The Revival Styles - Nashville · The Revival Styles 1900-1945 ... ble rock-faced stone and...

The Revival Styles1900-1945

Nashville Old House Series Metropolitan Historical Commission (615) 862-7970 3000 Granny White Pike Nashville, TN 37204 Page 1

Nashville Old House Series Architectural Style and Sensitive Rehabilitation

An assort-ment of revivalsof past architec-

tural styles, including Colonial, Tudor, and Spanish, providedan alternative to the Craftsman bungalow. The ColonialRevival features a number of variations, including Dutch, anddraws inspiration from the Georgian and Adam styles that

dominated ColonialAmerica. Although inuse throughout theUnited States from the1880s to the 1950s,revival houses were pop-ular in Nashville begin-ning in the 1920s. Thesehouses were rarely his-toric replicas, but wereinstead loose variationsof the original styles.

Earlier Victorian styles,such as Queen Anne, often incorporated revival elements intotheir designs in order to remain current with architecturaltrends.

Both Colonial and Dutch Revival architecture reflected apatriotic nostalgia. America's centennial celebration in 1876 iscredited in part to jumpstarting this revival of colonial styles.In addition, society experienced great changes including rapidindustrialization, urbanization, and immigration. In her bookBuilding the Dream, Gwendolyn Wright claimed the simplici-ty of the English Colonial Revival "evoked the moral tone ofrestraint and sound judgment," and was "an architecturalexpression of the entire country's common heritage of good

sense and egalitarian principles."Tudor Revival styles emerged in the early 1900s and

remained popularthrough 1940. This styledraws loosely uponMedieval English archi-tecture and freely mixeswith various Americanstyles. There are severalvariations of the TudorRevival (includingElizabethan, Jacobean,and Norman) with anassortment of façade materials-brick, stone, stucco, or wood.

Mediterranean and Spanish Revival houses were much lesscommon in Nashville than Tudor and Colonial Revival styles.These houses, which typically feature stucco surfaces and redtile roofs, were much more common in California and theSouthwest. A local example of this style is Little Hollywood,a small neighborhood in East Nashville with several smallSpanish Revival houses.

Early twentieth century mail-order catalogs featured pre-fabricated houses with the various revival styles available.Companies like Sears, Roebuck and Company, Gordon-VanTine Company, and Montgomery Ward and Company weresuccessful mail-order businesses. Catalogues served the majordemand for housing during the early twentieth century andpopularized the revival styles.

A simple cross-gable design based loosely on the TudorRevival emerged from the 1930s Depression era. ThisMinimal Traditional style, with its low roof pitch and flusheaves, generally lacked decorative detailing, but would occa-sionally feature Tudor or Colonial Revival elements. This styleremained popular in Nashville through 1960.

Nashville neighborhoods mainly featured two types ofrevival styles: Tudor and Colonial. Colonial Revival architec-ture has endured and remains popular because of its simplicityin design and ornamentation, and its affordability. Examples ofthe revival styles can be found in many of Nashville's earlysuburban neighborhoods including Richland-West End,Cherokee Park, and Inglewood.

HHISTISTORICALORICAL BBAACKCKGRGROUNDOUND

Local Dutch Colonial Revival

Local Transitional Colonial Revival

Local Tudor Revival



Several revival styles differing sig-nificantly from one another are fea-tured within this pamphlet. They wereespecially popular after World War I,and are common within Nashville's his-toric suburbs. As with some Craftsmanstyle houses, revival houses often fea-tured garages. For the first time,domestic architecture reflected theimportance of the automobile to thesuburban resident.

English Colonial RevivalThe solid, clean lines and symmetri-

cal patterns of Colonial Revival archi-tecture were a welcome change fromeclectic Victorian era designs.Construction materials included most

common supplies suchas brick, stone, andweatherboard. Unlikeoriginal Colonial archi-tecture, double-hungwindows often featuredmulti-pane upper sashesand single-pane lowersashes.

This was the mostcommon revival variation in Nashvilleand throughout the United States. Thisstyle typically included a rectangularplan, a symmetrical façade, an accentu-ated central entrance with a pedimentsupported by pilasters, and a door oftensurrounded by a fanlight and sidelights.These designs were typically largerthan original Colonial domestic archi-tecture, and featured either one or twostories with hipped or side-gabledroofs. The later Cape Cod variationswere just one story. The popularity oftraditional styles influenced by theColonial Revival endures to the pres-ent.

