Historic Zoning Commission

Fourth and Gill H: Level II

5-A-23-HZ

Applicant Request

Exterior rehabilitation and new rear porches.

Rear elevation: non-historic, one-story addition on the rear (southwest) corner to be removed. Two, two-story porches to be installed in recessed massings on rear elevations, partially enclosed with vertical wooden slats. Windows on recessed massings to be replaced with full-light double doors. One infilled window will be restored to original size.

East elevation: new double-hung, one-over-one, wood windows to be installed on the first and second stories, with a third new window to be installed in infilled opening towards the rear. New windows will feature low arches and sills to match original window detailing.

West elevation: three bays of new double-hung, one-over-one windows to be installed on the west elevation, with the third bay of windows (towards the rear) at a slightly smaller size. New windows will feature low arches and sills to match original window detailing.

Other exterior rehabilitation scopes: windows are proposed to be repaired as needed or replaced with new windows in same locations; new replacement windows will be one-over-one, double-hung wood to replace size and design of existing. Aluminum windows will be replaced with double-hung wood windows. Repair, repointing, and re-painting of exterior brick masonry, and the removal of two brick masonry chimneys on the rear. Interior (center of roofline) brick chimneys will be retained. Brick masonry wall on rear elevation may require full reconstruction, pending engineer's assessment, due to extensive moisture intrusion.

APPROVED 5.18.2023, subject to the following conditions: 1) new windows to receive arches, sills, and details to reflect original elements; 2) masonry repair to reflect standards of NPS Preservation Brief 2; 3) rear elevation chimneys to be retained, with structural information contributing to potential retention or reconstruction to be provided to staff for approval if necessary.

Site Info

Two-story, flat-roof brick masonry townhouses. Decorative corbelling along rooflines. One-story, partial-width front porches with decorative trim.

1. 415 Lovenia Street is a contributing resource to the Fourth and Gill local overlay. While it's noted as non-contributing in the National Register nomination (noted as "severely altered"), the building retains sufficient integrity to be assessed as contributing to the district at present.

2. The one-story, flat-roof addition on the southwest corner is not original to the building; removal is appropriate within the guidelines.

3. Only one side elevation of the proposed two-story porches will be visible from the east on Lovenia Ave. The rear porch design is a contemporary interpretation of vertical balustrades and other porch detailing, and will be differentiated from the original front porch details. The vertical wooden slats will retain transparency instead of being a solid screen wall.

4. Replacement of non-historic aluminum windows and deteriorated windows with new one-over-one, double-hung wood windows to match in size is appropriate within the guidelines.

5. The guidelines note "it can be appropriate to design and install additional windows on the rear or another secondary elevation. The designs should be compatible with the overall design of the building." The SOI Guidelines on Rehabilitation (included) go further and recommend "adding new window openings on rear or other secondary, less-visible elevations, if required by a new use. The new openings and windows in them should be compatible with the overall design of the building but, in most cases, not duplicate the historic fenestration." Under the "not recommended" guidelines include changing the number of windows on primary or highly-visible elevations which will alter the historic character of the building; or cutting new openings on character-defining elevations or destroying significant features. NPS guidelines recommend new window openings on secondary blank walls be compatible but "not make such a strong architectural statement as to radically change the appearance of the building or overwhelm the composition of the historic façade."

The east elevation, in particular, is highly visible from the street, and did not originally have windows. The new windows will be compatible with the building's design and details and will not require removal of damage of significant features. On the east elevation, the wall in question is a large swath of brick with no transparency, with no additional details to contribute to a character-defining elevation.

The west elevation, adjacent to an alley, is less visually prominent and contributes less to the building's façade character. One new window will be installed in an existing, infilled opening, and the two others are recessed from the façade.

The Commission should discuss the prominence of the proposed east elevation windows with regards to the design guidelines and NPS standards. If approved, the new windows should include low arches, sills, and other window detailing to match the existing.

6. All masonry repair, repointing, and repainting should meet the standards of NPS Preservation Brief 2 and the neighborhood guidelines for "Masonry" including the "maintenance" section.

7. Guidelines recommend retaining contributing masonry details such as chimneys. The chimneys may be significantly deteriorated due to moisture intrusion, and are not visible from the right-of-way. The applicant should make every effort to retain the existing rear chimneys. Recognizing the lack of visibility from the street, if the rear elevation walls require reconstruction, structural information and an engineer's report could be provided to staff for approval of chimney removal.