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The original portion of the house is getting a facelift.
The future master bedroom, in the addition's second story, is framed for a tray ceiling.
Stairs to the basement begin in the original part of the structure and land where The big city lot provides space for a sizable rear addition to 1311 Washington Ave., a garage and a backyard, too. |
BY RICHARD AMRHINE
When prolific Fredericksburg builder H.C. "Peck" Heflin built the house at 1311 Washington Ave. in 1904, the Queen Anne Victorian was no doubt considered one of the street's most handsome additions, with its multiple gables and an inviting wraparound porch.
Today the house is undergoing a major renovation and expansion that will not alter its curb appeal so much as enhance it.
On the inside, the project will yield all the amenities of a modern home blended with the tall ceilings and architectural features that make the 105-year-old home a timeless classic.
When the property was on the market last year, one of its main attractions was the size of its lot, which at about a third of an acre encompasses three city lots. That would provide new owners with plenty of room for expansion. In July 2008, Jay and Beth Jarrell became the new owners.
"We fell in love with the porch and the bay windows," Jarrell said. There was also his desire to move into the city to be closer to family. But they also wanted to enlarge and remodel it.
THE PROJECT
The Jarrells called on contractor Steve Pavey to be the on-site, hands-on superintendent for the project. The addition will double the finished square footage of the four-level house from 4,500 square feet to about 9,000 square feet while renewing the original house and upgrading all systems.
For Pavey the challenge of such a project is merging old and new, which can be an adventure both inside and out.
"We found out at the beginning that when they were building houses like this back then there were no footers," he said. "They just set the foundation down in the dirt."
But when they took preconstruction measurements for the addition, Pavey found only a quarter-inch difference from the front of the existing house to the back. To have so little settling after more than a century was amazing, he said.
Because the house is among the properties in the Washington Avenue Historic District, the portions of the home's exterior that can be seen from both Washington Avenue and Hawke Street needed to follow the city's Architectural Review Board guidelines. The renovations may unify the appearance of the old and new portions of the house, but differences between old and new must be readily discernible.
HISTORIC AND EFFICIENT
Pavey said that doesn't prevent features from being updated. For example, all original windows are being retained, but the sash cord arrangement is being ingeniously upgraded to improve the windows' operation while making them more efficient. New sash cords are run through PVC tubing on both sides of each window to provide smoother operation and allow better use of insulation around the windows at the same time.
New, non-gridded windows of a similar profile are being used on the addition.
Hardiplank siding is being used on the entire house, replacing both the original wood clapboards and the aluminum siding that was applied sometime later. A lack of dentil molding will differentiate the original Victorian bracketed soffits from those on the addition. The gables will get fish-scale siding typical of 1900s architecture and used on many houses along Washington Avenue.
Also, the in-board guttering system on the second story will be replicated with new maintenance-free materials.
Looking at it from Washington Avenue, the house will retain its original silhouette, except for the addition that protrudes on the right side toward the rear of the house.
A short distance away, in a rear corner of the property, a new two-car garage is being built.
THE INSIDE STORY
The gutting of the interior will not only renew the home but allow for easier installation of plumbing, wiring and ductwork. The top floor, once an attic converted to living space, will now be air conditioned and heated for the first time.
On the second story, existing bedrooms will become secondary bedrooms. The addition on the same level will hold a new master suite with luxury bathroom and large walk-in closet, along with an additional bedroom with its own full bath.
On the main level, the original foyer and living room will be updated while the addition will hold a family room plus a new kitchen and pantry.
Much of the trim and hardwood flooring from the gutted areas of the original house has been set aside for reuse as the project comes together.
Pavey said that where old and new joined in the basement required the heaviest construction of the project. The ground beneath the addition was dug out for footers to be poured, and a small area beneath the rear of the original house was carefully dug out and concrete poured to stabilize where old and new would be mated. A new brick well entrance was built for the basement, which will hold recreation and media areas.
The addition will also incorporate an elevator to allow the Jarrells or future owners the ability to age in place if they so choose.
Along with all new electrical and plumbing systems will be a new multi-zoned heating and air-conditioning system designed to allow fine-tuning of comfort levels throughout the house.
A backup generator will be installed to keep things running in the event of a power outage.
If weather doesn't create unforeseen problems, Pavey said he expects the project to be completed by early next spring.
Richard Amrhine: 540/374-5406
Email: ramrhine@freelancestar.com
| Like the other neighborhoods that surround Kenmore, the Washington Avenue properties were once part of the Kenmore plantation owned by Fielding Lewis--George Washington's brother-in-law--who built the mansion in the 1770s.
After Lewis died in 1781, the plantation, beyond the existing Kenmore property, was slowly sold off in parcels, which were then subdivided into residential lots over the ensuing 100-plus years. Homes in those blocks of Washington Avenue facing the grassy mall were built around the turn of the 20th century. The home at 1311 Washington Ave. was owned for a time by A. Prescott Rowe, who prior to his death in 1925 was publisher of The Free Lance and the Daily Star. They were separate newspapers under common ownership at the time. It's uncertain whether he was the home's original owner. --Richard Amrhine |
| Steve Pavey may be a newcomer to historic downtown renovation work in Fredericksburg, but he's spent half of his 36 years in the trade.
Based in Spotsylvania, Pavey got into construction work after graduating from Courtland High School in '91, and started his own business in 1999. To act as the general manager for the project, Jay Jarrell brought in veteran area builder John Hetrick. The plans for the project were drawn by Mike Calvin of The Plan Shop in Spotsylvania. The firm has supplied plans to many of the area's builders. Visit planshop.biz. --Richard Amrhine |
