When brownstone properties were initially build they were single-family homes that usually included a Garden Floor, sometimes called an English Brooklyn Brownstone Basement, that was at floor level which had a front entrance underneath an outside formal staircase that led up to the “parlour floor” above, and a back exit door that led to a garden at the rear of the brownstone homes. The kitchen was generally situated on the garden floor. The parlour floor was where visitors were entertained and the parlour was normally the most elaborately designed room of the brownstone townhouses with a huge fireplace with an elaborately detailed mantle, beautifully crafted mouldings and stunning hardwood floors. The entrance to the parlour commonly had a set of pocket doors that subtly slid into the walls when opened. The large windows that looked out onto the flagstone pavement in front of the brownstone town homes would be furnished with raised panel shutters that collapsed into the window frames when not in use.

• One of the factors about classic brownstone real estate is the gorgeously ornate staircase banisters many of them contain.

It is so exciting to see an elaborately carved wood banister sweeping up to the floors above, particularly if it still has its original finish. Today, most brownstone condos have been transformed to multiple family dwellings with a lot of the classic detailing lost to neglect, indelicate care or too many layers of paint. Still, if you are seeking to own a home with some of the greatest architecture, then a brownstone property could be for you. The building material is a type of sandstone, which was greatly deposited in Massachusetts, Connecticut, and New Jersey during the late Triassic period. Deposits of brownstone developed in other parts of the world as well.

• The brownstone quarries offered stable employment and income to the towns in which they were situated.

However, the ease with which the stone could be quarried turned out to be an sign of its strength in general. The embellished carvings and decoration that characterize much 19th century building rapidly wore away when they were carved into brownstone, which is a pliable, crumbly material unlike marble or granite. The stone also had a possibility for failing when it was used as a essential construction element. As a result, builders switched to stronger, more flexible materials for construction. A reddish brown granite that is very alike to the stone is now utilized to repair older brownstone houses or build new structures that are manufactured to copy them. Although it is no longer favored in new homes, existent varieties of brownstone homes for sale can be seen in many places. Landlords have the inclination to be proud of homes built with this material, guaranteeing that examples of 19th century architecture in brownstone may be around in the future for people to look at. In some cities, trip guides will take visitors on walking trips of the city to see neighbourhoods filled with these stately classic brownstone homes.