Dutch Colonial RevivalDutch Colonial Revival styles

included either front or side-facinggambrel roofs with dormer windowsand were typicallyone-and-one-half sto-ries. Although originalDutch Colonial archi-tecture never includeddormers, the side-gabled roof examplestypically featured afull-width shed dormeron the facade.

Tudor RevivalTudor Revival

houses featured across-gable lay-out with a steeplypitched roofs, tallnarrow windowsthat were usuallygrouped together,massive chim-

neys, and half-timbering. Chimneypots often graced the tops of chimneys.A common element among TudorRevival houses is the round-archeddoorways.

Spanish Colonial RevivalThis revival style is most common

in the southern and western UnitedStates, but scattered examples exist inNashville, especially in LittleHollywood. Common characteristicsinclude brick or stucco walls, Spanishmission characteristics, round archedwindows, terra cotta details, and flat orlow-pitched roofs covered with redclay tile. In addition to residentialdesign, this style was used in commer-cial and religious buildings. Variationsof Spanish Colonial Revival architec-ture date from 1890 to the 1950s.

IIDENTIFYINGDENTIFYING THETHE SSTYLESTYLES

Local Colonial Revival

Local Tudor Revival

Local Spanish RevivalLocal Tudor Revival

In deter-mining archi-tectural char-

acter, it is helpful to look at a house as two layers. The firstis the structure itself: the walls, openings for windows anddoors, the configuration of the roof and chimneys. Theseconstitute the basic form of the house. They form the core towhich finish materials are applied. The final appearance ofthe house depends heavily on its basic form. In planningrehabilitation, priority should be given to maintaining thebasic form or returning to the original form if alterations havebeen made.

The second layer consists of finish materials, both func-tional and decorative. This includes visible masonry, siding,roof materials, doors and window sashes, and all sorts of dec-orative trim. The porch, both functional and decorative, isalso of paramount importance to the character of the house.

Finish materials are of secondary importance only in thatthey are applied to the basic form and are in that sensedependent upon it. If lost or altered, finish treatments canusually be returned to original configuration with a great dealless trouble and expense than can the basic form, yet theirimportance to the character of the house should not be under-estimated.

Siding/Finish MaterialsWood

Lapped wood siding, often called clapboard or weather-board, was commonly used on Colonial Revival style houses.Wood was also used in entryway features and decorative trim.As such, wood was painted. Colonial Revival houses weretypically painted white, further reflecting their stylistic sim-plicity. The siding was of varying sizes, with earlier housestypically featuring narrower clapboard.



The generalidea whenrehabilitating a

revival-style house, or any old house, is to create a comfort-able, livable environment, compatible with the lifestyle ofthe present, while retaining its architectural character--thatwhich makes it and its neighbors an important document ofour past. The National Park Service defines rehabilitationas a "process of making possible a compatible use for aproperty through repair, alterations, and additions while pre-serving those portions or features, which convey its histori-cal, cultural, or architectural values." While the terms"restoration" and "reconstruction" imply a somewhat rigiddepiction of a specific period, as with a historic house muse-um, rehabilitation simply suggests sensitivity to the historicintegrity of the property.

For most people a period restoration is neither financial-ly feasible nor practical. What makes sense in most cases isa sensitive, careful rehabilitation. Homeowners within his-toric and conservation zoning districts must apply for permitsthrough the Metro Historical Commission and follow speci-fied design guidelines.

In planning a rehabilitation, one must determine thearchitectural character of the house. This is largely a matter

of architectural style but goes beyond style alone. Characteralso involves the relationship of the house to the street, itsyard, and to surrounding structures. These relationshipscombine with architectural style to create the character ofthe house. Together houses create the character of thestreet, and streets form the character of the entire neighbor-hood.

Key TermsRestoration: act or process of accurately depicting theform, features, and character of a property as it appeared ata particular period by means of the removal of features fromother periods in history and reconstruction of missing fea-tures from the restoration period.

Reconstruction: act or process of depicting, by means ofnew construction, the form, features, and details of a non-surviving site, landscape, building, structure, or object forthe purpose of replicating its appearance at a specific periodin its historic location.

Preservation: act or process of applying measures neces-sary to sustain the existing form, integrity, and materials ofan historic property.

SSENSITIVEENSITIVE RREHABILITEHABILITAATIONTION

AARRCHITECTURALCHITECTURAL CCHARAHARACTERCTER



MasonryBrick was usually smooth-finished

and dark red, laid with very narrowmortar joints. The mortar could be tint-ed red or left white. Buff brick alsoappeared during this period, usuallywith black mortar.

