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<br />Certificate of Appropriateness Application <br />Bess House Front Porch Addition <br />Page 2 <br /> <br /> <br />We designed the 10’ x 20’ porch to appear as a natural extension of the original <br />Colonial Revival house. Many of the porch details are inspired by other Colonial <br />Revival houses in the area as well as throughout the United States. Its design is <br />meant to highlight good, honest craftsmanship primarily through wood <br />carpentry. The porch is meant to be a compliment to the house but still be <br />distinct in its appearance. It carefully aligns columns between existing window <br />and door openings in the house and matches the height of the existing adjacent <br />side porch. It will create a new outdoor room at the front of the house as well as <br />offer protection from the weather to visitors at the front door. Steps to the porch <br />take inspiration from the stair to the Laurentian Library in Florence, Italy – a <br />favorite of Mr. Bess. <br /> <br />Construction materials and details are in keeping with the existing house. The <br />principal materials will be painted wood, asphalt shingles, a concrete slab floor, <br />and brick facing on the foundation. Proposed porch columns are 6” x 6” in size, <br />clad in painted wood to hide structural posts and connections, and are coupled <br />to visually carry the weight of the roof above. Rafter tails with decorative ends sit <br />on an architrave beam across the front and side in a manner like the existing side <br />porch. The ceiling of the porch will be painted beadboard, while the roof will be <br />covered with asphalt shingles to match the main house. <br /> <br />Mr. Bess received prior approval from the Historic Preservation Commission for <br />this work in 2021, with some caveats identified by the committee. The revised <br />design attempts to address these issues while still adhering to the vision and <br />intent of the homeowner. Changes include a less intrusive roofline and columns <br />that more closely mimic those at the existing door surround. <br /> <br />Please review the attached renderings and the preliminary set of construction <br />documents for more information regarding the project. I look forward to <br />discussing the proposed work with you and anticipate receiving a Certificate of <br />Appropriateness soon. Let me know if you have any questions or concerns. <br /> <br />Respectfully submitted, <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />John C. Mellor, AIA, LEED AP / John Mellor Design <br /> <br />C: Philip Bess, file