Historic Zoning Commission
Old North Knoxville H-1: Level II
3-E-16-HZ
Staff Recommendation
APRIL 21st, 2017 RECOMMENDATION
Approve enclosure of lower rear porch as per submitted drawing (4-21-2016) with condition that type of window -- casment vs. double-hung -- to be approved by staff, as well as wood vertical wainscotting type below windows.
Approve installation of diamond-shaped window to the right of the original front door opening with condition that wood framing based on submitted documentation of historical existance with framing to match type and width of that which existed on original window openings.
MARCH 17th, 2016 RECOMMENDATIONS
Staff recommends approval of installing new wood double-hung windows of a 2/2 configuration as stated in the 1986 survey as being original to the house. Approval of installing new front door with transom and sidelights in documented original front opening, and removing non-original front door openings. Install window to right of front door with condition that it is a diamond shape of a size documented by existing framing. Staff cannot recommend approval of altenring the original configuration of the house by infilling the rear corner porch. Staff recommends obtaining further professional opinions on how to remediate the stormwater run-off in the back of the house, and presenting any alternative alterations to the HZC at a future date.
Applicant Request
Level II. Major repair or replacement of materials or architectural elements
Additions; Doors; Porch elements; WindowsLEVEL II WORK PROPOSED FOR APRIL 21, 2016 HZC MEETING:
Enclose lower level porch with at least 6-inch offsets from corners of house in the style of a sleeping porch or sunroom. Remove existing late-added steps. Install three ~36"x78" single-paned casement or 1/1 double-hung windowson the north side and two matching windows on the rear, with window frames abutting each other as shown in 4/19/16 submitted drawings. Install half-light wood door with panels below on rear of addition, with single-light transom above. Sheathe addition with 3-foot high vertical beadboard or board and batten wainscotting below and siding above to match that on main house. Upper porch to remain open with balustrade with 2x2 pickets spaced ~4 inches on center, with entire balustrade being 36 inches in height. Top rail to be molded or beveled. Existing hipped roof over rear 2nd-level porch to be repaired as needed and supported by 6x6 square posts as are existing. The corner trim on the enclosure below will align with the width of the roof support posts above.
Install diamond-shaped window with wood framing based of documentation of historical existance to right of original front door opening. Framing to match type and width of that which existed on original window openings. framing to match type and width of that which existed on original window openings.
LEVEL II WORK REVIEWED AT MARCH 17th, 2016 HZC MEETING:
APPROVED:
Replace non-original metal frame windows with wooden 1/1 double-hungs within original openings on sides and front. Install wooden 1/1 double-hung windows on rear and northeast kitchen window within existing altered smaller window openings. Remove two non-original doors from the front façade. Install period-appropriate door with transom into documented original opening and more central opening, along with sidelights if their historic existance can be documented. Replace attic dormer windows with those having period-appropriate muntins and pane divisions.
DENIED:
Install a window to right of new front door based on framing. Enclose rear recessed 12x12 porches on 1st and 2nd levels and sheathe with wood siding to match that on main house. Retain original porch roof line over addition.
Site Info
Queen Anne eclectic (c. 1895)Two-story frame with asbestos shingle wallcovering. Hip roof with paired gabled dormers on front elevation with square attic windows and hipped dormers with wood shingle wallcovering. Double-hung two-over-two windows. Two-story three-quarter front porch with Doric capitals on round wood columns, sawn wood balustrade on second-story porch and first-story balustrade of top rail supported by sawn wood brackets. Two interior offset brick chimneys. Brick foundation. Irregular plan. (Contributing)
MARCH 17th, 2016 STAFF FINDINGS
1) The window openings were reduced in size by a previous owner; therefore, the windows are not original.
2) The existing windows are metal framed; therefore, are not original.
3) The 1986 historic resource survey files indicate the original windows were 2/2 double-hung windows.
4) There is evidence in the front wall framing that there may have originally been a small diamond-shaped window to the right of the front door.
5)There are many examples of small windows of various shapes, including diamonds, adjacent to front entry doors throughout the historic districts.
6) The 1917 Sanborn Fire Insurance map indicates that there was a recessed one-story porch on the rear corner of the house.
7) The recessed porch in the rear corner of the house contributes to the irregular floor plan and shape and is part of the original character of the house.
8) Although the addition would be located on the rear and only slightly visible from the street, it would not meet Addition guidelines 1, 3, 6 including being of a compatible size, scale, and proportion to the historic house; being easily removed without destroying historic character; and not causing a loss of historic character by its construction.
APRIL 21ST, 2016 ADDITIONAL AND AMENDED STAFF FINDINGS
1. After removing the sheathing on the front porch, there is definitive evidence in the revealed framing that a diamond-shaped window existed to the right of the original front door opening.
2. Plumbing lines found on the rear porch lower level indicate the porch was likely enclosed at some point, but there is no documentation on the appearance of the enclosure or when it occurred. However, the prior enclosure confirms that the existing lower level porch structure has been altered from the original.
3. The proposed enclosure on the lower level retains a level of transparancy and porch characater with a sleeping porch-type arrangement of windows on each side with wood vertical wainscotting below.
4. The 2nd-level porch was a later addition since it does not show as existing on the 1917 Sanborn maps. It was never enclosed, so it is appropriate that it should remain open.
