Posted: 3:03 p.m. Monday, June 2, 2014

Sorg Mansion repairs begin on theroof

By Rick McCrabb

Staff Writer

MIDDLETOWN — 

    The new owners of the Sorg Mansion say repairs andrenovations to the 127-year-old residence are “moving in the right direction.”

    Mark and Traci Barnett, who live in Baltimore, purchased the Sorgfor $225,000 after seeing it listed for sale on the Internet. Mark Barnett saidhe was impressed by the mansion’s exterior and the way the interior waspreserved.

    Workers have been repairing the roof andgutters for the last few weeks. He said the roof was in “bad shape” and therewere “major issues” with leaking.

Whenthe roof is completed, the windows will be replaced, he said. Then, therenovations to the interior will begin.

    “It’s one step at a time,” he said Mondayafternoon from his home.

Earlier,Barnett estimated the repairs to cost between $400,000 to $500,000, but he saidthat was just a guess.

    Eventually, the Barnetts plan to relocateto Middletown and spend theirretirement years bringing life back into the Sorg Mansion. They may turn themansion into a bed-and-breakfast. They have purchased and renovated four homes.

    “It’s what we like to do,” said Barnett,56, a railroad engineer.

    The Barnetts visited Middletown a few weeks ago andwere impressed by the Sorg and the neighbors they met who live on South Main Street, in the city’shistorical district. He called it “a nice experience” and said the neighborswere pleased the mansion was sold.

    Rachel S. Lewitt, broker and owner ofFinkelman Real Estate, which handled the property, called the Sorg Mansion “a critical part of Middletown’s history andcornerstone for redevelopment of downtown.” The property has been in theFinkelman family since 1936, said Lewitt, the granddaughter of the late HarryA. Finkelman, who died in 2004.

    It was built in 1887 by Paul J. Sorg, oneof Middletown’s first industrialistand first multi-millionaires, for $1 million, according to records.

    The three-story, 12-bedroom, eight-bathroombrick-and-stone Romanesque castle features 12-foot ceilings and fireplaces inevery bedroom. There’s also a ballroom, formal dining room and library. Much ofthe original stained glass remains today, according to Lewitt.

    In September 2009, the property was listedfor sale for $525,000, according to newspaper reports. The mansion has beenhome to dance and photo studios, a construction company and low-incomeapartments over the years.

    Jeffrey Diver, president of the MiddletownHistorical Society, said it’s “very exciting” when he drives by and sees workbeing done on the mansion. Diver, who never has been inside the Sorg, said he’slooking forward to when the building is “brought back to its original glory.”