by Jorge Fontan | Last updated Oct 22, 2025 | Brownstones & Townhouses, Landmarks, Restoration
New York City has many beautiful historic townhouses. We are all familiar with the iconic NYC Brownstones, but there are also many beautiful townhouses with beautiful Limestone facades. Fortunately, limestone is not only found on historic buildings. Limestone has had... 
by Jorge Fontan | Last updated Jun 7, 2024 | Brownstones & Townhouses, Landmarks
Harlem has many brownstones, typically built in the late 1800s and some in the early 1900s. These residences are attached townhouses with facades made from brownish sandstone, which is where the name brownstone comes from. These brownstones were built over a hundred... 
by Jorge Fontan | Last updated May 29, 2024 | Brownstones & Townhouses, Landmarks
Believe it or not, some people have painted over historic masonry facades and other architectural elements of buildings, townhouses, and brownstones in New York City over the years. Over time, this paint can start to peel and look terrible; it also covers the original... 
by Jorge Fontan | Last updated Jun 7, 2024 | Brownstones & Townhouses, Landmarks
New York City has many beautiful Brownstones, but these can be in disrepair. Considering these homes are well over one hundred years old, they often need restoration. Can You Restore a Brownstone Facade Brownstone is a brownish-colored sandstone that was a popular... 
by Jorge Fontan | Last updated Jun 7, 2024 | Brownstones & Townhouses, Renovations
Brownstones in New York can need a lot of work to renovate them. There are many things to consider and countless options on what you can do when remodeling your Brownstone. I am Jorge Fontan, an architect in New York and owner of Fontan Architecture, a Manhattan-based... 
by Jorge Fontan | Last updated Jun 7, 2024 | Brownstones & Townhouses, Landmarks
People often use Townhouse and Brownstone interchangeably, but this is only sometimes correct. There is a distinction between the two. What is the Difference Between a Brownstone and a Townhouse? A Townhouse is an attached home within a city. These are built in a...