Historically and Architecturally Significant Homes in San Antonio.

Friday, October 05, 2007

3-2 Vintage Home in Beacon Hill
Architectural Analysis
Triple Window

By: Architectural Historian Shelley Roff, PhD

1127 West Craig Place, built on the edge of the Beacon Hill neighborhood near downtown, is a Texas variant of the Folk Victorian. This style is defined by Victorian detailing added to simple folk house forms, usually in a much more modest manner than the actual Victorians they were attempting to mimic.

The front of the house projects forward with a deep two-tier veranda, perfect for porch swing, sipping lemonade and watching the neighbors stroll by. The porch ceilings were likely to have been painted sky blue originally, a traditional color that was used to prevent wasps from building nests.

The wood clapboard house is constructed on an elevated foundation and is sheltered by the deeply extended eaves of a gabled roof. This deep eave detail is repeated over the pediment in both the front and back of the house and highlighted with the addition of vergeboards, which the owner has painted in a contrasting color.

The rectangular form of the house is enhanced by several window boxes that pop out from its sides, such as that for the staircase on the west and the dining room alcove to the east. The brick chimney on the east side of the house appears to be rebuilt in more recent times.

This house has been remodeled several times in its history, so those interested in historic preservation will want to know what is original. The date of construction of this house is within the second decade of the 20th century; its plan appears on a San Antonio Sanborn map dated August 1922.

The map illustrates what we see today, a two-story house with a contiguous two-story porch and a detached garage in the rear. Since there were no houses constructed on this block in a 1911 map, we can surmise that the house originated sometime between these dates.

The present owner has renovated the house to make it comfortable for a contemporary lifestyle, yet has preserved many of its historical details, such as the multi-panel wood doors with their metal and glass knobs and elegant, classical molded frames. A local, early 20th-century manufacturer in San Antonio must have provided the diamond and box patterned divided light windows which can be found in many of the historical neighborhoods in San Antonio. The designer of this house arranged them as small double-hung panes and in casements of three.

The original builder of the house went to some expense to ornament the public areas of the interior: the vestibule and staircase. A modest form of boiserie, a type of carved wood paneling with raised moldings, decorates the piers and walls. In the living room, a pair of bookshelves flank each side of the fireplace with a symmetrical single-pane window above. This arrangement of forms can be seen in many historical houses in this neighborhood and it is likely that the windows originally were intended to slide upwards into the wall, operated with the aide of a weight and pulley system. The dining room is linked directly to the living room through a new French door, probably originally separated with a pocket door. The focus of the dining area is a broad window seat alcove, a design feature that can also be seen on the bungalow next door constructed in 1920. On the second floor, French doors provide easy access to the porch.



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 src=Greetings!

If you have a friend who is looking for a neat vintage home that has been stylishly and exquisitely renovated by an architect-owner, then go ahead and hit the Forward button and send this to them.

Travis and Jennifer bought 1127 W. Craig a couple of years back and have been fixing it up for themselves and for their high design standards. They got a great job opportunity in Austin, so this BIG 3-2 home is going to make some very lucky person happy. Considering the craftsmanship and materials that have gone into this home, someone is going to get a great deal.

Call us if you find this home interesting!



Beacon Hill 2-story Folk Victorian
Front

  • 3 bedrooms and 2 baths - $150,000

  • Amazing Hardwood floors

  • 1,946 Square Feet

  • Convenient to Montessori

  • Designer Touches Throughout

  • Extensive, Expensive Renovation including:

    • Installed new Extensive Roof System

    • Extensive Landscaping

    • Raised & Stabilized Foundation

    • Replaced Porch Columns and Trim

    • Complete 200-Amp Rewire

    • Installed 5-ton high-efficiency central air

    • Gourmet Kitchen Remodel (Sweet!)

    • Complete Master Bath Remodel & Expansion

    • New Utility Room Installation

    • Repainted & so much more...



    The Lifestyle
    Dual Vanity

    Travis & Jennifer share what they will miss about 1127 W. Craig:

    1. Transforming this house over the past few years to become our home has been been immensely rewarding. Our baby girl's first steps, first words, and first everythings were set against this backdrop. We will miss it.

    2. Zoysia grass under bare feet feels fabulous. It was more expensive than St. Augustine, but our little girl loves to toddle around & flop down in it. So do we...

    3. Neighborhood strolls are the perfect way to unwind after work. Nearly every house has something architecturally interesting or something going on in the yard. Plus, there's always neighbors out on porches or working outside.

    4. We hosted our first family Christmas last year and our home couldn't have been better suited for it. We were a total of 12 , some of whom stayed overnight. The wide open, flexible bottom floor arrangement allows for easy entertaining & conversation.

    5. The best tacos al carbon in the entire city are across the street. No kidding. And just past that is a nice little bakery. We usually cook fresh & healthy at home in the remodeled kitchen, but there are always those weekend mornings when we didn't feel up to cooking and cleaning. Plus those fresh tortillas are so good...

    6. We can all be in the big master bath at the same time, even with the baby scattering toys. Everyone has plenty of space and privacy as needed. The oversized tub is a luxury, of course, and the windows let in amazing light.

    7. My wife just asked me, "Do you remember that first night after our central air had been installed? It was last summer..." I do remember. It works very, very well. Plus the programmable thermostat keeps the bills low without having to fiddle with it.

    8. The second-story veranda offers a phenomenal view of the 4th of July fireworks at Woodlawn Lake, which is roughly 2 miles to the west. The downstairs porch swing is great for breezy fall nights, or when storms are rolling in. The upstairs is more secluded - you have a great view of everything going on, but nobody notices us...



    Dining Room

    Please don't hesitate to respond to this email or call me or my team for more information (745-0892).

    Sincerely,


    Joe Barfield The Joe Barfield Group of Keller Williams Realty


    email: homes@joebarfield.com
    phone: 210-733-1928
    web: http://www.sanantoniovintagehomes.com/

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