Butcher Brownstones (Thursday Doors)

we know our
progenitor, our
date of birth–
our thresholds
have been traversed too many
times to remember—

but no one
has bothered to write
about our
inner lives–
multitudinous stories
behind every door

These three brownstones, designed by architect Frederick G Butcher in 1889-91, are the only three references to his architecture I could find in my research. I really like the decorative stonework above the doors and windows on the right two houses, which are twins. Why Butcher chose a completely different design for the third one is a mystery.

That house was recently sold for almost six million dollars and converted back to a single family house, so the facade may have been slightly altered–but I imagine not too much, as it’s inside the Landmark District. I looked at the interior online and there don’t seem to be that many original details left on the inside. I’m glad at least the decorative ornamentation above the door remains.

The two arched doors are much more appealing to me. Both of these houses are rentals; one has two duplex apartments and one has six apartments. From the rental listings I found, it looks like they both still retain some of their original interior woodwork, even though they’ve been divided up.

There’s a stained glass insert in the arch of the window on #175.

The ornamentation between the sets of upper windows appears to contain dragons or perhaps sea serpents. Each one is slightly different.

I could find no juicy details on past residents for these two houses–hence my poem, which answers David’s W3 prompt for “a poem from the perspective of an inanimate household object, using personification.” I’m sure he knew I would be using a door.

And visit Dan Antion, the host of Thursday Doors, here, to see more doors and add some of your own.