For a Brooklyn Heights Townhouse, a Divine Reinvention
The Greek Revival house, once home to the Franciscan Sisters of the Poor, needed more than just a simple renovation to function in the 21st century.
April 6, 2021, 5:00 a.m. ET
When Steven Holley found his 1834 Greek Revival townhouse in Brooklyn Heights, it seemed almost like divine intervention.
“It had been owned by the Roman Catholic Church for about a hundred years, and the Franciscan Sisters of the Poor had been living there since 1969,” said Mr. Holley, 63, a partner at the law firm Sullivan & Cromwell.
Beaten up, stripped of many period details and cut into a warren of tiny rooms, the townhouse was ready for a complete overhaul exactly the kind of project he wanted.
All photos by Evan Joseph courtesy of The Corcoran Group
As Brownstoner first spotted, the Brooklyn Heights townhouse that was used for the exterior shots of the Castorini family’s home in the classic 1987 film
Moonstruck has just come on the market. The interiors were not used in the movie, but boy are they big screen-worthy. There are early 19th-century details like hand-carved moldings, inlaid wooden floors, and marble fireplace mantles, as well as new old-looking features like beamed ceilings, luxe wallpapers, and vintage decor. Located at 19 Cranberry Street, the home is asking $12,850,000, and even has a private parking spot.