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FA Staff Report: Proposed Local Historic Landmark Designation for 1606 West Ewing Avenue The Historic Pre -servation Commission has been asked by the owners of property at 1606 West Ewing Avenue to consider recommending their house and grounds to the South' Bend Common Council for designation by ordinance as a Local Historic Landmark. The owners are Dorothy and Stanley Skowronek. The staff has evaluated the property according to HPC Local Landmark Procedures, has researched the history of the structure and has visited the site in order to assess its architectural qualities. Recommendation It is the staff's opinion that this structure does not meet the necessary criteria forLocalHistoric landmark status; it is recommended that the HPC not send this property to the Common Council for historic designation -11-1 HPC criteria for designationrequires that a property be rated as a S111 or higher on the City Survey (if rated lower, it should be reevaluated to determine whether or not it merits a higher rating) and be evaluated with respect to: 1. its "character, interest, or value as part of [local, state or national] development, heritage or culture"; o. its "embodiment of elements of architectural design, detail, materials, --nr craftsmanship which represent an architectural characteristic or innovation"; 3. its educational value; 4. its suitability for preservation; 5. its location as a site or a significant historical event; and/or 6. its identification with the life of a person or persons of historical ,significance. Discussion 1606 West Ewing is located on the southwest corner of Ewing Avenue and Gertrude Street on the southwest side of the city. The structure was rated as an Significant (Sill) on the original City Survey; it is currently rated as Contributing (C/10) due to major alterations. Staff evaluation concurs with the lower rating. The house is an American Foursquare in form, built circa 1901. The structure has several features that are characteristic of Queen Anne details that are now being called "Free -Classic" by many scholars.[2] These features include slender, clustered, Tuscan columns supporting the front porch roof and a molded lintel with dentil course on the same. The structure as originally built remains, however, a fairly basic Foursquare; many unaltered examples can be found in South Bend and *hroughout the county. Alterations include: 1. rear porch enclosed in 1957 nd encased in perma-stone and aluminum -framed windows; 2. roof dormers -encased in synthetic siding; 3. soffits encased in synthetic siding, entire 1