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Olde Good Things

Architectural and Altered Antiques

Top 10 Countdown: Most Valuable Salvaged Pieces at OGT

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Through the years, Olde Good Things has acquired some of our most priceless artifacts from old buildings getting a face lift or being demolished. We hear from time to time that our salvaged inventory is priced on the higher side. The actual salvage act from our team is sometimes overlooked.  Our demo team spends long hours and extreme manpower to preserve these items. It takes many unique skills to remove a giant marble mantel or stone frieze from the outside of the building while keeping it intact. It’s not all removing a door from the hinges.

We complied a list of the most valuable salvaged pieces we have online today. Please click into the listings to ask any questions or make an offers on a specific piece.

Let The Countdown Begin

 

10. Pair of 3 ft Salvaged Waldorf Conrad Suite Marble & Bronze Urns – $38,000 These are original to the Conrad Suite of the NYC Waldorf Astoria Hotel.

 

9. 10 ft Bronze Religious Sculpture of Moses Parting the Red Sea – $40,000 Salvaged from a North Bergen, New Jersey synagogue before its demolition.

 

8. White Red & Yellow Inlaid Marble Mantel from the US Ambassadors Suite of the Waldorf Astoria – $40,000 This mantel is original to Room 42A2 of the US Ambassadors Suite in the Waldorf Astoria hotel.

 

7. Massive 5 ft Gilt Bronze American Baroque Style Chandelier – $45,000 Huge 18 arm bronze chandelier featuring a crown of four cartouches, each bearing the New York City seal. Salvaged from a lobby of a New York City building.

 

6. Neoclassical Walnut Panel Room with Grand Carved Mantel – $45,000 Solid walnut panels from the negotiating room of the prominent Williamsburg Savings Bank in Brooklyn, New York.

 

5. 19th Century Louis XIV Style Gray Marble Mantel – $51,000 This is one of several additions from Danny Alessandro & Edwin Jackson mantel company.

 

4. Large Bronze Architectural Plaque from New York City – $70,000 From the National American Building, formerly located at 340 Madison Avenue, New York City.

 

3. 5 ft Silvered Bronze Ten Arm Georgian Caldwell Chandelier – $75,000 Manufactured by EF Caldwell, New York in 1895. 

 

2. 13 ft Monumental Tennessee Marble Mantel – $76,500 Made of 150 pieces of Tennessee marble, this mantel is now reconstructed and on display in our Scranton warehouse.

 

1. 1964 Solid Cast Bronze 12 ft Mid Century Modern Room Divider – $250,000 This was retrieved from the lobby of the Public Safety Building in Syracuse, NY. Plans were drawn in 1959; construction started July 1962 and was completed in 1964 by King & King Architects.

 

 

Rose Hill Mansion in Mount Kisco, NY: What We Rescued

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Rose Hill the Beautiful

The Rose Hill Mansion was located on 98 acres of land at 773 Armonk- New Castle, Mount Kisco, NY. The original Tudor style manor built in 1904 at 10,000 square feet was then later expanded to 70,000 square feet. At the time of demolition, it contained 8 main bedrooms and 12 bathrooms, along with a grand ballroom, reception halls, seminary containing 130 bedrooms & chapel.

The gallery below is Rose Hill in the early 2000’s – photos courtesy of Doug Elliman from its Zillow listing.

Who Lived There?

Best remembered as the lyricist for “Me and My Shadow” and “It’s Only a Paper Moon,” Billy Rose (1899-1966), the famous Broadway impresario, lived here from 1928 till his death. A devastating fire in 1956 destroyed many of the home’s original features, as well as Rose’s art collection, which included several works by his friend Salvador Dali. Over the years, the estate changed hands several times, most recently serving as a seminary for the Legionaries of Christ Church in 1994. Then it was operated as the Our Lady of Mount Kisco Retreat Center before putting the estate up for sale in 2011.

Demolition of Rose Hill

The demolition of Rose Hill was completed as of June 2019. Sadly, we weren’t able to connect with an interested buyer in time to save the beautiful limestone entryway. However, we did salvage some impressive pieces from the interior, which we are now making available for sale in our stores and online. Here are some of the highlights from our Rose Hill salvage project.

