HomeMy WebLinkAbout1. 738 Leland Avenue_COA 2024-0604 PACKETHISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION OF SOUTH BEND AND ST. JOSEPH COUNTY
Phone: 574/235.9371 Fax: 574/235.9021 Email: hpcsbsjc@southbendin.gov
STAFF REPORT
CONCERNING APPLICATION FOR A
CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS
Date: July 9, 2024
Application Number: 2024-0604
Property Location: 738 Leland Avenue
Architectural Style/Date/Architect or Builder:
Gabled Ell / 1892 / “Turner House”
Property Owner: Catherine Osborne
Landmark or District Designation: Chapin Park LHD,
Ordinance #9575-05
Rating: Non-contributing
DESCRIPTION OF STRUCTURE/SITE: This is a 2 story, frame Gabled-Ell house with irregular plan. Roof
is of asphalt shingles and the exterior is currently sided with large-format cedar shingles. Windows are 1/1 double
hung. House has been heavily modified, with alterations to the front porch and multiple rear additions. A garage is
at the rear of the property. Restoration efforts have been underway since 2021.
DESCRIPTION OF PROPOSED PROJECT: The applicant has requested approval to:
1) Restore original, L-shaped front porch footprint using salvaged railings, corbels, and pillars and period-appropri-
ate beadboard ceilings and wood floors.
2) Remove the cedar shingles and re-side with red spruce clapboard from the Ward Clapboard Company to mimic
the original siding.
3) Add a 10’ x 10’ extension directly back from the existing back extension. Changes include:
• Original, fixed-pane mudroom window to be reused on the north elevation (Figs. 10, 12).
• Two salvaged double-hung sashes to be added along the north elevation (Fig. 12).
• Main windows along the east elevation to be retained and reused on new, extended east face (Figs. 9, 13).
• Back door to be relocated to south side of new extension (Fig. 9).
STANDARDS AND GUIDELINES:
Porches: Pages 17-18. Walls: Pages 26-28. Windows: Pages 29-32. Additions: Pages 36-37.
SITE VISIT REPORT: N/A.
STAFF RECOMMENDATION: The restoration of the L-shaped porch footprint and clapboard siding would
constitute positive improvements to the character of this middle-class Victorian home and bring it into alignment
with similar homes in the neighborhood. The back of the house is heavily altered, and the proposed extension
would appear more cohesive than the current medley of extensions. The use of original and salvaged material in
this project is commendable. Staff makes a FAVORABLE RECOMMENDATION.
Prepared by
Kate Himick, Historic Preservation Specialist
HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION OF SOUTH BEND AND ST. JOSEPH COUNTY
Phone: 574/235.9371 Fax: 574/235.9021 Email: hpcsbsjc@southbendin.gov
MAP OF THE AREA — Google Maps view of the subject area.
SATELLITE IMAGERY — Imagery from 2024
HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION OF SOUTH BEND AND ST. JOSEPH COUNTY
Phone: 574/235.9371 Fax: 574/235.9021 Email: hpcsbsjc@southbendin.gov
IMAGES — Existing front porch, west facade.
IMAGES — Existing rear extensions, east facade.
HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION OF SOUTH BEND AND ST. JOSEPH COUNTY
Phone: 574/235.9371 Fax: 574/235.9021 Email: hpcsbsjc@southbendin.gov
IMAGES — North facade.
CITY OF SOUTH BEND
AND ST. JOSEPH COUNTY
HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION
Sarah Andrews,
President
A Certi fi ed Local Government of the Nati onal Park Service
www.southbendin.gov/hpc
227 West Jeff erson Blvd., Suite 1400S | Ph: 574-235-9371 | Fx: 574-235-9021 | hpcsbsjc@southbendin.gov
Certi fi cate of Appropriateness Applicati on
Property Address for Proposed Work
Street Number Street Name
City Zip Code Parcel ID (Offi ce use only)
Primary Property Owner(s)
Name
Address (if diff erent than above)
Contractors to be used
Company Area of Work (ex: roof, windows, landscaping)
Name Phone # E-mail
Company Area of Work (ex: roof, windows, landscaping)
Name Phone # E-mail
Company Area of Work (ex: roof, windows, landscaping)
Name Phone # E-mail
Conti nued on back →
Ross Van Overberghe
Historic Preservati on
Administrator
June 4, 2024 MA Rec. No. 261491 $20.00
227 West Jefferson Blvd., Suite 1400S | Ph: 574-235-9371 | Fx: 574-235-9021 | hpcsbsjc@southbendin.gov
Description of Proposed Work Please provide a brief detailed summary of the scope of work to be performed.
By signing this application, I agree to abide by all local regulations related to project and to obtain all applicable Building Permits.
