Architectural Detail

This beautiful, apple-embellished detail graces the facade of the Washington-Essex Building across the street from our new apartment.  It's a beautiful old place, built in 1902, but it looks like it has fallen on hard times, with peeling paint and a general air of benign neglect.  Lately there have been signs of some attempt to gussy up the place, however.  Swathes of black netting have recently appeared, shrouding the cornice -- whether to prevent chunks of masonry from falling on unsuspecting passersby or to clean and repair the stone, I'm not sure.  I wonder how many people walk past every day without ever looking up to admire these lovely fruited masonry swags?