Leaded Glass Windows

For many years after Billy Rose’s departure, Rose Hill was occupied by religious institutions, including the Sisters of the Cenacle, the Unification Church, and finally the Legionaries of Christ. Rose Hill’s theological past is captured beautifully in these stained glass windows, painted with excerpts from the Sermon on the Mount.

Mantels

Rose Hill’s main rooms were dominated by immense fireplaces, and OGT workers salvaged two that are beyond extraordinary. The large wood mantel is hand carved, the back of one of the pieces has a penciled list of three names and a note reading “3 good men from Albany NY – June 12 ’05.” The limestone mantel is elaborately carved, with a central coat of arms guarded by mythical beasts.

Crown Molding

Rose Hill’s interior featured some truly remarkable crown molding. Our workers reclaimed over 150 linear feet of oak crown molding and approximately 95 linear feet of cherry crown molding.

 

Woodwork

The woodwork throughout Rose Hill was absolutely phenomenal. Among the many pieces rescued by Olde Good Things were a raised oak paneled room, a solid cherry carved door header, an intricately carved oak newel post, and three massive carved oak ceiling beams.

If you’d like to see more of what we rescued from Rose Hill, click here.

Out with the Olde Sale

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Our two warehouses in Scranton Pa. are now at full capacity, and we need to make room! For one month, our oldest inventory will be marked down forty percent.  Out with the old, in with more old!

Save 40% off site-wide, from 3/28/19 – 4/30/19.

Shop all Sale Items

 

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Salvaging the Walter Keane Staten Island Ferry

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When the architecturologists at Olde Good Things worked to salvage the former Staten Island Ferry the Walter Keane, they came ashore with a variety of marine architectural salvage treasures.

Exterior photos of the Walter Keane, formerly the Cornelius G. Kolff in its glory days as a steam-powered Staten Island ferry.

 

History of Staten Island Ferry

The beginnings of a Staten Island ferry system dates back to 1810, when Cornelius Vanderbilt began transporting passengers between Staten Island and the Battery in lower Manhattan on twin-mast sailboats. The ferry system grew over the years, changing hands from different investors and railway companies, gaining new boats and technologies as times changed, and finally coming under the control of New York City itself in the early 20th century to become the ferry system we know today. The modern ferry fleet has grown to include several classes of ships of varying sizes, but the ferry still travels between Staten Island and lower Manhattan. In 2005, a newly modernized terminal was dedicated at the Manhattan end of the ferry, with connections inside for the New York City Subway System as well as buses and taxi stands. Service is provided 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, running roughly every 30 minutes and having transported 23.9 million passengers in 2016 alone.

The history of the ship the Walter Keane goes even deeper than its use as a ferry. After 36 years of loyal service shipping passengers back and forth between Staten Island and Manhattan, the last two steam ferries, the Cornelius G. Kolff and its twin the Private Joseph F. Merrell , were docked in the East River as part of Rikers Island in 1987 to deal with prison overcrowding. The Kolff was later renamed after Walter B. Keane, a veteran correctional officer. The two ferries, along with several decommissioned British troop carriers, were repurposed as floating housing for the prison’s inmates. They were later used to as offices, inmate programs, and services.

Nautical Artifacts Salvaged

Our architectural salvage staff were able to recover a variety of pieces including salvaged anchors and weights, industrial chain, nautical bells, and marine equipment. The interior revealed beautiful architectural benches, tables, chairs, showers, industrial sinks, and nautical light fixtures.

 

Salvaged Boat Chain Custom Tables

The nautical anchor chains that we have salvaged from the Walter Keane and other maritime locations become custom tables in our Altered Antiques line. Our master craftsmen weld these chains together to make sturdy industrial table legs of varying sizes and shapes, from coffee tables to end tables in both round and rectangular designs. These chains can also be made into table lamps, providing an industrial or nautical motif to any project.

For more information about our nautical anchor chain tables, or to see what other treasures await in our Altered Antiques line, visit any of our Olde Good Things brick-and-mortar stores or stop over to our webstore to shop Nautical Antiques or Nautical Lighting.

