Gambrel House
In late 2020, preservationist Adam Wengryn circulated a flyer about a historic house in Old Tappan, NJ, that was slated for demolition. On a snowy February morning in 2021, we walked the structure with our clients. With sections dating to the American Revolution and a Dutch gambrel roof line circa 1812, the clients fell in love with the history and beauty of the building. They agreed to fund its deconstruction rather than watch it go to a landfill. That October, the house was carefully dismantled, loaded onto a tractor-trailer, and moved sixty miles south to a new site in Kingston, New Jersey.
The brief was straightforward on paper: site the building to the existing contours of the parcel, hold strict fidelity to the original exterior detailing, deliver five bedrooms, exceed code on building performance, and favor reclaimed materials and historical accuracy wherever possible. Reconciling all five was the work of the next twenty months.
The design was a collaboration led by MDB. The antique frame could meet neither modern structural or insulation code requirements on its own, so MDB and Fire Tower Engineered Timber resolved how to wrap it in an exoskeleton — an air-sealed shell packed with a thick layer of cellulose insulation — while leaving the original frame exposed along the interior. Compliance consultants ReVireo guided the project to Energy Star, Zero Energy Ready Home, and EPA Indoor airPLUS certifications.
Rebuilding this timber frame house was no small task — which is why MDB brought on skilled craftspeople capable of handling work of this complexity. At the attic level, the historically accurate fireplaces and "witch's crook" chimneys were rebuilt using salvaged brick and stone. Rarely executed techniques like these were made possible by our numerous skilled trade partners. Once construction was underway, Shannon Connor Interiors joined the team, selecting the interior finishes and outfitting the spaces with bespoke elements that complement the old-world character of the architecture.
The house's authenticity comes from its craftspeople and its materials — too many to name individually. It is the product of perseverance, a dedication to craft, and a willingness to adjust the design daily as the frame revealed what it wanted to be.
