This house was designed by noted architect Clarence Johnston and built in 1901. The structure is a two story, 3542 square foot, five-bedroom brick house with a detached garage, and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as part of the historic Hill District. The architectural style might be called transitional, combining Queen Anne and Colonial Revival styles, but Johnson’s design is ultimately more complicated than that.

Our project entailed remodeling what we refer to as the ‘back of house’ on first floor, which consisted of spaces considered more private in the era the house was built. We demolished the kitchen, powder room, back entry, walk-in pantry, back stair, and the original wood rear porch. We created a one-story addition with a roof deck, located approximately where the old porch had been, containing breakfast room and a mudroom with access to the backyard and garage. The gutted interior space was reworked to better suit modern living. The kitchen, pushed to the rear of the house, is separated from the breakfast room addition by glass-front cabinetry.

The powder room is now accessed from a center hall. A walk-in pantry was created, and the old back stair has been converted into kitchen storage.
The project is intriguing due not only to the historic pedigree of the house, but also because it demonstrates how architects can adapt historic structures, making then viable for another hundred years. This is an important and sometimes underrepresented aspect of the profession.