Stone was a fairly commonplace res-idential building material in Nashville.It was often rock-faced (left rough andrandom on the visible side) with narrow,beaded mortar joints. Details, such as

window and door lintels, were usuallysmooth-finished. However, Tudorstyles often featured rough-cut stone

surrounding doors or windows. In 1929, construction companies

began marketing simulated masonry, avariety of products created to imitatestone. These products included suchitems as concrete blocks cast to resem-ble rock-faced stone and Perma-Stone, amolded wall facing made of aggregates,cement, crushed quartz, mineral colors,and metallic hardeners. Simulatedmasonry was also used as a remodelingmaterial.

Stucco was used as a surface materi-al especially on Spanish andMediterranean Revival houses. Also, itwas frequently combined with wood fora half-timbered effect in Tudor-influ-enced styles.

Asphalt and asbestos shingles These were becoming popular as a

roofing material in the early twentiethcentury. They were also often usedinstead of wood shingles as siding.

Non-original surface finishesRoll siding, aluminum and vinyl sid-

ing are not appropriate to revival stylehouses and should be removed. Painton masonry is also generally inappro-priate. Its removal, while desirable,should be carefully thought out.

Roof MaterialsThe vast majority of Nashville's

revival style houses were roofed withasbestos or asphalt composition shin-gles. The visual effect was often quitesimilar to the composition shingles inuse today. Less frequently roofs fea-

tured slate or terra cotta tiles. Thesematerials most frequently appeared onMediterranean and Spanish Revivalhouses. Although an entire roof of terracotta tiles was only occasionally used inNashville, decorative ridge caps of terracotta tiles were commonly used oncomposition shingle roofs of variousstyles of houses.

Paint ColorsColonial Revival houses with clap-

board siding were typically paintedwhite to reflect simplicity in design andornamentation. Other revival stylehouses with clapboard siding typicallyfeatured a light, refined paint color.

Brick and stone houses were notoriginally painted, as these materialswere often used together for a decora-tive effect, especially on TudorRevivals. For instance, round-archdoorways sometimes have cut stoneprojecting into the surrounding brick.

SettingRevival style houses are generally

located in Nashville’s early automobilesuburbs. Generally, these houses werebuilt on deep, narrow suburban lots.The houses are meant to be seen prima-rily from the street, and thus the streetfaçade is the most important. The sideof a house was meant to be seen indetail only if the house was on a corner.Front yards were small, rear yards weresomewhat larger, and side yards virtual-ly non-existent. Houses built in thisway tend to create a visual rhythmalong the street. The rhythm is dis-turbed by vacant lots and modern infill,which stray too far from the norm insize or placement on the lot.

CCHARAHARACTERCTER,, CCONTINUEDONTINUED

Two Views of the Same House

Basic Form

Finish Materials inPlace



Removing features of a house thatare not original is usually an appropri-ate treatment and often, but not always,a desirable course of action. Carefulthought should be exercised beforeremoving anything. Anything activelydetrimental to the structure of the

house, like aluminum or vinyl siding,should be removed. Other additions tothe house such as wrought iron porchcolumns or inappropriate window sashare generally replaced with somethingmore appropriate during the course ofthe rehabilitation.

Other considerations, however,may enter into the decision. Consider,for example, rooms that have been

added to the rear of a house in recentyears. The addition is not especiallycompatible with the style of the origi-nal house, but it is not visible from thestreet and does little to compromise thecharacter of the house. If the space isneeded inside and the addition is struc-turally sound, it would be foolish toremove it. Always think about itbefore removing anything.

RREMOEMOVVALAL OFOF MMAATERIALSTERIALS

Over the years, most old houseshave lost something--bits and pieces ofdecorative trim, or a mantel or lightfixture. It is always appropriate torestore missing parts of a house if twothings are known: first, that the featurebeing restored was indeed there origi-nally, and second, what the featurelooked like. Ideally, everyone couldhave an old photograph or originalarchitectural plans as a guide in replac-ing missing parts of the house. This israrely the case, however, and some

degree of educated guesswork isoften necessary in replacing whatis missing. This is fine if careful-

ly done, but regrets can arise if addi-tional evidence proves the reconstruc-tion of a missing feature to be inept or,worse, if the "restored" feature turnsout never to have existed at all. Avoidexpensive mistakes, and know whatyou are doing when replacing missingparts.

Any rehabilitation, no matter howcareful, will involve not only changingthe present appearance of the house butalso making some changes from whatis known or believed to be its original

appearance. This is fine if changes aremade in a way that is sensitive to thearchitectural character of the house.Change is not inherently bad, but avoidinsensitive change.

