This c. 1884 Italianate double shotgun was only the second private residence completed by Rolf Preservation Works. Similar in era and style to 304 & 306 Lavoisier Street, the house is a typical raised shotgun double with Italianate brackets and a hipped roof. As evident by the Sanborn maps, the building was wooden-clad and once featured front and rear porches.  The house retains its four bay floor plan, aligning doorways, original doors, transoms, windows, and hip roof. Although previous alterations cover some character defining features, such as changes in ceiling height due to HVAC installation, walls that cover once-operational coal-burning fireplaces, those features have not been lost or destroyed. This type of home is typical of the the Mechanikham-Gretna building stock, primarily constructed between the 1850’s to the 1930’s.  

Because this property is located in a cultural district and is not the owner’s primary residence, this project was eligible for the commercial state historic rehabilitation tax credit. The restoration included an overhaul of interior finishes, as well as major repairs to the structural system due to heavy termite damage, including

1. replacement of wooden sills and almost half of the heat pine floors,

2. rehabilitating all wood sash windows, transoms, and doors,

3. repointing perimeter brick piers,

4. removing all 1970’s wood paneling, which covered ceilings and walls, including the original beaded board and fireplaces,

5. installing new sheetrock throughout,

6. repairing all damaged and replacing all missing interior moldings,

7. repairing, replacing, and refinishing heart pine floors,

8. complete renovation of both bathrooms

9. complete renovation of one kitchen (217)

10. installing all new plumbing and electrical systems,

11. repointing all exposed brick at fireplaces and re-plastering covered brick above mantels, and

12. building and installing new mantels.