Bright Lights & Vibrant Colors of Antique Stained Glass

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History of Antique Stained Glass

Stained glass windows are both stunning architectural features and awe-inspiring works of art. Traditionally made by adding metallic salts to molten glass to create colors and then blown or pressed into panels or shapes, these brilliantly colored windows can feature biblical scenes, animals and plants, landscape scenes, historical figures or abstract shapes depending on its intended use.

Bright Lights & Vibrant Colors of Antique Stained Glass

 

Throughout its thousand-year history, the term “stained glass” has been applied almost exclusively to the windows of churches, mosques and other significant buildings (such as government buildings) while a similar style, referred to as leadlight, was used primarily in homes and businesses. The major difference between stained glass and leadlight is largely in the manufacturing process and the more simplistic designs featured in leadlight. Stained glass windows, such as those commonly found in churches, usually include design elements that have been painted onto the glass and fired in a kiln before assembly. The extra time and cost involved in painting and firing the glass usually prevented its use in home or business architecture. Unlike stained glass windows which are traditionally pictorial or of elaborate design, traditional leadlight windows are generally non-pictorial, containing geometric designs and plant motifs.

Stained glass, as an art form, reached its height in the Middle Ages when it became a major pictorial form used to illustrate the stories of the Bible to a largely illiterate population, where it also became known as the Poor Man’s Bible. The use of stained glass continued through the years, gaining and losing popularity as styles changed. It regained popularity again in the late 1800’s, during the Victorian period, as there was a renewed interest in Gothic style architecture. The Arts and Crafts Movement also helped revive interest in stained glass, mostly through its ideas of traditional craftsmanship and the use of medieval, romantic, or folk styles of decoration. Artists such as Louis Comfort Tiffany (of Tiffany & Co.) developed new styles and techniques of stained glass making, elevating the art form to new heights. Today, both leadlight and stained glass are used in commercial and residential properties, helping to create intricately lit rooms with vibrant colors.

Salvaging Antique Stained Glass

Olde Good Things has always enjoyed salvaging stained glass whenever the opportunity arises. These stained glass pieces have come from churches, businesses and homes and come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Fanlights, windows, doors with stained glass and more are available in the vast stained glass area at the warehouse at Olde Good Things. We also inquired an extensive stock of large single pieces of replacement antique stained glass, in every color you can think of. (please view this video for more information). These pieces are perfect for any stained glass repair craftsmen or artist, wholesale pricing is available.  Please inquire for more details. Our stained glass pieces sell incredibly quick, so be sure to stop by our Scranton, Pennsylvania location or view the Antique Stained Glass currently online.

 

 

Architectural Salvage in the Heart of Tribeca

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While New York City is a place of constant growth and change, it is also a city filled with numerous architectural wonders from the past. Sadly, as many New Yorkers are saying goodbye to some of the city’s fantastic buildings and older architecture, not much is done to save the more interesting aspects from a landfill. That’s why whenever older buildings are being renovated or demolished, the team of architecturologists from Olde Good Things work tirelessly to uncover and preserve these architectural artifacts.

Olde Good Things recently spent time salvaging pieces from several late 19th century buildings in the West Broadway city block in the Tribeca neighborhood, just a short walk from Ground Zero. The area, scheduled to be developed for condominiums and retail space, held multiple unique architectural details.

One of the many reclaimed pieces brought back from this Tribeca neighborhood were an abundance of original ornate ceiling tin. Tin ceilings were popular in businesses and homes until around the beginning of the 20th century and feature intricate stamped designs. These tin ceiling tiles will either be sold individually, or the OGT craftsmen will turn them into beautiful frames and ornate mirrors in a multitude of colors – perfect for any commercial or residential restoration projects.

Another interesting architectural feature recovered from this property were several original wrought iron balconies and fire escapes. Developed in the latter part of the 19th century for New York’s tenement apartments, wrought iron balconies and fire escapes soon found uses in other commercial, residential and industrial buildings. These reclaimed wrought iron balconies and fire escapes would add an unexpected element of classic city chic to any renovation.

Also recovered from our recent trip are several interior and exterior wooden doors. These doors, some of which include the original glass windows or hand-lettered company names, can be incorporated in modern homes to create a unique design style. These doors are also especially popular for use as exterior doors in older buildings.

