Project Description
The Curtain Shop Building was dramatically restored to its classic beauty by removing the deterioration stucco that had concealed the building’s rich facade of buff brick and terracotta for over half a century. A cracked stucco covering had concealed but protected the true beauty of the classical facade of buff brick and detailed terracotta at 541 Main Street, home to the Curtain Shop and General Store. The building has been transformed from an eyesore and hazard into a beautiful turn-of-the century jewel along Main Street featuring two floors of arched windows. Wherever possible, a sustainable approach was taken, in that original materials were kept and preserved rather than replicated. The original terracotta medallions indicating the name and date of the building (“The Arcade”, “1897”) are now visible, as well as pre-existing wood window frames on the third floor restored in place and re-glazed. A matching grant was provided by the New Rochelle BID and a low interest loan by CPC. The project was funded by the New York State Empire Development Corp. Main Streets Program and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.