Savannah Victorian Historic District, 301-305 West Duffy Street (House), Savannah

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

The corner, family-run store played a significant role / in the development of the Victorian District. Drugstores, grocery stores, and bakeries were common, and at one time there was a store on each of the four corners of Jefferson and Duffy streets. Only three remain. The building at 301 West Duffy retains many of the original details of the bakery, as does the adjoining residence at 305 West Duffy. PART I. HISTORICAL INFORMATION A. Physical History: 1. Date of erection; 2. Architect: Not known. 3. Original owner: Jacob C. Kraft, a baker; the commercial half was a bakery. The house sits on lots 40 and 41, Gue Ward. 4. Alterations and additions: The bake house and ovens have been removed. In 305 West Duffy Street the rear stairs have been closed off.

For background information, see Savannah Victorian Historic District, HABS No. GA-1169. B.

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

1. Primary and unpublished sources: Insurance Maps Of Savannah, Georgia, (New York; Sanborn Map Co., located at Georgia Historical Society. WEST DUFFY STREET HABS No. GA-1169G (Page 2) Tax Digests, City of Savannah located at Georgia Historical Society. Prepared by: Beth Lattimore Renter Project Historian Historic American Buildings Survey August, PART II. ARCHITECTURAL INFORMATION A. General Statement: 1. Architectural character: This is a handsome residence with a corner store attached. The residence features a main entrance with beveled transom sidelights, and patterned wooden floors in the entrance hall. The bakery, now used as a church, has the original tin ceiling and white hexagonal vitreous floor tiles. 2. Condition: Fair. B. Description of Exterior: 1.

Overall dimensions: The two-story structure measures X 51' with rear porch. 2. Foundations: Brick pier over crawl" space. 3. Wall construction, finish: Clapboard siding. 4. Structural system: Wood frame construction. 5. Porches, steps: 305 West Duffy has a two-story wooden porch on the north (front) elevation with six tapered wooden columns set on brick piers. A plain wooden balustrade extends between the columns. It is approached from the front by five concrete risers. The floor is tongue-and-groove boarding. On the rear (south) facade is an open two-story porch. 6. Chimneys: One stuccoed brick chimney rises from the roof's east side, and two are located on the west side. 7. Openings: a.

Doorways and doors: The entrance door, framed by a beveled leaded transom and sidelights, is wooden with a large oval p/tnel which was originally glazed but is now filled with wood. b. Windows: The windows are one-over-one-light double-hung sash set in plain frames. The windows are larger on the front elevation than on the sides. The commercial storefront windows of 301 West Duffy Street have been covered with boards. WEST DUFFY STREET HABS No. GA-1169G (Page 3) S. Roof: a. Shape, covering: Hip roof with a standing seam tin sheathing. b. Cornice, eaves: 305 West Duffy Street has wide overhanging eaves. C. Description of Interior: 1. Floor plans: a. First floor: The corner store at 301 opens into a large room with several small rooms on the rear.

The residence at 305 has a side hall with several rooms on the west. b. Second floor: The central hall is flanked by four rooms on the east and three rooms on the west. 2. Stairways: The stairway in the main hall is an open stair with one landing. The stairway features a square newel post and brackets on the stringers and return. The rear stairway has been closed off. 3. Flooring: Hardwood floors are laid throughout most areas of the house. The stairhall at 305 West Duffy Street has a patterned wooden inlaid floor. The kitchen floor is covered with vinyl. The princi- pal room of the bakery has a white hexagonal vitreous tile floor which extends outside to the entrance, with the name KRAFT'S laid in green tile. 4.

Wall and ceiling finish: 305 West Duffy Street has painted plaster walls and ceilings. The original dining room has wocden paneled wainscoting. The walls and floors of the second-floor baths are surfaced with white vitreous tile. The bakery has a metal ceiling. The stairhall in the bakery has wide beaded board paneling. 5. Doorways, doors: In 305 West Duffy Street the sliding double door openings to the front parlor have been closed and fixed to the width of a single door; this opening has been filled with a two-paneled door and transom. All other interior doors are wooden raised five- panel doors. French doors open from the second-floor hall to the outside porch. Moveable transoms surmount the second-floor doors. 6.

Decorative features: First floor: The parlor .fireplace has a beveled mirror in the over- mantel and the top shelf is supported by two Corinthian columns; the inside lower shelf is supported by brackets. The surround and hearth are laid in white tile. Second floor: The second-floor bedroom fireplace is framed by a frieze, ornamented with an applied carved design of bell flowers and ribbons. There is a mottled green tile surround and hearth. All remaining fireplaces have plain wooden mantels with bracketed box shelves. Surround and hearths are inlaid with green ceramic tiles. WEST DUFFY STREET HABS No. GA-1169G (Page 4} 7. Mechanical systems: a. Heating, airconditioning, ventilating: The fireplaces have been converted from wood to coal-burning.

The house is currently heated by gas space heaters. b. Plumbing: Two original baths are located off the second-floor rear hall. The west bath has a wall sink and footed tub. c. Lighting: Electric wiring and fixtures. D. Site: General setting and orientation: The house faces north and is built on the lot line. 2. Outbuildings: A bake shop, oven buildings and a stable were originally in the back yard. These have been demolished and replaced by a con- crete-block auto repair shop. Prepared by: Beth Lattimore Reiter Project Historian Historic American Buildings Survey August, PART III.

PROJECT INFORMATION This project was undertaken by the Historic American Buildings Survey in cooper- ation with the City of Savannah, the Historic Presevation Section of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, the Savannah Landmark Rehabilitation Project, Inc., and Historic Savannah Foundation. The recording project was completed dur- ing 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.; Beth Lattimore Reiter, Project Historian, Savannah Landmark Rehabilitation Project, Inc.; and Susan Dornbusch, Project Supervisor, University of Virginia; with student architects Gregori Ander- son (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 archi- tectural data was reviewed and edited during October-November by staff histo- rian Jan Cigliano.

Photographs were taken in September by Walter Smalling, a staff photographer with the Heritage Conservation and Recreation Service. The doc- umentation on the historic district will be used in the rehabilitation of the resi- dences and in developing design guidelines for the area.