When approaching a renovation of an historical home, Peter Stoutenburgh analyzes the building in the same way a doctor examines a body. As Stoutenburgh studies the residence, his eye is trained to spot architectural elements added to the original construction.

“It’s like a doctor knowing where the liver should be. I have been doing this for a long time,” he remarked.

Almost three decades ago, Stoutenburgh transformed his love of tinkering with antique residences from a summertime job to a full time occupation. He started Environment East, one of the leading renovation companies for historical homes and existing properties on the East End.

According to Stoutenburgh, his company’s work focuses on craftsmanship, comprehensive construction and preserving the architecture of the East End. Environment East’s projects range from privately owned homes to publicly maintained landmark sites.

Stoutenburgh’s love of the old wasn’t founded in his childhood home. He grew up on the North Fork in a house built by his father. To make extra money in his spare time, though Stoutenburgh would work on small projects on local, and mostly older, homes.

“These were the houses I grew up around … and interesting people always seem to live in old homes. They tended to be the artists and professionals who came out here not to be seen on the streets of East Hampton or Southampton but to hide and blend with the local communities. I fell in love with these homes, but they were slowly disappearing and being bulldozed,” remembers Stoutenburgh.

After graduating with a degree in environmental science and traveling the world, Stoutenburgh returned home to find farmland evaporating to the highest bidder and developers razing old constructions to build anew.

“The trades people who had maintained the older structures were all working for a quick buck to build a new house,” said Stoutenburgh. “No one was learning how to maintain [the historical] structures. I realized that in order to save these older homes, there needed to be companies who specialize in existing homes.”

Around this time, Stoutenburgh stepped in with Environment East, one of the few local companies equipped in dealing with the needs and particulars of renovating older homes. In the last 30 years, explained Stoutenburgh, house building has lost a degree of craftsmanship.

It used to be that contractors would spend several years apprenticing — but now someone can become a roofer or framer in a matter of months. For new construction, workers often come in to focus on one particular aspect of the building and are finished before the project ends. In the past, however, builders would stay with a project through completion.

“They looked at the whole picture,” added Stoutenburgh.

Considering the sensitivity needed with older homes, Stoutenburgh relies on a highly skilled crew and often conducts research for his assignments. One project of note was the “Old House” in Cutchogue which was built in 1649 making it one of the oldest structures in New York State. Stoutenburgh was hired to restore the 17th century residence.

“We researched for two years before we even got started,” recalled Stoutenburgh. “We had to travel around New England looking at similar restorations. Our research went all the way back to England to find the exact prototype of the windows.”

The largest hurdle in renovating historical private homes, adds Stoutenburgh, is getting the structures to comply with modern day building codes.

“You have 300 years of building practices that have to meet today’s standards,” Stoutenburgh pointed out. Stoutenburgh, however, isn’t one to gripe over the challenges of his profession.

Like a calm physician listening to the aches of a patient, Stoutenburgh studies a house to plan a renovation: “The house will usually tell you what it needs you to know.”

Environment East (3075 Indian Neck Lane, PO Box 197, Peconic, N.Y. 11958) can be reached at 734-7474.

This post was written by:

Marissa Maier - who has written 245 posts on The Sag Harbor Express.