Stephen
P. Mack Associates specializes in creating one-of-a-kind environments,
from single dwellings to the establishment of complexes in appropriate
context, to fully realized, landscaped estates, all designed in
a harmonious mixture of the serenity of the past and the technology
of the present.
Clients
can select from a large inventory of 18th century houses and barns,
all meticulously disassembled, documented in architectural drawings
and phototgraphed extensively so that nothing is left to chance
during restoration.
Each
of the houses in our stock is, needless to say, unique. Each was
also threatened or in jeopardy of being torn down, and now has been
carefully saved.
Our
objective is to provide the finest 18th century structures with the finest 20th
century amenities subtly woven into their fabric. To that end, we work closely
with our clients to help the structures of their choice emerge again, with their
own identity and character intact.
That
process begins with a disassembled house from our stock. After the appropriate
structure is selected, the design process is begun with primary concern for
our clients' needs and desires. These are carefully translated into the context
of the particular structure and historic period, so that maximum comfort an
utility can unobtrusively join with the ambiance of the home.
The
potential of an 18th century house to stand again— to shelter a new family
and to march sturdily and elegantly into a new century— depends on the
care, the sensitivity and the method of reconstruction. Ours are of the highest
standards.
What
cannot be manufactured, no matter how methodical the modern craftsmanship, is
the personality of a complete home that is 200 or more years old. This personality
is exemplified not only by how it was built, and the original materials used,
but in the wear and patina of history, by the footsteps of the past. Such houses
have unimpeachable character.
Steve
P. Mack began restoring houses in 1976, out of a desire to save magnificent
18th century historic structures in jeopardy of destruction. His firm has participated
in the dismantling and preservation of over 50 buildings. Stephen Mack's work
has been acknowledged by the New York Times, House and Garden
magazine, and Historic Preservation magazine;; such books as Mary
Emmerling's American Country Classics, Wooden Houses, and America Restored;
and an array of other newspapers, books and television programs.
Our
finshed houses are a testament to the enduring strengths of 18th century design
and craftsmanship and Steve Mac's artistry in bringing them into a new century.