RREPLAEPLACINGCING WWHAHATT’’SS MMISSINGISSING

Replace a feature if:

It originally existed within the structure.

It is known what the featurelooked like.

Remember

Rehab Advice Rehab Advice Rehab Advice

W i n d o wstyles differ aswidely as the

revival styles themselves. Often, theywere installed in pairs or in groups oftwo or three, resulting in a square orhorizontal windowopening with verti-cal divisionsbetween the indi-vidual window

sashes. Most windows featured adouble-hung sash (the type that slidesup and down to open and shut) withmultiple lights over one (meaningseveral panes of glass in the top halfand a single pane in the bottom). Of

course therewere variationsof the doublehung window,but they were

invariably rectan-gular and tallerthan wide.

Unlike origi-nal Colonial

architecture, the double-hung win-dows in Colonial Revival housesoften included multi-pane upper sash-es and single-pane lower sashes.

Tudor Revival houses sometimesfeatured casement windows, which

WWINDOINDOWSWS

Casement Windows



have hinges and generally open out-ward.

As energy conservation becomesmore important, many people feel theneed to install storm windows. Thisaddition can be handled so that it does

little damage to the integrity of anolder house. There are two generalrules to follow: first, the storm win-dow should be made to fit in the orig-inal window opening exactly. Itshould not overlap onto the wall sur-face or be patched in to a larger open-ing. Second, the storm windowshould be an appropriate color match-

ing that of the sash behind it, andshould never be left raw aluminum.Aluminum storm windows can beordered in colors from the factory.Aluminum storms can also be paintedif the factory film is removed orallowed to weather off.

WWINDOINDOWSWS,, CCONTINUEDONTINUED

Much likewindows, thefront doors in

revival houses were varied. Most oftenthey were largely wood with smallpanes of glass near the topat about eye level. BothTudor and SpanishRevivals often had similarstyle entrances with heavyboard-and-batten doors.Beyond this the decora-tive treatment varied sowidely that it is difficult to encompassall the typical styles.

If an original door is missing, aneffort should be made to find anappropriate replacement. Sometimesa new door must be used, but flush

doors andi n a p p r o -priate pan-eled doorsshould bea v o i d e d .An unfor-t u n a t e l y

frequent addition to the frontdoor of many old houses is astorm door. While storm doorsdo have their functional mer-its, they obscure the details of

the door behind,details that weremeant to be seen. If astorm door must beused, it should be a singlepane of glass from top to bot-tom in a frame of unobtru-sive color, though the reflec-

tion on the glass still obscures a clearview of the door behind it.

PorchesRevival style

houses generallyhave small entry-way porchesrather than thelarge full-widthporches featuredon area bungalows and turn-of-the-century houses. Colonial Revivalentrances reflect variations of the ear-

lier Adam andFederal styles.Most ColonialRevival housesfeatured little morethan an accentuat-ed entrance with adecorative crownsupported by

pilasters. A portico with a curvedunderside appeared on few originals,but is common during the Revivalperiod. Often Colonial Revival entry-ways featured sidelights and curved ortriangular pediments.

Tudor Revival houses featuredsimilar small entryway porches, butwith an English Medieval accent.Simple arched doorways with heavyboard-and-batten doors were commonentrances.

A feature common in Revivalstyles was the side porch. These one-story porches with flat roofs were notusually found on the original stylesthat the Revivals mimicked. They areeither open or enclosed.

EENTRNTRYWYWAAYYSS

Colonial Revival

Typical Revival doors

A V O I D

Tudor and Spanish



Early twen-tieth centurysuburbs, such

as Inglewood, Cherokee Park, andRichland-West End in Nashville,were originally designed to accom-modate modern transportationneeds. Neighborhoods includedpaved roads, curbing, sidewalks,and driveways. Automobilesbecame especially popular duringthe decade between 1910 and 1920,a period during which the Nashvillesuburbs were developing. Earlydesigns usually incorporatedgarages for automobiles behind theresidences, while later plans of the1940s and 1950s integratedattached garages into the designs ofhouses. Often builders designed agarage in a similar style to thehouse. Some Dutch ColonialRevival houses, for example, fea-ture a similarly constructed gam-brel roof garage.

An historic garage is as impor-tant to the integrity of a propertyand neighborhood as the houseitself, and steps should be taken toretain the historic character of thegarage. Generally, the same ideas ofrehabilitation apply to both housesand garages, especially if a garageis visible from the street.

