Just got back from College Point, Queens (note to Arkie Cuz: a
once-picturesque suburb of NYC, near LaGuardia airport, now rich in natural
resources, like aluminum siding) for a visit to the Poppenhusen Institute,
built 1870 by Conrad Poppenusen.  He made it big in India Rubber but lost
most of it in Long Island railroads, and built a 5 story mansard roofed
community center in between.

Italianate outside, slathered in paint. Exec Director, Susan Brustmann
(instrumental in saving the building in 1980 - should be a saint except I bet
she's a Lutheran) says "paint analysis" numerous years ago indicates it was
originally painted.  This is rather peculiar, since two early photographs
post-completion show very clearly slightly variegated-color brick (unpainted)
with contrasting brownstone lintels.

Inside, very little changed. I mean, little.  All doors, windows, balusters,
etc. intact.  Giant (for 1870) second floor concert hall/auditorium restored
to original paint colors 1992 - a rather boring rose and cream.  St. Susan
has spent 16 years stabilizing this giant thing (in a neighborhood of little
wooden houses and low factories) and tracking down the building's original
accoutrements, tossed/lost during the decline of the 1970s.  (Like a 6' x 12'
painting - the dealer who bought it didn't want the gold frame, it got left
in the balcony, and St. Susan reacquired painting, put in original frame, and
rehung back where it was.)

Coolest area (this is the tech part - maybe good enough for P-L) was attic
under the mansard, a forest of great timbers, giant tie-rods and angled
cross-bracing, with graffitti in chalk on the walls by contractors dating
back to 1902.  They let current workers leave their names and dates there
now, too.

Cowley-Prudon just finished a basement renovation; Platt Byard Dovell are
working on a new roof.  Who's going to strip off that damn paint?

Signed,   Tinker Toy