THE PHILIP CORBIN MANSION

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Philip Corbin, founder of P&F Corbin, a major manufacturer of decorative hardware, built this grand Queen Anne mansion in 1891. However, after a hundred years, the exquisite detailing had vanished, lost when the building was subdivided into apartments, with aluminum siding covering the exterior. Design Associates undertook a complete restoration that recreated lost ornament, architectural detail, and historic colors, returning the “Grand Lady of Ocean Park" to its original appearance. The Boston Society of Architects honored this extensive and detailed effort with a 1996 “Excellence in Architecture” award.

Tragically, a fire consumed the house in February 2001. Design Associates led the reconstruction to match the original Queen Anne residence, down to recreated door hardware in tiger-striped bronze, duplicating examples from Philip Corbin's company. The Getty's Group, Inc., an interior design firm in Chicago, and Thomas Wirth Associates, a landscape architecture firm in Sherborn, MA, added finishing touches to the interior and exterior.