Commission approves corrective requirements after unauthorized work at Woodruff Place house

The Indianapolis Historic Preservation Commission approved, with conditions, a certificate of authorization for work completed without prior approval at 958 Woodruff Place, directing the owner to correct several alterations judged incompatible with the house’s historic character.

Owner Ali Khan asked the commission to let several recently installed elements remain, including cedar half‑cove boards he said were authentic and locally sourced, several door installations and new drip‑edge patterning. Staff reviewer Shelby Long told the commission that most work could be approved as insubstantial except for two east‑facing doors visible from the right of way and three gable areas where faux shingle boards and non‑matching shake siding were used.

After extended commissioner review of visibility and proportion, the commission required the owner to add a transom or approved transom frame above the south‑facing east door to restore proper proportion, to replace or reconfigure the north, south and west gable shingling to match historic profiles and materials, and to make adjustments to the faux half‑cove boards so the profile and layering match historic precedent. The commission set a completion deadline for the corrective work at the January 2026 hearing and required staff sign‑offs and monthly check‑ins if needed.

The owner agreed to work with staff to implement corrections and accepted the January deadline. Commissioners noted the property had markedly improved from its prior condition but stressed that material profiles, reveals and door proportions are character‑defining and must be reliably matched to avoid precedent that would weaken the district’s integrity.

The motion to approve the certificate of authorization with required corrections carried on a voice vote.