"We are out to save as much architectural history as we can," says Tracey Clark, who, along with partner Ben Riddleberger, owns the architectural salvage company Housewerks. Fireplace mantels, decorative lighting, historic entry doors, and antique plumbing fixtures fill the Housewerks' showroom. Even the South Baltimore building, which the company moved into last year after 5 years in DC, speaks of the owners' love of historic architecture - Housewerks is located inside a magnificent 1885 gas valve house, "a destination in itself," according to Clark. Housewerks' clientele includes both designers and homeowners searching for interesting pieces for residential and commercial spaces.

Fueled by Clark's background in archaeology, Housewerks deals in many pieces that have come from Baltimore and Washington, DC out of buildings that were either torn down or converted. The pair hunts for specific items for clients while they are out at antique shows and scouring old buildings. Riddleberger, having studied art history and worked in sculpture conservation, is then able to restore pieces on an as needed basis according to client's specifications. "Given our backgrounds," says Clark, "we are good at helping people find the right piece and understand how it relates to the architecture and how it should be installed." Both Clark and Riddleberger are passionate about architectural salvage - they want to see pieces reused and appreciated.

From the March issue of Urbanite

A condemned building is a safety risk to most people, but to Tracey Clark and Ben Riddleberger, it is a treasure chest of decorative mantelpieces, delicate banisters, and vintage lighting. Clark and Riddleberger co-own Housewerks, a new 8,000-square-foot architectural salvage store located in a former BGE valve house building that dates back to 1885. The partners have been in the salvage business for more than a decade, spending their days gutting buildings that are being wrecked or remodeled, and saving everything from high-end accoutrements to kitchen sinks. Unlike other area salvage businesses, Housewerks focuses on the more decorative, delicate items, like pre-WWII decorative building materials. "It's architectural salvage, but there is an artistic component to it," says Clark. Clark, who studied archaeology, travels from the D.C. area up as far as Pennsylvania following hot tips on lucrative houses. Riddleberger has a background in art and conservation and he specializes in giving the pieces new finishes, wax-jobs, and polishes. "It's just urban archaeology," says Clark.

BLURBS

From Baltimore Magazine's Bargain Shopping Issue, May 2005:

"Their concept is the look of a museum without the cost of one."

From Peninsula Magazine:

"Strolling through Housewerks feels like wandering through old movie sets. Turn one corner and see elements of Fritz Lang's "Metropolis"; turn another and see something from "Casablanca" or the "City of Lost Children."