HomeMy WebLinkAbout7. 620 W Washington_COA 2018-0907_PACKETSTAFF REPORT
CONCERNING APPLICATION FOR A CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS
Date: September 10, 2018 Application Number: 2018-0907 Property Location: 620 West Washington Architectural Style/Date/Architect or Builder: Richardsonian Romanesque/1889/Tippecanoe Place/Henry Ives Cobb, Architect Property Owner: Brian and Kristi Matteoni/Norm Matteoni Landmark or District Designation: Local Landmark, ordinance #6569-1979; West Washington Street National Register District; National Historic Landmark designated by the National Park Service (only NHL in St. Joseph County and of only 42 in Indiana) Rating: Outstanding DESCRIPTION OF STRUCTURE/ SITE: This four-story house with an irregular plan has a 12/12 red tile covered central hip roof with numerous intersecting hips, towers, and gables, and a simple eave line with copper gutters. The exterior walls and foundations are rough stone, with limestone window and door trim. The house has large bay windows on the north façade, a four-story tower at the northeast corner, projecting turret with conical roof at the southeast corner, a steep gable on the port-cochere at the west end, and six stone chimneys with simple banding and cut stone caps. Most windows are one-over-one wood double-hung; there are also windows with double transoms, as well as a few Gothic windows. Generally, windows are deeply recessed and feature stone lintels and sills. At the west end of the house, colonnettes flank six windows with double transoms on the fourth floor, while first story windows are set in rounded heavy stone arches with colonettes. The front entry porch is
enclosed by round stone arches supported by clusters of Romanesque columns. The porte-cochere has intersecting gables and large arched openings. The rear veranda stretches around the south and east, featuring short Romanesque columns with a variety of capitals. Doors are wood.
ALTERATIONS: COA 1979-1107 to convert house into a restaurant through exterior changes listed in Appendix I (including #10: enclosing rear garden veranda) was denied. COA 1979-1217 addressed concerns discussed on
previous COA to convert house into a restaurant; it was conditionally approved pending treatment of the porte-cochere. COA 1980-0219, upon review for the third time, approved conversion of the house into a restaurant, enclosure of the porte-cochere doorway openings with nonfunctional paneled wood doors, and enclosure of rear veranda with 6- and 3- light casement and fixed wood windows. COA 1980-0317 approved construction of a stone sign south of the Washington Street entrance. COA 1980-0903 approved construction of a wooden fence to enclose area south of building to install a freezer. COA 1982-0524 approved repair of roof. COA 1988-0721 approved in-kind replacement of front steps and repair of north garden wall. Six- and three-light casement and fixed windows enclosing rear veranda have been replaced with new vinyl windows without COA approval, in violation of
Ordinance Section 21-10(f)(10). COA 2017-0214A to replace wood windows in rear veranda with vinyl windows encased with wood molding to cover all exposed vinyl was denied. COA 2017-0601 (to remove and replace vinyl windows) applied, subsequently withdrawn. COA 2017-0818 to remove 21 vinyl windows, replacing with new custom wood windows was approved with a timeline of completing Southeast side in Spring 2018 and South side in Fall 2018. APPLICATION ITEMS: “This COA is to request a postponement of the south covered porch windows in order to prioritize the restoration of original windows to the main house. This has been discussed with Elicia Feasel at HPC and Todd Zeiger with Indiana Landmarks who are in agreement with our request. Requesting to prioritize this fall
the restoration of several much-needed windows on the upper East and South side of the house and postpone the replacement of the porch windows on the South side to spring of 2019.” DESCRIPTION OF PROPOSED PROJECT: Application is to request an extension until spring 2019 for the fall 2018 deadline to complete the installation of new custom wood windows to the South side of the rear covered porch. Approving the extension will enable the owners to prioritize the restoration of the original wood windows on the main house.
SITE VISIT REPORT: n/a
STANDARDS AND GUIDELINES: n/a STAFF RECOMMENDATION: Staff recommends extending the deadline for the porch windows until Spring 2019 but that it should not exceed that timeframe. A COA for window restoration should be applied for and will be processed by Staff as a Routine Maintenance Exclusion.
Written by Elicia Feasel Historic Preservation Administrator PHOTOS:
Figure 1 - 620 W Washington, from the driveway.
Figure 2 - Rear porch (enclosed) porch area. Non-compliant windows in white at left, replaced (compliant) windows at right. Windows needing restoration visible on the main structure. Photo from May of 2018.
Figure 3 - Detail of replacement windows on enclosed porch.