The renovation of the building that began its life as McKinstry’s store brought to mind the old adage about the farmer who’d had the same ax for 40 years
; he changed the head twice and the handle three times.
It’s a story that circulates in the world of ethnographic artifacts. How do you determine age and authenticity for that African stool? That ceremonial mask from New Guinea? Beautiful they may be, but until we snatch them up and put them in museums, they are used, repaired and modified with no more or less nostalgia than we now afford a car, a couch, an ax—or a 150 year old candy store.
The building at 123 Main Street, most recently the home of Hi Ho Antiques, was old and in bad condition, with an interior rabbit warren of eccentric spaces suited to very little in a modern world. The sensible and possibly most economical thing to do was knock it down and start over, but new owner, Pasquale Iovieno of Pasquale’s Pizzeria, says he understood the strong feelings people have for this historic building. And submitting a plan for new construction to the Town of Gardiner would have left the building sitting empty, possibly for years, while the project moved through a lengthy review and approval process. Renovation of an existing building, on the other hand, basically requires only a building permit.
Pasquale, along with his architect, Jennifer Lucas of Lucas Architecture in Kingston, and engineer Jonathan Cella, met only once with the Gardiner building inspector Hank Vance before Lucas was given her brief: re-design the building with plenty of space for stores and apartments, and maintain the “feel” of the Hamlet. In a very short time builder AnthonyBasselini had a set of plans in his hands and was up and running.
Those of us who drove through the Hamlet daily watched with elation. The building had been saved from the wrecking ball! Weeks went by and elation turned into mild concern. Day after day we saw parts of the old landmark stripped away and replaced. Concern soon turned to full-blown alarm. Would there be anything left to recognize?
The building lost the setback over the front porch. The roof lines changed. The windows and doors moved around and changed shape and size. Finally, the front facade disappeared. The whole thing turned yellow instead of red. Oddly, when that happened alarm turned back into delight; we could finally let go of the old and see McKinstry’s store reborn as something new and fresh.
Some of the original structural timbers remain, but the building now has new plumbing, new wiring, new insulation, new siding, new flooring, a new roof and new windows and doors. Even some of the foundation had to be rebuilt.
There are now two retail (or office) spaces on the ground floor, each with a handicapped accessible bathroom, a large closet and a back door —though a single business might rent the entire space.
And, the apartments upstairs will apparently be very nice places to live. They are each two bedrooms, with granite countertops, washers and driers, central AC, a deck—and a view! (Prices are negotiable, but currently listed at $1,400/mo for the apartments and $1,550/mo for each of the retail spaces.) As of this writing, Pasquale did not yet have any confirmed tenants, but with luck, that will change soon.
So, thanks to Pasquale Iovieno, McKinstry’s Store is new, and old, and she’s still with us. And let’s remember this: Michael Jackson had a lot of cosmetic surgery, too, but he was still Michael Jackson. When he exploded onto the stage and started to sing, were we any less thrilled?
The renovation of the building that began its life as McKinstry’s store brought to mind the old adage about the farmer who’d had the same ax for 40 years; he changed the head twice and the handle three times.
It’s a story that circulates in the world of ethnographic artifacts. How do you determine age and authenticity for that African stool? That ceremonial mask from New Guinea? Beautiful they may be, but until we snatch them up and put them in museums, they are used, repaired and modified with no more or less nostalgia than we now afford a car, a couch, an ax—or a 150 year old candy store.
The building at 123 Main Street, most recently the home of Hi Ho Antiques, was old and in bad condition, with an interior rabbit warren of eccentric spaces suited to very little in a modern world. The sensible and possibly most economical thing to do was knock it down and start over, but new owner, Pasquale Iovieno of Pasquale’s Pizzeria, says he understood the strong feelings people have for this historic building. And submitting a plan for new construction to the Town of Gardiner would have left the building sitting empty, possibly for years, while the project moved through a lengthy review and approval process. Renovation of an existing building, on the other hand, basically requires only a building permit.
Pasquale, along with his architect, Jennifer Lucas of Lucas Architecture in Kingston, and engineer Jonathan Cella, met only once with the Gardiner building inspector Hank Vance before Lucas was given her brief: re-design the building with plenty of space for stores and apartments, and maintain the “feel” of the Hamlet. In a very short time builder AnthonyBasselini had a set of plans in his hands and was up and running.
Those of us who drove through the Hamlet daily watched with elation. The building had been saved from the wrecking ball! Weeks went by and elation turned into mild concern. Day after day we saw parts of the old landmark stripped away and replaced. Concern soon turned to full-blown alarm. Would there be anything left to recognize?
The building lost the setback over the front porch. The roof lines changed. The windows and doors moved around and changed shape and size. Finally, the front facade disappeared. The whole thing turned yellow instead of red. Oddly, when that happened alarm turned back into delight; we could finally let go of the old and see McKinstry’s store reborn as something new and fresh.
Some of the original structural timbers remain, but the building now has new plumbing, new wiring, new insulation, new siding, new flooring, a new roof and new windows and doors. Even some of the foundation had to be rebuilt.
There are now two retail (or office) spaces on the ground floor, each with a handicapped accessible bathroom, a large closet and a back door —though a single business might rent the entire space.
And, the apartments upstairs will apparently be very nice places to live. They are each two bedrooms, with granite countertops, washers and driers, central AC, a deck—and a view! (Prices are negotiable, but currently listed at $1,400/mo for the apartments and $1,550/mo for each of the retail spaces.) As of this writing, Pasquale did not yet have any confirmed tenants, but with luck, that will change soon.
So, thanks to Pasquale Iovieno, McKinstry’s Store is new, and old, and she’s still with us. And let’s remember this: Michael Jackson had a lot of cosmetic surgery, too, but he was still Michael Jackson. When he exploded onto the stage and started to sing, were we any less thrilled?