Historic Zoning Commission

Fourth and Gill H: Level I/II

3-H-21-HZ

Applicant Request

Removal of vinyl siding and repair to wood clapboard siding, trim, and cornerboards underneath. If replacement is necessary, new siding and wood trim will be installed, with placement and dimensions to match original materials. Repair and repointing to foundation masonry to meet NPS Preservation Brief 2. Repair to existing windows and installation of storm windows. Repair to existing wood handrail on second story balcony. Level 1 scopes of work approved 3/8/21l; rest of work to be reviewed at 3/18/21 HZC meeting.

Removal of door on left side of façade and replacement with a two-over-two, double-hung wood window. Window will be 38" wide by 77" tall, featuring flat wood trim to match the house's window trim.

Modification after 3.18.2021 HZC meeting: denial of the door's removal, and reinstallation of the door with placement and trim to reflect original dimensions and placement of the right side door.

Site Info

Two-story frame residence with a cross-gable roof clad in asphalt shingles, an exterior of vinyl siding, and a continuous brick foudnation. A two-story, hipped roof porch wraps around a centrally-located front-gable massing. The porch features square wood posts with decorative wood brackets and a non-historic balustrade on the second story.

1. 712/714 Morgan Street is a contributing resource to the Fourth and Gill National Register Historic District and local overlay.

2. The majority of the proposed work includes removal of non-historic siding elements, repair of intact wood siding and replacement in-kind, and masonry repair and repointing to the foundation; these elements meet the design guidelines and have been approved as a Level 1 COA.

3. The left side door was removed without a COA and enclosed with vinyl siding, as the historic duplex is being converted to a single-family house. The guidelines note that "entrances should not be removed when rehabilitating a building, either in adapting to a new use or continuing a historic one." SOI Standards also note that "alteration of features ... that characterize a property shall be avoided." While a building's use is not the purview of the HZC and converting a duplex to a single-family residence is permissible in the base zoning, the guidelines discourage removing original entrances.

4. The removed door was a half-light, three-pane wood door which matched the right side door; the two doors are character-defining features of the historic duplex. The proposed two-over-two, double-hung wood window to replace the door does match existing wood windows but would not reflect the original door in size, placement, or design.