GGARAARAGESGESFunctionally

the roof is oneof the most

important elements of the house andoften the first to need rehab atten-tion. Nothing much can be done tothe rest of the house if the roof is notsound. Visually the roof is also ofgreat significance. Its design is oneof the basic visual elements thatmake up the style and architecturalcharacter of a house. Roof designinvolves roof pitch and contours,roofing materials, and decorativetrim. All these things need carefulconsideration in rehab planning.

The plan, outline, pitch, andheight of the roof make the frame-work to which roofing material isapplied and are basic to the visualcharacter of the entire house. Inmost cases, the roof configuration isoriginal and should be retained. Anyadditions to the house or changesmade in the roof itself should notseriously interfere with the roof con-figuration as seen from the street.

The overwhelming majority ofrevival houses were roofed withasbestos or asphalt shingles. Theseusually resembled the visual effectachieved with present-day composi-tion shingles. Texture was relativelysmooth, and the pattern was regular.Colors used varied widely. Most

revival houses have been re-roofedone or more times but usually withcomposition shingles not unlike theoriginal roofing. Finding a properroofing material is usually not amajor problem in the rehabilitationof revival style houses.

A few Nashville revival stylehouses were originally roofed withslate or terra cotta tile. This is espe-cially true with the Mediterraneanand Spanish Revivals. Such roofingis extremely durable and is often inexcellent shape fifty or sixty yearsafter construction. Leaking can bedifficult to locate and repair in suchroofs, but it can be done. Since thereis very little available in the way ofvisually appropriate substitutes forsuch roofs--especially for tile roof-ing--every effort should be made tosave them.

When dealing with roofing orother surface materials, questions ofa technical nature tend to arise.Detailed technical information isbeyond the scope of this publication.Rather, the material here, like the restof the pamphlet, is intended to pres-ent an overall approach to rehabilita-tion and the conservation of architec-tural character. More detailed tech-nical information is available at theoffice of the Metropolitan HistoricalCommission.

RROOFSOOFS

Exterior wood,whether used assheathing for the

entire house or as a porch and trimwork on a masonry house, has bothfunctional and decorative importance.

Functionally, wood serves eitherwholly or in part as the exterior shell ofthe house and must withstand theoften-harsh assaults of wind, rain, sun,and changing temperatures. To thisend, wood is painted. Eventually

weather will deteriorate paint, and see-ing that this protective coating isrenewed periodically is vital.Unpainted wood deteriorates very rap-idly. Occasionally stain was usedrather than paint. Stain alone was

WWOODOOD

Manyp e o p l ewho are

distressed by the idea of having tokeep wood painted, an ongoing main-tenance necessity, have had theirwooden houses, or wooden portionsof masonry houses, covered with"low maintenance" siding. These sid-ings range from the asbestos shinglesand roll siding of some years ago tothe aluminum or vinyl siding mostoften installed today. All such sid-ings damage the house. At the veryleast, even the most careful installa-tion will damage the visual integrityof the house, and few installations arecareful. Further, such sidings areprone to trap moisture behind them,which rots the wood underneath.Because the siding remains new look-ing for a time, moisture-related prob-lems often go undetected and cause

serious structural damage. If such siding is already on a

house, it should be removed now!Often the excuse is heard, "I don'twant to take the siding off becauseI'm afraid of what I might find under-

neath." This excuse is the very reasonto take the siding off. Any deteriora-tion present under the siding is notgetting better and is probably gettingworse. Remove the siding and makenecessary repairs as soon as possible.



often used on wooden shingles usedas siding. Stain with a coating of var-nish was often used on front doors.

As decorative treatment, woodwas used in a variety of ways.Renovation should always preserveas much of the original fabric of thehouse as possible. If deteriorationnecessitates replacing wood, theform of the original should be dupli-cated. This might prove difficult insome cases, but preserving the char-acter of the house is worth the effort.

Proper paint andstain colors alsoplay a vital role inthe architecturalcharacter of therevival-style house.The MetropolitanH i s t o r i c a lCommission has atits office severalexcellent publica-tions on properpaint colors, whichare available for consultation.

Half-timberingis commonlyfound on TudorRevivals.

WWOODOOD,, CCONTINUEDONTINUEDAADDDD--ONON SSIDINGIDING

Brick is designed to withstand weath-er without paint or any other protectivecoating and to look good while doing it.

As such, brick is a relatively maintenance free material.Unless it has been the victim of serious neglect or outrightabuse, brick usually requires little attention in the rehabprocess.

