RENOVATION BRINGS NEW LIFE TO THE HISTORIC “BAZALI HOUSE” ON EAST RIVER STREET

By: Angel Steiner

The historic brick home at 112 E. River Street, long known in the community as the “Bazali House,” has undergone an extensive, years-long restoration that brings new life to one of the village’s oldest surviving structures. The renovations have been done by Grant and Brittany Morrow of Antwerp.

The home, one of the last remaining houses on its block, is believed to date back to two separate construction periods: 1860 and 1882. According to historic accounts and discussions with local historian Walter Lang, the oldest portion of the home was likely a small brick square built around 1860, possibly by a bricklayer. When the Gordon family later acquired the property, they expanded the residence, adding the main structure and—years later—the second-floor bedrooms. Early photographs from the late 1800s and early 1900s confirm the evolution of the house’s footprint over time.

The home’s construction is notably solid. It features double-brick walls rising from a substantial flint-rock foundation, which extends several feet into the ground. The basement, once a dark, dungeon-like space, has been cleaned, sealed, and converted into a cozy “speakeasy”-style room complete with bar and television. Restoration included waterproofing, exterior excavation, and extensive interior wall coating to preserve the original brick.

Inside, much of the home’s historical craftsmanship has been preserved. Several rooms retain their original plaster, intricate ceiling medallions, window trim, and baseboards. Where plaster was too damaged to repair, the owners carefully replicated missing crown molding and trim to match. An original full-view door leading to the now master bedroom was once hidden behind walls during the home’s years as a doctor’s office. Morrow’s have restored it and it is a stunning showpiece.

Upstairs, the house features four bedrooms and one full bathroom (with one and a half downstairs). Some bedrooms include exposed brick accent walls discovered during renovation, which the owners intentionally preserved as focal points. The layout also reflects the home’s layered history, including a curved wall in the upstairs landing added during early expansions to accommodate original window placement.

The back portion of the home is a gorgeous living room area boasting a gas log fireplace and gives way to the laundry room—but was once the original kitchen and housed the property’s indoor well, a luxury feature in the 19th century. 

Outside, the house once featured a large wrap-around porch, but the structure had deteriorated beyond repair. Its removal allowed for a new, clean front porch and patio, with the option for future homeowners to recreate the historic style if desired. The original carriage house, with its old-growth lumber and unique shiplap construction, still stands at the rear of the property, and has been exquisitely reconditioned.

Throughout the process, the Morrows worked in phases over several years, completing nearly all renovation work themselves. What began as a consideration to demolish the house ultimately transformed into a preservation effort that restores a key piece of Antwerp’s architectural heritage.

As we closed out our visit of the Bazali House, Grant wanted to impress this sentiment, “I just want to give credit where credit is due. All the glory goes to God, He’s the one that allowed us to do all of this. And thanks to my wife, Brittany for her creative ideas and work, as well as my dad Gary for all of his help.”

The renovated Bazali House opened to the public for a weekend showing earlier this month, drawing far more visitors than expected. Many longtime residents came to see the restoration firsthand, reminiscing about the home’s history and the families who once lived there.

Now completed and listed for sale, the once-fading landmark has been returned to its former prominence—standing tall on East River Street, just east of the downtown district, ready to endure another century in the village it has watched grow since the days of the canal.

Editor’s Note: Our dear friend and fellow columnist, the late Stanley Jordan, wrote about Dr. Bazali and the history of the owners of this house in his weekly column of “Antwerp History”. WBN editors are compiling a Historical Anthology of his writings and plan to share them with the community soon.