While preservationists and those who love the “old” New York lament the demolition of these older properties, Olde Good Things is thrilled to be able to help save what we can so others may be able to repurpose or reuse these pieces of architectural history.

Whether you’re interested in one of these great architectural artifacts from this Tribeca neighborhood, or you’re looking for other unique antique features, you’re always welcome at any of our Olde Good Things stores or at our webstore. We’re sure the perfect piece of history awaits you.

 

View more Architectural Salvage Projects

Closer Look at the Salvaged Iron Yard in Scranton, Pa

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For years, Scranton, Pennsylvania served as a major industrial hub, not only for our country but also the rest of the world. Industries such as coal mining, iron forging and railway transportation all played a role in shaping Scranton and the surrounding areas. Scranton’s industrial boom is sadly behind us now, but it’s only fitting that Olde Good Things houses an enormous and awe-inspiring collection of iron and metalwork right in the heart of Scranton.

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Click to Take the Video Tour

 

Stepping foot into the iron yard at Olde Good Things can be a visually overwhelming experience. The yard is packed end to end with all kinds of metal pieces, from wrought iron railing and fencing to decorative pieces and even cast iron tubs.

Some of the more interesting pieces housed in the iron yard are the cast-iron ship anchor chains. These anchor chains are repurposed by Olde Good Things for our Altered Antiques Chain Tables product line and are made into items such as coffee tables or lamps, which add a great rustic nautical element to any home or project.

The vast array of wrought iron gates, railing and fencing are also repurposed for a variety of interesting and creative uses. Many OGT customers have re-used fencing and gates in conventional ways for exterior dividing lines, entry gates and garden trellises.  But they can also be used for many interior design details such as room partitions, wall décor, head boards and more.  With the amount of assorted styles and shapes in the iron yard, the possibilities are limited only by your imagination.

Many of the pieces in the iron yard can be used as they are, ready to help bring in a certain charm to any décor. Metal wall art panels or ornate sculpted metal pieces could be used as a striking centerpiece to tie a room together. Large pulley wheels or ships wheels can bring an industrial flair to any project. Even collectible pieces like an authentic metal Coca Cola cooler, original metal street signs or branded oil drums have the right amount of vintage flair to liven up any room.

Olde Good Things spends countless hours scouring through industrial, hotel and residential locations to salvage only the most interesting metal pieces to add to our collection. Whether you’re an interior designer looking for the perfect piece for a client or a homeowner in the midst of a redecoration, we’re sure the piece you’re looking for is waiting for here at the iron yard in Olde Good Things in Scranton.

50% OFF Rouge Royale Marble Mantels Sale

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In an effort to break up some of the monotony of white mantels, we’re offering our customers a chance to bring in a classic and chic accent into their homes and workplaces with a 50% off all Rouge Red Marble Mantels. Our sale has already been announced and we are receiving an extraordinary number of phone orders – hurry while this sale and supplies last!

Video Tour of Salvaged Stone Yard

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Click the picture above to view the video.

With garden season well under way, Olde Good Things has an offering of a variety of building stones to decorate any outdoor or even indoor space. Over 30 styles of decorative salvage stones will be shown in this video. Each slide is numbered to pin point the exact one you show interest in.  We have way more than this available but this gives you a good idea of unique terra cotta, limestone and marble pieces.  Take a look and feel free to contact us with any questions.

Call 888.233.9678 to inquire or shop our online selection here <View online now!

 

Featured Stone Frieze

Terra Cotta Figural Frieze Mural Historic Grand Central Station

Facebook Live of the Salvaged Iron Yard

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Click the picture above to watch the video

 

Antique iron gates & fencing are one of the most popular architectural materials that we endeavor to salvage. From iron balconies to iron doors, from decorative iron items to iron gates & fencing, people love the look and strength of olde good iron! If you are looking for an iron piece to add significance to your design or build, we have many styles from which to choose, including both classic looks and detailed designs. Our decorative iron options vary from practical choices like iron grates and window guards to items aimed at beautiful interior décor such as decorative iron wall hangings. Iron is bold, durable, and beautiful and can become a showpiece no matter where you use it.

Shop our online department here

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