Historic Zoning Commission

Old North Knoxville H-1: Level II

6-J-18-HZ

Applicant Request

Level II. Construction of addition

Construct rear frame porch with a ~3:12 pitch hipped roof to match the existing. The overall height is approximately 16'. The foundation height will be about 16"-18" to the rim band with the intent to match existing. Porch decking, columns, cornice fascia, soffit and railings are to be of wood. Matching wood clapboard siding would be utilized to infill certain areas as needed.

There are two original wood-framed back doors in the rear façade of the main block of the house. The one on the left is almost full glass and is currently obscured by iron grillwork. It is proposed to be moved forward to the face of the new porch enclosure. The door on the right is half glass and is proposed to remain as is.

The balustrade is proposed to be 31 inches high and incorporate turned spindles, similar to that of the front porch. The floor is below 30 inches in height above grade so it will not be required to meet the code height of 36 inches.

Site Info

Two-story frame with brick veneer at first story and wood shingle wall covering at second story. Flared belt course. Hip-and-gable roof with asphalt shingle covering. Double-hung one-over-one windows. Cottage window on front elevation with leaded, beveled glass transom. Stone lintels with keystones and sills on first-story windows. Two-story wrap-around front and side porch with turned wood balustrade at second level, round fluted wood columns with Ionic capitals at first. One-story projecting bay on east elevation. Stone foundation with stone water table. Irregular plan. Recessed transom and sidelights at front entry. Built by Briner and England.

1) The Neoclassical house is a contributing resource in the Old North Knoxville H-1 and the National Register District.

2) The proposed porch replicates individual wooden design elements of neighborhood porches as recommended by the design guidelines.

3) The addition is located on the rear and is on an inconspicuous side of the house as recommended by the design guidelines.

4) The porch is compatible in size, scale, proportion and material.

5) The porch addition is to be designed so that it will not destroy the form of the historic building, and does not obscure or remove historically significant details on the rear façade.

6) The porch addition will not cause a loss of historic character. The relocated original back door will be re-installed in a more prominent position rather than being replaced.

7) The porch would read as more modern than the front porch if it were to utilize 2x2 square pickets in the balustrade. It would be appropriately less formal than the front porch than if embellished with turned spindles, and help to avoid a false sense of history by not creating an earlier appearance. The square pickets would help to distinguish the back porch from the front, which has turned spindles, and render it more clearly secondary in importance.