Historic Zoning Commission

Ft. Sanders NC-1: Level II

11-E-19-HZ

Applicant Request

Level II. Major repair or replacement of materials or architectural elements

After-the-fact review of the demolition and reconstruction of the house. Foundation, structural sheathing (likely original or early wood siding), interior flooring and framing systems, exterior siding, and window and door fenestrations have been removed. Currently remaining from the structure are approximately thirty studs, which are not connected to a foundation and hang suspended from a roof, which is supported by a temporary bracing system. The roof has been replaced under the existing COA (7-C-19-HZ).

Applicant describes scope of work as the following:
"Complete replacement of foundation instead of partial. ... None of the original foundation is salvageable." "Interior floor system and walls must all be replaced due to extreme water and termite damage, see attached pictures. Wall framing on the 33' section of the house remaining to be retained as much as possible. Most of the studs in the walls will remain except for at the corners. New window/door headers must be installed to meet building codes. Additional jack studs required to be placed under 2x12 floor joist framing for bearing. Existing sill plates for all exterior walls must all be replaced." "Corner boards are replaced as part of the siding replacement, all are unsalvageable."

Site Info

One-story residence, resting on a brick foundation. Hipped roof, clad in asphalt shingle, with smaller gable-roof massings projecting towards the front, west, and south. House is clad in flush wood siding. A hipped porch supported by turned wood columns is located on the northeast corner of the house. Windows are one-over-one, double-hung sash. Multiple interior chimneys.

1. 1610 Forest Avenue is a contributing structure to the Fort Sanders NC-1 Overlay and National Register Historic District. The National Register nomination describes the property as "one-story, clapboard, wood trim, porched with turned columns, hip roof with gables, decorated cornice."

2. The NC-1 overlay ordinance states the third purpose of the district as "to regulate demolition."

3. The existing COA for this property (7-C-19-HZ, reviewed July 2019) covered repair and replacement of wood porch elements, window replacement, the replacement of vinyl siding with fiber cement board, and new asphalt shingle cladding for the roof. Egress windows were approved for installation on the east and west elevation gables, and façade and rear attic vents were to be replaced with small casement windows.

The front porch foundation was proposed to be removed and reconstructed with brick facing to match the existing brick. The remaining foundation brick was approved for repair. 10' of the existing structure was approved for demolition and reconstruction, and an 18' addition to the rear (north) of the structure was approved.

4. As noted in the Scope of Work section, the masonry foundation, structural sheathing (which was likely the original or early wood siding, as uncovered on other projects in progress by the applicant), interior framing and flooring systems, exterior siding, and window and door fenestrations have been removed. Remaining features from the historic house are approximately thirty wood studs that hang suspended from the roof but do not connect to the foundation.

5. The National Register of Historic Places defines integrity as comprised of seven aspects: location, setting, design, materials, workmanship, feeling, and association. Design is "the combination of elements that creates the form, plan, space, structure, and style of a property." Materials are defined as "the physical elements that were combined ... in a particular pattern to form a historic property." Workmanship is "the physical evidence of the craft" of a builder or architect. The factors of design, materials, and workmanship are severely compromised by the removal of the building's historic fabric. By National Register standards, the absence of these three aspects would constitute a lack of overall integrity.

6. When the house is reconstructed, the only features remaining from the historic house will be the wall studs, most of which are sufficiently deteriorated to warrant replacement. While the overall footprint of the historic roof remains, the house constructed below the roof will consist of entirely new materials and the character-defining features (porch, window and door placements, etc) will be lost, and entirely reconstructed to replicate the historic house's design. The reconstruction of a new house beneath a historic roof footprint results in a substantial loss of architectural integrity.