In this brief publication, it is not possible to get into adetailed discussion of the causes of brick and mortar dete-rioration. Very often it stems from excess water, eitherleaking from faulty gutters anddownspouts or seeping upwardfrom the ground. There are otherpossible causes as well, and thecause of the deterioration shouldbe found and corrected beforeany time or money is spent on

repairs. When repairs are made, three important propertiesof the masonry should be carefully considered:softness/hardness, dimension, and color.

Old brick and old mortar areconsiderably softer than brickand mortar in general use today.Modern firing produces brickthat is very hard, and modernmortar contains Portlandcement, also very hard. Old,softer brick can be seriouslydamaged in the normal cycle of expansion and contractioncaused by extremes of temperature if hard, inflexible, newmasonry materials are placed against it. When a hole ispatched or missing mortar replaced, the materials added tothe wall should match the softness of those original to thewall.

BBRICKRICK

Normal Mortar

Improper Repointing



Difficulties in colormatching arise in partfrom the vast variation

in brick and mortar composition and manufacture over theyears and in part from natural aging and the accumulationof grime that occurs over time. Bricks can often be foundto approximate the color of original bricks. Mortar tintingcan be more difficult and requires a good and willingmason. An exact color match on brick and mortar is hardbut not impossible to achieve.

Brick used in revival style houses usually had sharpedges and corners, and was laid with relatively narrowmortar joints. When making repairs, carefully match thesize and shape of original brick and mortar. Problems mostfrequently arise from improper replacement of missingmortar, called repointing or tuckpointing. Too often,repointed joints are much wider than original joints, dras-tically altering the appearance of the wall.

Paint and BrickAs previously stated, brick does not require a coating

of paint to be functional or attractive. Very few brick his-toric houses were painted originally. Most builders liked

the way brick looked, often laying it in fancy patterns orcombining it with stone for decorative effect. Over theyears, some old houses were painted to disguise additionsor to hide dirt or sloppy repair work. In very few cases,virtually none here in Nashville, was a brick house of anytype painted to begin with. To paint such a building now,for the first time, is to detrimentally alter the architecturalcharacter of the house.

Aside from aesthetics, painting brick raises practicalquestions. Paint is an ongoing maintenance responsibility,expensive and a bother. Painting brick introduces a main-tenance problem to a material that should be largely main-tenance free. It rarely helps with moisture problems asmany people have hoped it would. So why paint?

A painted house usually can be effectively and safelycleaned, but careful thought is in order before this isundertaken. It would be helpful to know why the housewas painted in the first place. Was it to hide alterationsand repairs? Was it to keep deteriorating mortar in place?If this is the case, cleaning could be disappointing or couldnecessitate further maintenance. Cleaning is usually agood idea and a positive step. But the process should notbe undertaken lightly.

BBRICKRICK,, CCONTINUEDONTINUED

Brick can becleaned of dirt andpaint effectively with

safe chemical methods in most cases. Under no circum-stances should sandblasting or any other kind of abrasivecleaning be used. This kind of process does not reallyclean the brick. It removes the outer layer, exposing therough, softer, more porous inner core of the brick. Italso wreaks havoc on mortar. The appearance of thebrick suffers as a result; but even more important, expos-ing the inner brick makes it much more vulnerable to the

extremes of the weather and, because it is very rough,likely to accumulate grime much more quickly thanbefore. Clear sealers often recommended for sandblast-ed brick are rarely very effective and require frequentrenewal. Sandblasting salesmen can be very persuasive,in spite of growing public skepticism of abrasive clean-ing. Thus sandblasting sometimes masquerades undergentle-sounding names like dusting or feather blasting.It is all the same, and it should be steadfastly avoided.Sandblasting can cause serious damage, and the processis absolutely irreversible.

BBRICKRICK CCLEANINGLEANING

It is at times necessary to addon to an old house to createmore space or to make existing

space more usable. All through history, houses have grownin successive stages as changing needs demanded. Manyold houses in Nashville already have one or more additions,some dating from early in the history of the house. There isnothing wrong with adding on if it is done with care andsensitivity to the architectural character of the originaldesign.

There are two general rules to follow. First, the additionshould not compromise the integrity of the principal façadeof the house. The principal façade is architecturally themost important and is a vital component of the character ofthe entire street. It should be preserved if possible. In mostcases, this means an addition should be at the rear of thehouse, not visible from the front. In the case of a cornerhouse, an addition to the rear would of course be visible, butthe principal façade need not be affected.

