1237 State St

Description: Retention of unpainted louvered shutters on a designated Landmark, two-story, single-family residential building in deviation of Certificate of Appropriateness.

HDLC Guidelines: Section 6, Pages 13-15 of the Guidelines for Exterior Woodwork

Case History:

4/22: HDLC staff learned that the wood shutters had been removed, repaired, sanded and reinstalled unpainted.

9/30/21: HDLC staff issued a Certificate of Appropriateness to replace lanterns on the front porch.

8/19/21: HDLC staff issued a Certificate of Appropriateness for rear yard improvements.

12/10/88: The parcel and building at 1237 State St was designated as a HDLC Landmark

Staff Recommendations:

The building at 1237 State St was constructed in 1902 designed by architect Allison Owen of Diboll & Owen, to be his own residence. The building became an HDLC designated Landmark on December 10, 1988 due to its architectural significance and its association with a the career of a prominent architect. The applicant originally applied for two separate CofA's for rear yard improvements and to replace the lanterns on the front porch; the shutters were not included in the scope of work. In April 2022, staff found that the existing wood shutters had been removed, repaired, sanded and reinstalled unpainted in deviation of the issued Certificates of Appropriateness. The shutters were previously painted green. The HDLC Guidelines requires that all exterior woodwork, including shutters, must be painted with opaque paint. Wood grain or semitransparent stain should be limited to exterior front doors, if appropriate for the style. It should be noted that the HDLC does not have jurisdiction over paint color, only whether or not an architectural feature should be painted. Historically, painting was a way of preserving wood features and is still used today as maintenance of historic wood elements. As this is a Landmark building that historically, would have had opaque painted shutters, and that unpainted shutters are not compatible with the original character of the building and against the HDLC Guidelines, Staff recommends denial of the application.

• Retention of unpainted shutters - Denial.

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Previously Existing Condition:

Public Comment:

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