1008 Prince Edward St (Fredericksburg, Virginia)

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Classic city residence is blend of old and new
Restored city home now serves as a law and business office

Date published: 4/27/2012- Free Lance Star
BY RICHARD AMRHINE

It was completely rehabilitated for use as a law and business office, but later on, if the time comes, it could instantly become the ideal city residence.

Just seven months ago, 1008 Prince Edward St. was a vacant, dilapidated eyesore, a place some would think a better candidate for demolition than renovation. But this is Fredericksburg, after all, where old houses are the city's venerable connections with its past, and the first choice is always to rescue rather than euthanize.

Mike Adams, president of JON Properties, a commercial property development and management company, spotted the place and immediately saw its potential despite its condition.

"The porch was falling off the front of the house, and the house was actually sinking," he said.

That's because it was built on a dirt foundation, and there was no way time wouldn't take its toll. It's builder and date of construction are uncertain, but its features are typical of turn-of-the-century Fredericksburg. It is Victorian, Queen Anne style with dentil moldings and Italianate brackets supporting the roof overhangs.

According to a historical significance report compiled for the state Department of Historic Resources, the house is typical of those that were built between 1895 and 1902 along Prince Edward Street, with prominent gables and columned porches.

It also determined that the first owners and occupants of 1008 were local dentist Garnett J. King and his wife, Nannie, also typical of the physicians, merchants and grocers who built and owned those homes.

GETTING TO WORK

Adams completed the purchase last June and work commenced in September. Completed in February, the house is now the law office of attorney Phillip "Flip" Sasser, which occupies the main level. Adams' company will soon occupy the second story. There are 3,700 square feet of finished living space.

While Adams has handled plenty of renovation projects, his specialty is commercial properties. He decided to team up with Jon Van Zandt, owner of Van Zandt Restorations, who has restored many city homes from the same period. Van Zandt would know what to expect, even though both men know that with old houses you expect the unexpected.

Their plan was to restore the place inside and out, while removing and replacing an old addition and converting a sleeping porch into a main-level bathroom with an electric, radiant heated floor.

The exterior has been completely renewed. As is the case throughout the house, parts that were salvageable were retained. Where necessary, rotted pieces of the wraparound porch were replicated with maintenance-free materials. The house is covered in deep blue HardiPlank siding. The original shutters were removed, cleaned up, repainted and reinstalled.

Before any renovation work could begin, the structural issues had to be dealt with. The house was jacked up and a concrete foundation and cellar floor were poured. The structure was then re-situated, followed by the house being reconstructed, as Adams put it, "from the inside out." That allowed for the addition of insulation in the walls and attic ceiling, where there had never been any before.

With the various new energy-saving features and efficient new heating and cooling systems, Adams said the house can compete in efficiency with new construction. All the utility systems are brand new as well.

THE INSIDE STORY

Adams said the house had been vacant for 15 years before he and Van Zandt got a hold of it, and the curiosities arose right away. A stack of original interior doors was found in a crawl space adjoining the cellar. Nearly all would eventually be put back into use. Some rooms were reconfigured, but all door frame and baseboard moldings were saved and reused.

"We tried to keep as much of the original house as possible," Adams said.

All involved were surprised at how well the original hardwood flooring on the main two levels had survived. The steps and second-story floors had been painted brown. Today, aside from the imperfections that add patina, they appear nearly perfect after sanding and refinishing.

The large foyer is welcoming with a staircase to the right that begins with the huge, original hand-carved newel post.

To the left are the parlor and dining room--which is currently a conference room--separated by the heavy pocket doors common to many city homes of the same period. Covering the parlor fireplace is what appears to be an old cast brass insert with an Aladdin's lamp design.

To the rear is the new kitchen, added to allow an easy return of the law office to a private residence. New features include the granite-covered countertops and island, cabinetry, diamond-shaped backsplash tiling, tile floor and new Viking stainless steel appliances. Retained was the original shoulder-height beadboard wainscoting that's used on the island as well.
Upstairs, two bedrooms on one side of the house were reconfigured into a master bedroom suite. One bedroom was sacrificed to become a walk-in closet and a new, luxurious master bathroom. Two secondary bedrooms remain and they share the original bathroom, which was completely redone with fixtures and floors that recall the bygone era. In each case, the original clawfoot tub was restored and replaced, or in the new bathrooms a new one was brought in.

Previously an unusable attic, the third story is now a handsomely appointed space--with another bathroom added--that would be suitable as extra sleeping quarter, children's play space, or any number of other uses. There's a bird's-eye view of the city from windows that include a quarter-round fan light.

SOME KEY FEATURES

Rather than replace the home's double-hung windows, which had been painted shut but were generally in good shape, Adams and Van Zandt chose to have them restored while adding understated storm windows and screens. Many have their original wavy glass, and their weight-and-pulley sash systems were returned to their original ease of use.

In many rooms are works of art also known as a radiators. Adams said they had some six layers of paint on them that had obscured the ornate design of the original casting. Once the old paint was removed, they were repainted the gold color of the initial layer.

The radiators were then returned to their locations and incorporated into the all-new plumbing system, and continue to be the building's main source of heat. They are supplied with hot water from the tankless water heater in the cellar which also provides instant hot water throughout the house.

Though many would find such a project daunting, Adams said that wasn't the case.

"We knew problems would come up, but you just keep your focus on what it was supposed to look like," he said.