Savannah Victorian Historic District, 201-203 East Duffy Street (House), Savannah

Source document Quoted word for word from HABS GA,26-SAV,53S-. Not written, edited or summarised by this site.

The two adjoining apartment units are part of a uniform row, characterized by three-story polygonal bays and deep molded cornices trimmed at the eaves by decorative sawn brackets. Part I. HISTORICAL INFORMATION A. Physical History: 1. Date of erection: 2. Architect: Not known. 3. Original owner: Bacon, a Savannah lumber dealer. 4. Alterations and additions: The original stairs on the north side . have been replaced with metal stairs. For background information, see Savannah Victorian Historic District, HABS No. GA-1169. B. Sources of Information: 1. Old views: Two views looking east show the original steps, In the possession of the Georgia Historical Society, Cordray Foltz Collection. 2.

Source document Quoted word for word from HABS GA,26-SAV,53S-. Not written, edited or summarised by this site.

Primary and unpublished sources: Morrison, Mary Lane et al. White Ward Research Book, Georgia Historical Society. Insurance Maps, and Sanborn Map Publishing Co. located in Georgia Historical Society. EAST DUFFY ..STREET HABS No. GA-1169 S (page 2) Prepared by: Beth Lattimore Reiter, Project Historian Historic American Buildings Survey October 14, PART II. ARCHITECTURAL INFORMATION A. General Statement: 1. Architectural character: These are two units which are part of one of the few three-story wooden rows left in the Victorian District. They are characterized by three-story slanted bay windows and wide bracketed eaves. 2. Condition: Poor; the roof of 201 East Duffy Street in particular has deteriorated due to bad leaks. The interior ceiling plaster is falling. B.

Description of the Exterior: 1. Overall dimensions: The structure is two stories with a fully ex- posed basement and measures across the front by deep. 2. Foundations: Fully exposed brick at the basement level. The addi- tion to 201 is built on a concrete block foundation. 3. Wall construction, finish: The basement walls are brick, painted white. The first and second stories have clapboard siding over wood frame, painted green. Diagonal wooden strips ornament the bay windows. 4. Structural system, framing: Wood frame and brick bearing wall con- struction. 5. Porches, steps: The original front steps, as shown in the view, are wooden on brick piers, trimmed with turned balusters and square newels.

They have been replaced by metal stairs, pro- tected by a hip roof canopy supported by spandrel brackets. 6. Chimneys: A brick chimney is located on the western brick wall of each unit. 7. Openings: a. Doorways and doors: The outer and inner front vestibule doors are wooden with two recessed panels flanked on either side by raised pilasters squared off at each end. Between the upper and lower panels is a row of incised quatrefoils. The doorways are topped by a moveable transom. The entrances at the rear are four-panel frame doors. EAST DUFFY STREET HABS No. GA-6a-1169 S (Page 3) b. Windows: All windows are two-over-two~light, double-hung sash, surrounded by trim with a molded lintel above. Louvered shutters originally flanked window openings.

The basement windows have shallow denticulated segmental brick arches. The rear kitchen of 201 East Duffy Street has a six-over-six-light window and a two-over-four-light floor-length window. 8. Roof; a. Shape, covering: The roof is a hip roof with a standing seam metal covering, probably tin. There is a hexagonal roof over the bays with a standing seam metal covering. There is a standing seam metal covering on the canopy. b. Cornice, eaves: There is a molded cornice and bracketed eaves with a row of wood dentils just below the brackets. There are built-in hidden gutters and metal downspouts. C, Description of the Interior: 1. Floor plan: Side hall plan, two rooms deep. 2. Stairs: The stairs are located on the east wall of the front stair hall of each unit.

Near the top, they have a quarter turn, winding to the west. 3. Flooring: Wood floors throughout. 4. Wall and ceiling finish: Painted plaster walls and ceilings. All rooms are trimmed with a simple plaster molding at the ceiling and two-part baseboards. Decorative medallions are located in the center of the ceilings of the front parlor, second parlor and alcove. The walls have two-part baseboards. 5. Openings: a. Doorways and doors: Most of the interior doors are four-panel wooden doors set in a wide fluted molding with bull's-eye corner blocks. Sliding double doors separate the principal first-floor parlors. b. Windows: All windows are framed by a fluted bull's-eye corner block, 6.

Decorative features: Two plain wood fireplace mantels, supported on brackets with an incised "tic-tac-toe" design, are on each floor of each apartment. ^ EAST DUFFX-STREET HABS No, GAT6A^1169 S (page 4) 7. Mechanical systems: a. Heating, air conditioning, and ventilating: Fireplace heating been replaced by gas space heaters. b. Plumbing: The original plumbing system was indoors but no notable fixtures remain. c. Lighting: The original gas lighting has been replaced by a knob-and-tube electrical system. The plaster ceiling medallions have gas tubes extending from them. D. Site: General setting and orientation: The row is built on the lot line and faces north. There is a street planting area between the sidewalk and the street, but no backyard. A narrow lane is to the rear.

During the nineteenth century, streetcar tracks ran down Duffy Street. PART III. PROJECT INFORMATION This project was undertaken by the Historic American Buildings Survey in cooperation with the City of Savannah, the Historic Preservation Section of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, the Savannah Landmark Rehabilitation Project, Inc., and Historic Savannah Foundation. The recording project was completed during the summer of under the general direction of John Poppeliers, Chief of HABS; Kenneth L.

Anderson, Principal Architect; Eric Delony, Project Coordinator, Savannah Landmark Rehabilitation Project, Inc., and Susan Dornbusch, Project Supervisor, University of Virginia; with student architects Gregori Anderson (Howard University), David Fixler (Columbia University), Stephen Lauf (Temple University), and Tamara Peacock (University of Florida), at the HABS Office in Savannah, Georgia. The drawings were edited in the Washington office in September by architects Susan Dornbusch and Gregori Anderson. The historical and architectural data was reviewed and edited during October-November by staff historian Jan Cigliano. Photographs were taken in September by Walter Smalling, a staff photo- grapher with the Heritage Conservation and Recreation Service.

The documentation on the historic district will be used in the rehabilitation of the residences and in developing design guidelines for the area.