Second, the addition should be a contemporary designdistinuishable from the original structure. Old buildingsare expensive and very difficult to imitate successfully, andimitations of old architecture create problems with percep-tion. Additions that imitate the design of the original houseblur the line between old and new. Perceiving its successivestages can then be difficult. Being able to readily see the dif-ferent stages of the house is important today and willbecome more so as those who come after us will study our

ways of life by looking at our buildings. The historic valueof an old house is best protected when the addition is read-ily distinguishable from the original. With the careful use ofmaterials, scale, and color, such an addition can be a harmo-nious partner of the older parts of the house.



While stone and brick are quite dif-ferent physically, similar rehab recommendations apply.Like brick and mortar, stone and mortar should be com-patible. New mortar joints and replacement stone shouldmatch the old. Avoid abrasive cleaning, and instead cleanwith gentle chemicals. Painted stone looks even worsethan painted brick. Stone should not be painted andshould be cleaned of paint unless special problems existthat would make cleaning inadvisable.

Vines damage stone masonry as they do brick, andshould be kept off stone walls and foundations. Mostvines that grow on brick and stone, especially ivy, areharmful and should be removed. They may look roman-tic and lovely, but they cause two problems. First, theyhold moisture that can damage the wall and seep throughto the interior of the house. Second, the shoots they sendout actually penetrate brick and mortar joints, wedgingthe wall apart. If allowed to continue long enough, thisprocess can cause the wall to collapse.

SSTTONEONEAADDINGDDING OONN

The focus ofthis pamphlethas been on the

exterior of revival houses. The exteri-or, especially the street façade, is thepart that is seen by the public and thatthe owner, in a sense, shares with thepublic. It is generally held, therefore,that maintaining historical accuracy ismuch more important on the exteriorof a house than on the interior, the pri-vate preserve of its occupants.

The interior of a house is where

adaptations to modern living usuallybecome a serious issue. Everyonewants to be warm in the winter andcool in the summer. Adapting an oldhouse for modern convenience is per-fectly acceptable and, if done withcare, will do little harm to the architec-tural character of the house.

As a general rule, do not do any-thing to a room that would seriouslyhamper a period restoration in thatroom should an owner desire one. Thismeans retaining, or repairing if neces-

IINTERIORNTERIOR

Cape Cod floor plan



sary, original wall surfaces, doors,woodwork, mantels, floor surfaces,and hardware. All this may not bepossible in a given room, but it shouldbe the goal. This approach allows forany style of decorating, but retains thebasic features of the room necessaryfor an accurate period restoration,

should that be desired in the future. This approach discourages inappro-

priate treatments that are difficult to

reverse, such as lowered ceilings,obtrusive installation of climate con-trol systems, inappropriate wall andceiling treatments like sheet panelingand spray-on textures, and indiscrimi-nate alteration of the floor plan.

Exceptions will sometimes need tobe made. Each house must be consid-ered as a separate case, and the needsof individual owners vary widely.Kitchens and bathrooms usuallyrequire a complete overhaul. Trafficpatterns sometimes need adjusting,requiring the moving of a wall or door.All of this is perfectly acceptable if thegoal of preserving the essential archi-tecture character of the house is keptfirmly in mind, and the new is made tofit unobtrusively with the old.

Saving PlasterOften when rehabilitation of an old

house begins, the owners find crackedand crumbling plaster; but cracks andholes do not necessarily mandateremoval of the plaster. Plaster canbe patched and repaired successful-ly, usually saving time, effort, andmoney in the process. Seriouslydeteriorated plaster should beremoved; but all too often, renova-tors rush into plaster removal whenit is not really necessary. Becauseof its low cost and ease of installa-tion, dry wall is usually the choicefor plaster replacement. However,dimensional problems can arisewhen fitting dry wall to originalbaseboards and other moldingsbecause it is usually not as thick asthe original plaster layer. Originalplaster should be saved if possible.

Fireplaces and mantelsMost revival houses were built with

central heating. Fireplaces wereintended for pleasant wintertime firesand were usually in the living roomonly. Some larger houses also had fire-places in the dining room or library.The mantel was usually of masonry(brick and/or stone) with a woodenmantel shelf. Designs varied but weresimple in detail. Fireplaces were usu-ally intended to burn wood, occasion-ally coal. In Colonial Revival houses,the mantel was often based onAmerican Colonial or Federal designs.

The fireplace is one of the domi-nant visual features of a room andshould be treated with respect for itsvisual importance. Few mantels of thisperiod have been drastically altered orcompletely removed as in many olderhouses, but often they have been paint-ed. This was presumably done to hidesoot discoloration. Unpainted mantelsshould never be painted.

