Savannah Victorian Historic District, 525-527-529 East Gwinnett Lane (House), Savannah

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

One-story lane cottages have been used in Savannah since the century as rental and servants' quarters. They have been generally overlooked in architectural surveys, but are an important ingredient in Savannah's social history. PART I. HISTORICAL INFORMATION A. Physical History. 1. Date of erection: Ca. These houses do not appear on the Sanborn Map of Savannah, but they do appear on the Sanborn Hap. 2. Architect: Not known. For background information, see Savannah Victorian Historic District, HABS No. GA-1169. B.

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

Insurance Maps of Savannah, and Sanborn Map Co., Located at Georgia Historical Society. Prepared by: Beth Lattimore Reiter Project Historian Historic American Buildings Survey August EAST GWINNETT LANE HABS No. GA-1169 I (page 2) PART II. ARCHITECTURAL INFORMATION A. General Statement: 1. Architectural character: This simple cottage style was popular in Savannah from the beginning of the colony's settlement until well into the century. This very modest vernacular idiom has often been overlooked in surveys of Savannah* s architecture. 2. Condition of fabric: Fair. B. Description of Exterior: 1. Over-all dimensions: Each unit in the row is one-and- a-half stories and measures approximately with kitchen and bath wings added to the rear. 2.

Foundation: Brick pier foundations with solid brick infill on the south facade. 3. Wall construction: Clapboard siding with plain corner boards. 4. Structural system: Wood frame construction. 5. Porches, stoops: One-story wooden stoops resting on brick piers. They have concrete slab floors and are approached from the west by four concrete steps. The shed roof is supported by plain square wooden posts. The center and eastern units are approached from both sides by four concrete block steps. 6. Chimneys: Brick chimneys project from the ridge of the roof at the western and middle units. 7. Openings: a. Doorways and doors: 527 East Gwinnett Lane has a wooden six-panel door; the four upper panels have been removed and replaced with glass panes.

A four-panel wooden door opens onto the yard from the west side of the kitchen wing. b. Windows: Six-over-six-light, double-hung windows in plain frames. Evidence of shutter hardware exists on the west facade of-East Gwinnett Street. 8. Roof: Gable roof with standing seam tin sheathing. C. Description of Interior: 1. Floor plans: Each unit has a side hall plan, two rooms deep, with the kitchen and bath wing in the rear. EAST GWINNETT LANE HABS No. GA-1169 I (page 3) 2. Flooring: Hardwood floors throughout. 3. Wall and ceiling finish: The walls are paneled in narrow beaded board wainscoting with waist-high cap molding. The walls and ceilings above the wainscot are painted plaster. 4. Doorways: Wooden four-panel doors framed by plain surrounds. 5.

Decorative features: The two main rooms in each unit have corner fireplaces framed by simple wooden mantels and mantel shelves supported by plain brackets. 6. Mechanical equipment: a. Heating: The units were originally heated by fire- places; now they are heated by gas space heaters. b. Lighting: No evidence of gas lighting. Now lighted by electricity. D. Site: These lane cottages face south. They are built flush with the lot line, with their stoops encroaching on the unpaved lane. Prepared by: Beth Lattimore Reiter Project Historian Historic American Buildings Survey September 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 Fisler (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 EAST GWINNETT LANE HABS No, GA-1169 I (page 4) edited during October-November by staff historian Jan Cigliano.

Photographs were taken in September by Walter Smalling, a staff photographer 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.