701 Summit Roof

Here is the 9/30/09 HPC Staff Review:

CITY OF SAINT PAUL
HERITAGE PRESERVATION COMMISSION STAFF REPORT

FILE NAME: 701 Summit Avenue
DATE OF APPLICATION: September 30, 2009
APPLICANT: Thomas M. Johnson
OWNER: Louise Miller O’Neil Estate
DATE OF HEARING: October 22, 2009
HPC SITE/DISTRICT: Hill Historic District
CATEGORY: Pivotal
CLASSIFICATION: building permit
STAFF INVESTIGATION AND REPORT: Christine Boulware
DATE: October 14, 2009

A. SITE DESCRIPTION:
The W.H. Elsinger House at 701 Summit Avenue was designed by Clarence H. Johnston, Sr. and built by the St. Paul Building Co. in 1898. According to the inventory form, this house is historically significant as the home of St. Paul businessman W.H. Elsinger, owner of the Aberdeen Hotel, partner in the firm of W.H. Elsinger and Company. It is architecturally significant as an impressive, massive house designed by a prominent local architect who must have collaborated with the architect of the house next door, Cass Gilbert, since they were both built the same year and compliment each other so well. Constructed of rock-faced buff-colored limestone, this two-and-one-half story house has an intersecting hip and gable red tile roof with two small gabled dormers with stone crenellations at the base. There is one stone exterior chimney. Though the facade is somewhat symmetrical, it has a rounded corner turret on the east side. There is a hipped roof open porch with three, wide arched openings supported by squat light-colored stone columns which are round and have medieval inspired capitals. The property is classified as pivotal to the Hill Historic District.

B. PROPOSED CHANGES:
The applicant proposes to:
1. Remove the bottom two rows of unique clay tiles from the west side of the building and replace with flat clay tiles of a similar age.
2. Remove the bottom two rows of unique clay tile from the damaged east side of the building and replace with flat clay tiles of a similar age.
3. Fill in the damaged areas of the east elevation with the previously removed unique clay tiles.
4. Fill in the north corner of the east elevation bump-out with flat clay tiles.

C. GUIDELINE CITATIONS:
Historic Hill District Guidelines
Restoration and Rehabilitation
1. Every reasonable effort shall be made to provide a compatible use for a property which requires minimal alteration of the building, structure, or site and its environment, or to use a property for its originally intended purpose.
2. The distinguishing original qualities or character of a building, structure, or site and its environment shall not be destroyed. The removal or alteration of any historic material or distinctive architectural features should be avoided when possible.
3. All buildings, structures, and sites shall be recognized as products of their own time. Alterations that have no historical basis and which seek to create an earlier appearance shall be discouraged.
4. Changes which may have taken place in the course of time are evidence of the history and development of a building, structure, or site and its environment. Theses changes may have acquired significance in their own right, and this significance shall be recognized and respected.
5. Distinctive stylistic features or examples of skilled craftsmanship which characterize a building, structure, or site shall be treated with sensitivity.
6. Deteriorated architectural features shall be repaired rather than replaced, whenever possible. In the event replacement is necessary, the new material should match the material being replaced in composition, design, color, texture, and other visual qualities. Repair or replacement of missing architectural features should be based on accurate duplications of features, substantiated by historic, physical, or pictorial evidence rather than on conjectural designs or the availability of different architectural elements from other buildings or structures.
7. The surface cleaning of structures shall be undertaken with the gentlest means possible. Sandblasting and other cleaning methods that will damage the historic building materials shall not be undertaken.
8. Every reasonable effort shall be made to protect and preserve archaeological resources affected by, or adjacent to any project.
9. Contemporary design for alterations and additions to existing properties shall not be discouraged when such alterations and additions do not destroy significant historical, architectural or cultural material, and such design is compatible with the size, scale, color, material, and character of the property, neighborhood, or environment.
10. Wherever possible, new additions or alterations to structures shall be done in such a manner that if such alterations were to be removed in the future, the essential form and integrity of the structure would be unimpaired.
Siding and Surface Treatment:
Deteriorated siding materials should be replaced with material used in original construction or with materials that resemble the appearance of the old as closely as possible. Resurfacing frame buildings with new material such as artificial stone, artificial brick veneer, or asbestos and asphalt shingles is inappropriate and should not be done. Four-inch lap vinyl, metal, or hardboard siding may be used in some cases to resurface clapboard structures, especially structures categorized as non-contributive to the district, if well detailed, well designed and in keeping with the historic character of the structure. Ventilation must be carefully provided when using these products to prevent damage to the original wood fabric by trapping moisture. The width, pattern and profile of the original siding should be duplicated. Residing should not alter the profile of bordering trim such as drip caps, frieze boards and corner boards; if replacement is necessary, they should be matched. Color is a significant design element, and paint colors should be appropriate to the period and style of the structure. Building permits are not required for painting, and although the Historic Preservation Commission may review and comment on paint color, paint color is not subject to Heritage Preservation Commission approval.

Porches and Exterior Architectural Features:
Decorative architectural features such as cornices, brackets, railings, and those around front doors and windows should be preserved. New material used to repair or replace, where necessary, deteriorated architectural features of wood, iron, cast iron, terra-cotta, tile and brick should match the original as closely as possible.

D. FINDINGS:
1. The property is classified as pivotal to the historical and architectural integrity of the Hill Historic District.
2. The unique tiles on the east elevation of the building have unfortunately suffered quite a bit of damage from the elements and branches of a nearby tree. The applicant has worked with staff over the last year to brainstorm ideas for repair and replacement and discuss information about companies that manufacture and replicate clay tiles. The uniquely shaped tiles on the upper portions of the bump-out and bay on the east and west elevations were not able to be located. The flat clay tiles at the base were able to be located. The tiles are an original character defining feature of the property. The guideline states, the removal or alteration of any historic material or distinctive architectural features should be avoided when possible. In this situation the damage has already been done and the applicant is proposing to retain as much of the original material as possible and introduce new tiles in a slightly different pattern to keep the relationship of the shingle pattern as close to the original as possible.
3. The damaged tiles are beyond repair. Replacement would be the next step, if replacement tiles could be located or reproduced. According to the applicant, reproductions were not possible. The new tiles will not match the damaged tiles above, but will match the flat tiles below in material, composition, design, color, texture, and other visual qualities. This complies with the guidelines.
4. This proposal will retain as much of the original material as possible, but will alter the shingle pattern slightly, thus it will have slight negative impact on the property and the program for preservation in the Hill Historic District.

E. STAFF RECOMMENDATION:
Based on the findings, staff recommends approval of the application as proposed and would encourage the applicant to continue to look for a manufacturer who could reproduce the uniquely shaped clay tiles should the need for replacement come up in the near future.