#11 Ocean Pathway summer 2013. Compared to 2011 photos below, flower boxes and fretwork have been added. Amira photo. Click left to enlarge.
May 7, 2014. Ocean Grove, New Jersey.
A Blogfinger exclusive.
By Paul Goldfinger, Editor @Blogfinger
Gail Shaffer, President, Historical Society of Ocean Grove, received a letter today advising her of the award for #11 Ocean Pathway. Gail had nominated the 1875 Victorian for the award and she was thrilled with the news—you could hear it in her excitement as she told Blogfinger of this very special commendation.
The official letter from the Monmouth County Historical Commission is dated May 5, 2014 and is signed by John Fabiano, Executive Director. In the letter, Mr. Fabiano referred to the house as a “careful restoration”
The award will be presented to the owners, Amira Yunis and Dudley Hancox along with their designer Jay Cortese at the next Commission meeting on June 2nd. Fabiano also said, “How fortunate we are in Monmouth County to have such a wonderful example of a 19th century planned urban community in Ocean Grove. Your creative efforts to authentically resort your Victorian there while abiding by modern building standards and historic preservation design guidelines is commended. ”
In October 2011, Blogfinger reported on this restoration which had received a Beersheba Award at that time. Below is our article including a slide show.
By Eileen and Paul Goldfinger (Oct, 2011 post)
When Amira Yunis and Dudley Hancox of New York City thought about a second home near the beach, their first reaction was “The Hamptons.” They had envisioned one of those beachy-weather-beaten cottages found at the Long Island shore, but then they visited a friend in Asbury Park who showed them 11 Ocean Pathway, a 5-bedroom house from 1871 with lots of potential. Even though, according to Amira, it looked “dark and dreary” and had many layers of wall paper and fabric on the walls, it also had numerous historic features including original windows. And, of course, there was the ocean and the peaceful low-stress atmosphere in the Grove. Amira and Dudley “fell in love” with the house. They purchased it three years ago.
They then embarked on a historically authentic restoration of the outside. After some initial contractor problems, they got together with Ocean Grove Victorian home design consultant Jay Cortese, and together, after an arduous three years, the finished product is spectacular.
Jay is a designer who is obsessive about historic accuracy. His goal was to take the house back from 1931, when it had been “colonialized,” to 1875 which was the date of a photograph that would be the gold standard for the project. He searched near and far for elements, both old and new, such as chamfered columns, pent roofs for the porches — with hand cut cedar shakes, bronze window screens and special rafter tails. He found “clues” under the 1930’s porch that enabled him to reproduce decorative cutouts with diamond “piercings.” A big element involved changing the location of the front door from the side to the center. Jay designed the new double front doors and replaced the old entrance with a window to match the original windows on the first floor.
Jay says that the secret to success in a situation like this is to find superior craftsmen. He singles out the master carpenter Carlos Correia, who Jay says is “one of the rare few blessed with the creative abilities necessary to work on old buildings.”
Amira loved the color purple, while Jay preferred shades of green, so those colors were chosen. She is from Minnesota, while Dudley is from England. They come down every summer weekend with their four children.
Much of their time is spent on the new porch. The couple say that they feel very much at home in Ocean Grove. They are taking advantage of the “Asbury Connection” and they have made new “wonderful” friends in the Grove.
SLIDE SHOW from 2011: 11 OCEAN PATHWAY (click at the bottom to reveal a control where you can stop the photos for a closer look)
SOUNDTRACK: To restore an old house in Ocean Grove has meaning which transcends just making a home look good. It is a reaching back in time to try to imagine what it was like nearly 140 years ago. It is a form of time travel to revisit a special place. And so it has something in common with any effort to bring history back to life.
That’s what Bruce Springsteen did when he recorded this song in his album “We Shall Overcome—-the Seeger Sessions.” His musicians used authentic period instruments. Shenandoah was first published in 1876 as part of a collection of Sailors’ Songs. —-PG
BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN: To bring up the music player, click on comments below. Then use the back arrow to get back here.