Savannah Victorian Historic District, 321 East Bolton Street (House), Savannah

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

321 E. Bolton is the one remaining example in the Victorian District of a group of several houses designed in the elaborate Queen Anne idiom. Erected in upon a prominent corner site, the residence is characterized by multiple roof surfaces, elaborate bargeboards trim- ming deep bracketed eaves, and a one-story porch across the front. PART I. HISTORICAL INFORMATION A. Physical History: 1. Date of erection: John O'Neil applied for a building permit in to build a two-story residence on Bolton Street. The New Improvement Book also lists a new improvement worth on the lot. 2. Architect: Not known. 3.

Original owner: While the New Improvement Book lists an improve- ment in the name of Koch, at some point during the title was transferred to O'Neil, who applied for a building permit for a two-story house. His initials are in wood on the porch and in the entrance foyer floor. It is probable that the Koch improvement was located elsewhere on the lot and is now demolished. John J, O'Neil was a partner in the firm of Chestnutt and O'Neil, Naval Stores, factors and commission merchants. 4. Alterations and additions: Minor alterations include converting a front porch window opening to a french door; converting the origi- nal pantry into a bath; and enclosing the first floor of the back porch.

The hall door to the back hall, now closed off, was originally a six-panel pocket door which was changed to a swinging door. For background information, see Savannah Victorian Historic District, HABS No. GA-1169. B.

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

New Improvement Book, City of Savannah, located at Georgia Histor- ical Society. 321 EAST BOLTON STREET HABS No. GA-1169L (Page 2) Insurance Maps of Savannah., and Sanborn Map Publishing Co., New York, located at Georgia Historical Society. Prepared by: Beth Lattimore Reiter Project Historian Historic American Buildings Survey October, PART II. ARCHITECTURAL INFORMATION A. General Statement: 1. Architectural character: This frame Queen Anne-style house is ornamented with stained glass and marble. The quality of workman- ship indicates that it was designed by an architect, but no inform- ation confirming this has been found. While many residences styled in the same manner exist in nearby neighborhoods, this is the only remaining example in the Victorian District. 2. Condition: Excellent. B.

Description of Exterior: 1. Overall dimensions: The irregular-shaped two-and-a-half-story residence measures X deep. 2. Foundations: Brick pier with solid brick infill. 3. Wall construction: Wood frame with clapboard siding. 4. Structural system: Wood frame construction. 5. Porches, stoops: The one-story front (north) porch, built upon a marble-surfaced brick foundation, extends around to the east side of the house. The porch is approached by splayed marble steps, articulated by marble on each side. At one time there were a pair of urns located at the bottom of the steps; one remains. Over the entrance there is a gable with a carved wood sunburst within the gable. Six square, chamfered columns are connected visually by an attenuated spindle frieze and turned balusters.

The columns rest on square wooden bases, except for the columns on either side of the entrance, which rest on brick bases, A two-story porch is built onto the rear (south) elevation. The first story is enclosed by glass; the second story is screened. Both are fronted by a wooden latticed facade. The back stoop is covered with a wood canopy, trimmed by a spindled frieze. 6. Chimneys: The three brick chimneys have corbeled caps. 321 EAST BOLTON STREET HABS No. GA-1169L (Page 3) 7. Openings: a. Doorways and doors: The front entrance is a pair of double doors with a glass panel on the top half and raised panels below. The doorway is framed by flat wooden molding and topped by a stained-glass transom. A multi-paneled french door provides access from the front porch into the rear parlor.

The rear door is a four-panel wooden door with amber colored glass in the top half. b. Windows: The windows are one-over-one-light double-hung sash set into simple frames with a simple molded cornice above, and flanked by louvered shutters. Storm windows have been installed on the exterior of the original windows. An etched-glass window is on the west wall of the servants' stairs. 8. Roof: a. Shape, covering: Two intersecting tiled hip roofs have cross gables facing north, east, and west. The porch roof is covered with standing seam metal. b. Cornice, eaves: Decorative corner brackets meet at right angles under the gables' deep denticulated eaves, and gable ends are trimmed with sawn wooden bargebards. C. Description of the Interior: 1. Floor plan: a.

First floor: Side-hall plan, three rooms deep. The front parlor is extended by a three-sided bay, the full width of the room. The dining room opens to the back porch. The kitchen is at the end of the hall. b. Second story: Side-hall plan, three rooms deep, A small room has been added over the entrance hall of the first floor. 2. Stairs: The principal staircase, an open well stair with two inter- mediate landings, is built against the west wall of the hall. The servants' stairs, dog-leg stairs with a plain chamfered newel! post, are located behind the main stairway. 3. Flooring: The entrance foyer is covered with encaustic tiles sur- rounding a tile mosaic inlaid with the original owner's initials, J.J.O'N. Hardwood floors are laid in all rooms. 4.

Wall and ceiling finish: Painted plaster walls and ceilings. The kitchen walls are covered with waist-high narrow wooden paneling. 321 EAST BOLTON STREET HABS No. GA-1169L (Page 4) 5. Openings: a. Doorways and doors: Sliding double doors with six raised panels between all the principal first-floor rooms. A wooden sunburst screen surmounts the doorway between the two front parlors. The second-floor hall doors are four-panel wooden doors topped by moveable transoms. Sliding double doors connect the bedrooms, and a pair of french doors in the rear bedroom opens out to the enclosed porch. b. Windows: The windows are framed by an elaborate corner-block molding, incised with a cross design. 6.

Decorative features and trim: The front and rear parlors and dining room have wooden fireplace mantels with an overmantel and mirror, inlaid with tile in the surround and hearth. The front parlor overmantel is supported by wooden colonnettes. The two front second-floor bedrooms have plain wooden mantels with gray tile surrounds. Decorative medallions are attached to the center of the ceilings in the two parlors and dining room. There are portiere rods over the hall sliding door on the first-floor, 7. Mechanical systems: a. Heating and ventilating: Transoms over the second-story doors provided ventilation. Heating was originally by means of the fireplaces; gas space heaters were subsequently installed and are still used. b.

Plumbing: The original bath is located off the second-floor hall and has the original pedestal sink. c. Lighting: Gas knob-and-tube wiring is still in use in the kitchen. The original electric wall fixtures remain in the upstairs hall, protected by the etched-glass shades. 8* Notable furniture: A built-in wooden bench and bookcase are in the front parlor. D. Site: The house faces north and is located on the southwest corner lot of Bolton and Habersham Streets. It occupies almost the entire lot, allowing for only a very small fenced backyard. Prepared by: Beth Lattimore Reiter Project Historian Historic American Buildings Survey October, 321 EAST BOLTON STREET HABS No. GA-1169L (Page 5) # PART III.

PROJECT INFORMATION This project was undertaken by the Historic American Buildings Survey in cooper- ation with the City of Savannah, the Historic Preservation Section o the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, the Savannah Landmark Rehabilitation Project, Inc. j and Historic Savannah Foundation. The recording project was completed dur- ing the summer of under the general direction of John Poppeliers, Chief of 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 Stalling, 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.