@ worthy Thanks for your insights. We discussed the possibility of adding transoms above the bedroom doorways to bring more light into the hallway. The concern was the expense of adding more height to the second floor. A solar tube (not visible from the street) might be a cheaper option, although I always worry about roof leaks. I have mixed feelings regarding a basement laundry. I like the separation from the living spaces to minimize noise and potential water damage. However, I agree that bringing laundry up and down flights of stairs can be annoying (this is our current situation). At our next meeting with the architect we will reopen the discussion of laundry room placement with the options of: 1) keeping it in the basement; 2) moving the guest bedroom to the basement to make space for a laundry room on the second floor; and 3) using the suggestion of @MrsPete to install a dumbwaiter. Regarding the house footprint, we have tried to be as efficient as possible with the space available. With a narrow city lot (80') in the historic district (zoning requires two story) the house footprint is constrained. We also really enjoy the backyard for gardening and kids play and do not want the house to swallow the entire lot. Overall, I think we have achieved a good balance of a nice size home (3,000 sq. ft.) with most of the features we desire, that also blends into the existing historic neighborhood (the newest house on the block is 100+ years old).

Trimline is our choice when specifying historical restoration. They own the east coast historical replacement market. Trimline makes windows to the 1/8 with no custom upcharge. Michael Here is a link that might be useful: Historic Wood

I truly dislike it when a window manufacturer is condemned as being "bad" or "mediocre". No window company is all bad or all good. All make some good windows, and all make windows I would not put in a doghouse. The better route is to investigate just the window types you want on your house. If you want double-hung, don't be concerned if the company's sliders installed down the street did not meet the homeowner's expectations, concentrate of what people think of their double-hung windows. We don't buy Andersen's sliding windows, for example, because we have had a number of bad experiences with that window type from Andersen. But, we have had good luck with Andersen double-hung wood windows and would buy them again. We don't buy anyone's clad wood windows because we have had so many of them rot when water gets under the cladding. So, experience in this business counts for something. But, if you are new to the window game (and it is a game, don't kid yourself), look first at the warranty. The company can, and probably does, go on and on ad nauseum in its promotional literature about its fabulous energy efficient, double-pane, argon-filled, UV-blocking, weather- and rot-resistant, lifetime windows, but the real truth about what it thinks of its windows is in its warranty. If the windows are guaranteed for five years, that's the manufacture's true opinion of how long they will last in ordinary use. If the warranty is for 10 years, then that's the life expectancy of the windows. Find the longest warranty, and you have found the most reliable windows. But also look at what the warranty promises. If all the company will do is mail you some parts to fix the window, that's not much of a warranty. If the company will send someone to actually fix the window, that's the window to buy. We typically stay away from vinyl windows, but if we have to buy vinyl we buy Milgard. Why? Because the company is confident enough in its windows to offer a no-tricks, no-BS, full lifetime warranty that includes the labor to repair a defective window. (See the Milgard warranty.) So, that's the sum of my advice based 40 years of buying replacement windows. Look to the warranty. If you want wood windows, tart your search on Google with "wood window lifetime warranty", and go from there. Best of luck.

I wonder if some kind of very tall interior shutter was used originally. I had a similar situation of not wanting to hide my interior historic window trim and having a very tall window. I got roller shades made of a nice, high end material. It had a long pull cord so I could reach them to pull up and down. It was really nice to not have a curtain hiding the beautiful trim. (Most people think of crappy roller shades, but custom made ones can be quite attractive.)