Olde Bostonian

We have amazing old windows in our 1895 Victorian and wanted to restore them. After getting quotes so high they made me, literally, cry we stumbled on Olde Bostonian. We toured their workshop and were so impressed with the windows they had worked on – they looked like brand new construction after they were finished!
Anthony has gone out of his way to come up with a price we can afford, and is on par with replacement, so we’ll be able to keep our windows after all. Plus he gave us a crazy deal on new storms. He is always courteous, punctual, and patient. We’ve signed on to have Olde Bostonian restore 35+ windows in our house this spring.
Then winter hit and ice dams started causing leaks around three windows. We called Anthony in a panic and he sent a crew to take out the windows, patch the opening with heavy plastic and open a path to let water drain away from the window frame and (hopefully) out of the interior of the house. His crew was on time, worked quickly, and cleaned up after themselves. They even took off their shoes to keep our floor dry.
Anthony always treats us like we’re his only customer and every time we turn around he’s doing something extra for us. I plan to update this review after we get the windows actually restored, and if current performance is any indicator, we’ll be completely thrilled.

Are you a renter like me and can’t stand the laughable security of the cheap particleboard doors in your apartment? Did you get drunk and break a cool glass doorknob with your teeth when you passed out waiting in line for the bathroom at someone’s party? Maybe you’re a homeowner and got a little overzealous with your golf putt, taking out a panel of stained glass, loser. Doors, knobs, windows – where do you go?
Tucked on an industrial service road between Andrew and JFK T stations is Olde Bostonian, a small building that sells antique doors, windows, marble mantles, tubs, and hutches of all shapes, sizes, and ages. These items brag tasteful finishings of yesteryear – the kind of flourishes you just don’t see in this day and age of «make it quick and cheap.» My favorites were rusty, tarnished, and tiny mail slots on some of the doors. In one corner there’s an old wooden phone booth sans phone. Some windows are broken on the older frames, but fortunately Olde Bostonian deals in window restoration as well.
I was interested in replacing a glass doorknob (no, not for the reason above), so I asked the lone shopkeeper if they had any. He directed me to a room on the side and turned the lights on. Here I found a wall of labeled drawers with glass, metal, and wooden knobs, in addition to drawer pulls, faucet heads, porcelain tap turners, tiles, and many other odds and ends, all meticulously organized. Since I did not end up making a purchase, I never discovered their pricing system (to my knowledge, no pieces were marked with a price). Having been to several architectural salvage stores, I was really taken with how organized this place was. So if you’re looking to add a touch of class to your basement hovel, or trying to restore the natural beauty or your 1920s house that was dragged, kicking and screaming, into the 70s, stop by for a peek into the past.