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Rockwall board approves certificate of appropriateness to enclose rear porch at 109 Saint Mary Street
Summary
The Rockwall Historic Preservation Advisory Board approved a certificate of appropriateness to enclose about 230 square feet of a rear porch at a landmarked 1888 Folk Victorian home at 109 Saint Mary Street, with members stressing use of in-kind materials and the addition’s reversibility.
The Rockwall Historic Preservation Advisory Board on Tuesday approved a certificate of appropriateness to enclose about 230 square feet of the rear porch at a landmark property at 109 Saint Mary Street.
The board’s action permits the owners to convert the half bath to a full bathroom and create a dedicated dining area. Staff told the board the proposal matches the home’s height, massing and roof pitch, uses compatible materials and is “designed to be reversible,” meaning it could be removed in the future without harming the historic building.
Staff presentation said the property, in the B.F. Boydston Addition and zoned Single-Family 7, was constructed in 1888 and contains characteristic Folk Victorian L-plan features, including cross-gabled massing, wood lap siding and spindle work on the porch. Notices were sent to 23 property owners within 200 feet; staff received one written support notice prior to the meeting and none in opposition at the time of the staff memo.
Tom Richards, the contractor for the homeowners, told the board the work would not alter the roof line or extend the building footprint beyond the existing porch. "We're not gonna mess with the roof line or anything," Richards said, and described plans to "match the siding" so the new work "will look like it was there." He said the new walls will be framed within the existing porch footprint and that the construction would allow future removal.
Several board members expressed concern about removing any part of a landmark property. One member said, "It does concern me being a landmark property, removing any part of it," and later added that alterations should be limited to situations such as rot or safety issues. Other members noted the work is at the rear of the house and not visible from the street.
After discussion, a board member moved to approve the certificate of appropriateness "to enclose that part of the patio using like-in-kind materials and in keeping with the structure." The motion passed.
The approval follows past preservation work on the property; staff reported prior COAs for siding replacement, window updates and accessory structures in 2013 and 2017.