IINTERIORNTERIOR,, CCONTINUEDONTINUED

Tudor Revival floor plan

Front entrance often leads directlyinto the living room.

Bedrooms have built-in closets.

Tudor Revival houses historically haddark interiors.

Simple Colonial Revival furniture--both reproductions and variations--waspopular in the 1920s and 1930s.

Common Interior Features



Though the average oldhouse owner cannot logicallybe expected to maintain a peri-

od restoration of the grounds of his or her house, a few tipsare in order.

The period during which revival styles flourished repre-sents the most rapid suburban neighborhood development inNashville’s history. This early suburban growth representedan emerging interest in living near an urban center, but in aclean, refined, park-like setting away from the noise andactivity of the city. These modern suburbs featured primarily

single-family dwellings situated along curvilinear roads. Theplanting of trees, shrubs, and other vegetation created theruralness of the neighborhood. Sometimes the boundariesbetween properties were marked with fences or shrubs, andother times the lawns were free-flowing.

A lawn usually reflects the homeowner’s tastes.Generally, lawns were mostly grass with occasional shrubsand shade trees. A low hedge or picket fence might be appro-priate for a front yard. Privacy is often desirable in back-yards, and high, solid fencing is acceptable there if not obtru-sive from the street.

LLANDSCAPINGANDSCAPING

This pamphlet is designed toacquaint the owner of an old Nashvillehouse with the basic considerationsinvolved in a careful rehabilitation,rather than to provide detailed technicalinformation on the rehabilitationprocess itself. The MetropolitanHistorical Commission has in its librarymore detailed information on a long listof rehabilitation-related topics. Thestaff is willing to make site visits andoffer additional advice. For furtherassistance, call (615) 862-7970.

Sources

Ames, David L. and Linda FlintMcClelland. "An Overview ofSuburbanization in the UnitedStates, 1830 to 1960." National

Park Service. <http://www.cr.nps.gov/nr/publications/bulletins/suburbs/index.htm>

Doyle, Don H. Nashville Since the1920s. Knoxville, TN: The University of Tennessee Press,1985.

Harris, Cyril M. AmericanArchitecture: An Illustrated Encyclopedia. New York: Norton Publishers, 1998.

"Heritage Preservation Services." <www2.cr.nps.gov>

Jester, Thomas C., ed. TwentiethCentury Building Materials: Historyand Conservation. Washington,DC: National Park Service, 1995.

McAlester, Virginia and Lee

McAlester. A Field Guide toAmerican Houses. New York:Knopf, 1984.

Schweitzer, Robert and Michael W. R.Davis. America's Favorite Homes:Mail-Order Catalogues as a Guideto Popular Early 20th-CenturyHouses. Detroit: Wayne StateUniversity Press, 1990.

“Technical Preservation Services forHistoric Buildings.” <http://www2.cr.nps.gov/tps/briefs/presbhom.htm> (Covers topics ranging fromreroofing to exterior painting. Hardcopy available at the MHC office.)

Text, Illustrations, Design: SarahJackson and David Paine, 2003

AADDITIONDDITIONALAL IINFONFO

Metropolitan Historical Commission does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, sex, color, national origin, religion, or disability in admission to, accessto, or operations of its programs, services, or activities. The Metropolitan Historical Commission does not discriminate in its hiring or employment practices.The following person has been designated to handle questions, concerns, complaints, requests for accommodation, or requests for additional informationregarding the Americans with Disabilities Act: Terri Johnson, 3000 Granny White Pike, Nashville, TN 37204 Phone: (615) 862-7970, Fax: (615) 862-7974.The following person has been designated as the Metro Title VI Coordinator to handle questions, concerns, complaints, or requests for additional informa-tion regarding Title VI of The Civil Rights Act: Michelle Lane, Department of Finance, 222 3rd Avenue North, Suite 650, Nashville, TN 37201, Phone: (615)862-6170, Fax: (615) 862-6175. Inquiries concerning non-discrimination policies other than ADA and Title VI compliance should be forwarded to: VeronicaFrazier, Department of Human Resources, 222 Third Avenue, Suite 200, Nashville TN, 37201, Phone: (615) 862-6640.

Date post:	29-May-2018
Category:	Documents
Upload:	buikhanh
View:	216 times
Download:	0 times

The Revival Styles - Nashville · The Revival Styles 1900-1945 ... ble rock-faced stone and...

Documents