Commission approves rehabilitation of Theodore Wirth House; allows interior chimney removal for mechanical routing

The Heritage Preservation Commission voted unanimously to approve a certificate of appropriateness for repairs and rehabilitation at the Theodore Wirth House, a local historic landmark at 3954 Bryant Avenue South, including the removal of an interior chimney to allow installation of mechanical line sets.

Rob Skolecki, senior city planner in CPED’s historic preservation section, summarized the applicant’s scope: new compatible asphalt shingles on sloped surfaces, membrane replacement on flat roof areas, stucco repairs to match existing texture and color, numerous window repairs and selective replacements to match historic sash profiles, replacement of some non-historic storm windows with wood double-glazed storms, and the removal of one masonry chimney on the rear (west) elevation as proposed by the applicant. Skolecki noted staff’s position that the rear masonry chimney should be retained and repaired unless it was shown to be structurally unsound.

Rosemary McMonagle of McMonagle Architects, presenting on behalf of the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board, said the house has five stories and that interior building constraints — including concrete floor construction between some levels — make routing multiple mechanical line sets through the building difficult. McMonagle described the proposed technical solution: remove the northwest interior chimney from the third floor through the roof, run eight mechanical line sets up the vacated flue, and route them into third-floor mechanical rooms. She told commissioners the portion of chimney visible at the third-floor level is about 16 inches high and that the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) reviewed and approved the approach after receiving the engineering and structural documentation.

The project team provided a large-scope condition assessment of the house’s exterior and interior needs. Staff and the applicant agreed most proposed repairs and replacements meet the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation, but staff recommended retaining and repairing the exterior portion of the rear masonry chimney rather than removing it. The applicant and SHPO, after engineering review, concluded that retaining an exterior chimney portion while removing the interior flue was structurally infeasible and that running line sets through the vacated flue would minimize exterior mechanical installations and visual clutter.

Commissioners discussed whether the chimney removal would materially harm the house’s historic character. Several commissioners emphasized the property’s significance as the longtime residence of park superintendent Theodore Wirth and as a building on park land that is publicly visible. Others said the mechanical constraints and the applicant’s effort to hide line sets inside the structure, rather than mounting exterior conduit or fake downspouts, made chimney removal preferable.

Commissioner Hare moved to approve the certificate of appropriateness as presented with no conditions; Commissioner Wallace seconded. The roll call recorded 10 ayes, 0 nays. The motion passed.

The approved scope as presented includes reroofing, stucco repair, selective window repair and replacement to match historic profiles, removal of the identified interior chimney to allow concealed mechanical runs, and installation of replacement ground mechanical units. The applicant noted there are 89 window openings documented and that the project team conducted archival research at several local repositories to guide compatible exterior work.