This CoA application is for three projects related to rehabbing the exterior of 738 Leland Ave, formerly
714 Leland Ave.
This house was built in 1892 and became a duplex in
1942/43, at which point a second front door was
added. Per the 1899 Sanborn Fire Insurance map, it
originally had a wraparound front porch. By 1917 the
stables had been demolished and apparently replaced
by a garage of roughly the shape and size as the one
that exists today. The wraparound front porch was
still in place, and a one-story enclosed back
porch/mudroom had been built (in 1906, per carving
on one of the sheathing boards). In approximately
1948 a second story was added to the enclosed back
porch; an additional bumpout was built to cover the
basement stairs entrance right next to the back porch;
and the front porch was demolished, with the section
on the side of the house enclosed. At this time the original siding was also removed and replaced with
cedar shingles (per newspaper evidence found during rehab).
Figure 1 1899 Sanborn map showing wraparound porch, no back porch, stables
Figure 2 1917 Sanborn map showing wraparound porch, garage, 1-story back porch addition (now dated
to 1906)
In approximately 2007 a kitchen fire resulted in serious damage to both the kitchen and the back
porch/mudroom and repairs were never made. The house came into the possession of the city of South
Bend and had been empty ever since. I bought it in early January 2021 and am undertaking a general
restoration.
Specific points covered in this CoA application:
1. Restore original front porch footprint. During the house’s period of vacancy the enclosed bit of the
front porch was badly damaged and under an earlier COA I re-opened and re-roofed it, but have
been waiting until I was ready to restore the entire porch. This project would re-floor the damaged
side porch and restore the long leg of the “L” across the front of the house. There are no extant
older photos of the house, but paint shadow and a couple of remaining scraps indicates that the
windows were originally decorated with gingerbread trim across the tops and bullseye rosettes at
the corners. On the other hand, nothing I’ve learned about the house indicates that it was anything
like as elaborate as its larger neighbors on Park and Forest and closer to the river on Leland. So to
restore the porch I’m going for a style that is ornate…but not too ornate. Middle-class Victorian like
the original owners! I have salvaged materials of the right age from the area including columns,
corbels, and porch railings; they should all be perfectly functional after I strip and repaint them. I
intend to use beadboard for the ceilings and tongue-and-groove salvaged flooring and to use
shingles matching the existing house roof. I would use wood lattice to cover the space under the
porch, like my neighboring house (shown).
3 showing current situation of house
Figure 4 paint shadow on window trim
5: showing similar railing and lattice style at 730 Leland and similar columns at 728 Leland
Figure 6 salvage porch railings from 1890s farmhouse near North Liberty
Figure 7 porch columns from house on W. Marion & more railing
Figure 8 one of the corbels, salvage, from Tradeworks
2) Re-side the house. The original siding is nearly all gone except for a patch on the second floor at the
back that was covered by the second-story extension. This, however, does indicate that the original
siding was clapboard with a 4.5” reveal and that the corner trim was 3” wide. This project would remove
the existing large format cedar and replace it with vertical grain red spruce clapboard from the Ward
Clapboard Company, https://wardclapboard.com/, and with new corner trim (probably cedar for rot
resistance.)
Figure 9 Current back, showing a) outline of extension b) new back door location c) original clapboard section
3) Extend the kitchen/mudroom at the rear of the house. Like many neighborhood houses, the back of
the house has been modified several times over the years: first a small extension, then a second story
for that extension, then an additional mini-extension to add a back door over the basement stairs, then
a major modification a couple of years ago to remove the second story, add larger windows salvaged
from elsewhere in the house, and make it weather-tight.
This project, which is basically a 10x10 extension, would accomplish several goals: (a) extend the kitchen
and create a larger mudroom space (b) get more light into the existing kitchen space with two additional
windows (c) create a less awkward and more accessible entrance into the house (the current placement
of the back door requires anyone entering to turn very tightly and immediately go up two steps, which is
challenging for anyone with mobility issues) (d) deal with some lingering structural issues; the existing
roof over both mini-extensions is entirely new and watertight, but there are lingering issues with the
wall framing and sheathing that could be corrected while the extension is being worked on. While I
generally anticipate doing most of the building work myself, I would hire out the foundation, and I’m
currently discussing with a few contractors whether a slab foundation would be OK for the additional
extension or whether it should be a crawlspace – obviously, this will be worked out before filing
construction permits!
Photos of the existing situation and the plan are attached, but from HPC’s point of view I want to
mention a few things: a) the extension would be invisible from the street b) the two new windows in the
kitchen would both be double-hung salvaged windows, like the new window on the second floor
installed last year under an earlier COA; c) the siding would be the same new red spruce clapboard as
the rest of the house; d) the main windows looking out to the back yard would be the same windows
there now, just ten feet further into the yard; e) the new extension would help the current situation,
with two small extensions right next to each other, look much less awkward.
Figure 10 kitchen and mudroom wall showing a) original windows (one 1-over-1 and one 2-over-2); b) locations for new kitchen
windows; c) new window (six-over-six) added on previous COA
Figure 11 layout with additional extension to the right (extending 10’ from the current mudroom wall)
Figure 12 rendering of kitchen/extended mudroom wall showing two new windows plus the extension (reusing current single-
pane fixed window)
Figure 13 two views of back extension showing new siding and door placement. Railings would be the same salvage as those
currently planned for the front porch, see above. The current back door is a pretty basic steel door from Lowe’s, which I would be
looking to replace with something salvaged from South Bend Tradeworks, tbd.