Mr. Olsen says he will often listen to music from a service while sitting in the garden.

The house, covering 5,348 square feet, excluding the garden and a terrace on the third floor, is currently divided into the duplex, with two one-bedroom apartments above and a top-floor studio. But the building could "easily be converted into a single-family home," according to Ms. Delgado.

Ms. Delgado says that she and Mr. Olsen have been "emotionally invested in the building, and seeing it restored to its original intent. There's been a lot of love put into this."

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