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CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS STAFF REPORT .APPLICATION -- 1998-0217 PROPERTY -- 60500 Breman Highway (SR331) Mishawaka, IN OWNER -- Robert Montel DESIGNATION -- LL RATING -- Outstanding 0/13 STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE/HISTORIC CONTEXT Vernon Crofoot and his family arrived in St. Joseph County in 1832 and immediately went to work creating their legacy. Twenty two years later in 1854 Vernon Crofoot's son, Henry, returned home from his youthful travels to marry Nancy.Pruner and settle down. A year later Henry.purchased 80 acres of land from his father's farm in Penn -Township. By 1876 Henry Crofoot's farm was successful enough to allow him to build a large irregular Itali.anate home and barn on the site. Over time the Crofoot farm would eventually extend to over'288 acres and the Crofoot family would extend to eleven children. In 1892 Willard Crofoot, one of the eleven children, purchased 40 acres from his father Henry Crofoot's farm.* This land contained farm land and a dwelling. In i901 Willard Crofoot demolished the existing structure and constructed a Queen Anne style house. Willard and his wife, Minnie, resided there until their deaths in .1952 and 1956. Upon their deaths the house was passed on to their.son, Alton B. Crofoot. Alton Crofoot was the man responsible for having the house landmarked in'1976.* The current owner, Robert Montel, purchased the property on March 31, 1,992. The house is a QueenAnne farmhouse. -Its front section is two stories articulated by slight variation of siding dimension and a flared skirting at the division line between stories. The roof is pyramidal'with a shingle gabled dormer on each of the North south and west elevations. The rear section is a simpler story and a half gabled wing which appears to be of the same period -of_ construction. PROPOSED CHANGE Applicant proposes to install vinyl siding to parts of the house that are not already sided, because, of wood rot and missing pieces of wood siding. The owner further stated that siding the rest of the'house would simply complete a project that the previous owner had already begun. STANDARDS The Preservation'Guidelines for Local Landmarks state C. Renovations and Additions 2. Construction and Style, All work should be done in the architectural style and in a technique compatible with that of the original structure. Change that alters, removes, or covers existing significant stylistic detail. shall not be permitted. _A change which adds detail of another style will not be permitted 3. Material Additions and improvements involving any new material in the landmark should be the same material as the original. It should be the same size and texture. An alternative material may be allowed if it duplicates the original..