Salvaged Soul: A Philadelphia Gaslamp Pergola With Parisian Flair in New Jersey

Decommissioned Philadelphia gaslamp posts (1930s, original steel-mill stamps intact), bent reclaimed fencing echoing Paris Metro arches, Amish barn doors refitted to an 1800s stone potting shed — these elements knit a historic Princeton property into a landscape that feels centuries in the making. Designer David Fierabend of Groundswell Design Group layered history and style over four months on a half-acre.

The Connective Tissue: A Pergola With Provenance

Eight gaslamp posts frame the pergola. Reclaimed fencing metal bent into canopy arches — "reminiscent of a Paris train station," Fierabend says. The clients love Paris. Wisteria will eventually cloak the structure in vines and blossoms.

Shed Doors With a Past

Salvaged from a deconstructed Bucks County barn (20 miles away), retrofitted to the potting shed. Instant patina, authentic character.

Planting by a Master Gardener

One homeowner is a master gardener. Collaboration yielded a palette of color, texture, and seasonality — plants as curated as the salvaged hardscape.

Bridging Old and New

Existing brick driveway met new argillite patio bordered by stone wall. "Juxtaposed hard brick edges with chunky, natural stone," Fierabend explains. The stone picks up pergola patinas and shed stones. Result: a landscape that looks like it evolved over generations — because its pieces did.