With its old Victorian grandeur peeking through some major renovations, the A.T. Stewart built home at 49 Hilton Avenue has been brought back to life. The historic gem, one of Garden City's original "Disciple" houses, is once again basking in its 1880s glory.

Thanks to some Garden City investors who believe strongly in the village's historical integrity, James Falk, along with his brother Philip, and a third partner, David Cassaro, purchased 49 Hilton Avenue last March. And for six months they painstakingly replicated every original detail the home has to offer. "Everything in that house is new except for the staircase, which is the home's original," James Falk told Garden City Life.

Falk, who owns Leo's on Seventh Street, has bought and restored homes in town for the past 20 years. He not only does it to keep busy but to ensure Garden City's history stays intact. He told Garden City Life that he'd rather buy and restore them himself than see someone tear them down.

Over the last two decades, James Falk has bought and restored homes on Ninth Street, Cedar Place, Hilton Avenue, Sixth Street and Fifth Street, three of which were also original "Disciple" houses.

The Falks and Cassaro purchased 49 Hilton Avenue from the home's third owner, Jayne Munkenbeck, who lived there with her late husband, Arthur, for some 49 years. James, who recalled a Maypole the Munkenbecks put in their yard during tea dances and cocktail parties, believes past owners must have been quite pleased with the location since the Munkenbecks were only the third; the house was built in 1888.

Jayne McGratty Armstrong, an agent with Coach Realtors (Hubbell & Klapper, Fennessy Associates) in Garden City, is selling the home. Growing up in town, she too realizes the property's significance. "There's just a lot of history in this house," she said. "It will always be known as the 'Munkenbecks house' because they owned it for so many years ... Everybody, including the current homeowners, still refer to it as the 'Munkenbecks house.'"

While looking through the new custom Marvin thermopane windows, which replicate the home's originals, McGratty Armstrong recalled being able to see the Twin Towers from a third floor bedroom and the Kentucky Derby parties the Munkenbecks often threw at the house. "I think it's very important to all three of those families to keep historic houses in town," she added.

The Garden City Historical Society too is pleased and grateful for the recent restoration work. "This residence is one of the finest examples of the early remaining A.T. Stewart era structures in our town's central historic district," Society President Brian Pinnola said.

In fact, the residence will more than likely be a contender for the Society's 2nd annual A.T. Stewart Award, established in 2006 to recognize owners of residential and non-residential structures that have been historically appropriately renovated, constructed or maintained.

The home boasts high ceilings and large rooms, including seven bedrooms (four on the second floor and three on the third), three-and-a-half baths and a large eat-in kitchen for the cooking enthusiast, three beautifully restored fireplaces, including one in the second floor master bedroom, and the original staircase.

Selling for $2.489 million, the property has been on the market for at least six months. To help prospective buyers better see themselves living in the space, McGratty Armstrong suggested staging it with help from Garden City-based diSalvo Interiors, a professional design team with a myriad of products collected from around the world. diSalvo's showroom, located at 840 Franklin Avenue, is the largest of its kind on Long Island, with more than 5,000 items on display at any one time.

Every staged piece of furniture and every decoration hanging on walls and windows of the "Munkenbecks house" came out of the diSalvo showroom. Annemarie diSalvo, the design studio's co-owner, has worked with Coach in the past. Because the staging of a new condominium development in nearby Rockville Centre recently proved successful, diSalvo Interiors was quickly recommended to McGratty Armstrong.

"[Staging] never happened in the past," diSalvo said. "Certainly for the last five years, especially, the market has been so hot that by the time they go up on the market, they're gone. Now that the market is tightening a bit, it's not generally homeowners that are calling us. It is real estate investors, people who have bought the property to flip it. Those are the ones that really need to get out of them. They are being very proactive in their marketing of the properties."

Coach Realtors encourages the idea of staging, which is beginning to catch on here on the East Coast. "As beautiful as the house was, it was cold and uninviting. People couldn't picture themselves in it," McGratty Armstrong said. "It was just a big, cold open space ... Now, it's really just a warm, inviting home."

McGratty Armstrong said Coach has certainly gotten more interest since the staging. In fact, open house attendees now inquire whether or not they can purchase the home furnished. McGratty Armstrong assures Coach can sell it furnished, partially furnished or unfurnished and is willing to work anything into the sale price.

For more information, call McGratty Armstrong at Coach Realtors at 746-5511. Open houses are going on now.