Relics and Restoration: Architectural Parts Warehouse supplies hard-to-find pieces

Looking for a fireplace mantle? An antique light fixture? A cast iron radiator? What about a clawfoot tub? You're sure to find all this and more at the Architectural Parts Warehouse on Lexington Avenue.

"Our mission is to help homeowners restore vintage homes without breaking the bank," said Manager Mark Brogna.

Brogna and his staff salvage the pieces from demolition sites and old buildings, curbs and dumpsters, clean them up, and sell them to architects, interior designers, and do-it-yourselfers. The parts are sold for well below the prices you'll find in antique stores or supply warehouses, and the funds go to support local preservation efforts.

Walking into the warehouse just off Central Avenue on Lexington, which is located in the converted Capitol Staple Building, is like walking into a world of parts. Picture your home. Now picture your home in pieces. All its pieces. Not just doors, but door knobs. Not just windows, but shutters. And don't forget the plumbing--sinks, toilets, tubs, radiators. You'll also find all the pieces of a porch, from balusters to railings, neatly piled along one side.

There's also plenty of treasures, including the Wellington Hotel's copper cornice adorned with lion heads and a 1950's era-General Electric Galley Kitchen, complete with working stove and sink. And the surprises keep coming, Brogna said. "A lot of things that show up, I don't even know what they are," he said. The pieces might have been common in their day, but whatever purpose they served has become obsolete, and now they're simply interesting relics of a bygone era, he said.

As we talk in one of the old offices, piled with interesting artifacts, we are frequently interrupted by customers. One wants to thank thank Brogna for his help renovating a bathroom, another wants to see about an antique light fixture, and still another wants to let Brogna know that if any more pocket doors come in, he wants them. Brogna has worked at the warehouse for seven years, and in that time he has assisted countless customers rehab old houses, he has also helped artists, interior designers, and set designers with their projects. The Architectural Parts Warehouse is just one of three salvage businesses in the area, which puts Albany on the map as a mecca for people restoring their homes, Brogna said.

The warehouse is a program run by the Historic Albany Foundation, which specializes in identifying and protecting Albany's architectural resources. Brogna reminds customers that preservationists are not just stewards of history, they are stewards of the environment. Restoring homes using salvaged pieces is affordable and eco-friendly, because you're keeping these items out of the landfill, and you're not expending any additional manufacturing energy, he said.

"The greenest building is the one that's already built," he said.

Each year, the Historic Albany Foundation sponsors an event called "Built," which celebrates Albany's architecture by soliciting artwork from local artists. Artists are asked to create pieces inspired by Albany's buildings, and these in turn are exhibited and auctioned to raise money for the foundation, Brogna said. Initially, the event was called "Vacancy," and focused on Albany's vacant buildings, but now the event includes all of the city's built environment, he said. The exhibit and auction will take place on November 8 at the Cathedral of All Saints at 62 South Swan Street. For more information, visit the foundation's website http://www.historic-albany.org/built.html

The warehouse is always accepting donated pieces, and is also seeking volunteers to work at the warehouse, Brogna said. So whether you're looking for a hard-to-find fixture, or a new way to help the environment, or a treasure hunt, visit the warehouse and see what they have to offer.

The Architectural Parts is located at 89 Lexington Avenue, just off Central Avenue. For more information, call 465-2987.