The Historic District

I love the house and the original 6 over 1 windows are very nice. Keep them!!!!

The slanted mantel may have been just a decorative element - kind of hard to tell from the picture. Also, those fireplaces may have originally held coal inserts. If you remove the gas stove exhaust and find a shallow fireplace, it had an insert at one time.

When viewed from the side, you can see that the slanted piece was tacked on later; the original mantel is behind it.

The other fireplaces are open and as you describe. Thanks for that information. I will not be using coal for authenticity, however. When I lived in Savannah, I got through the winters just fine with gas space heaters in a very drafty house with 14' ceilings. This is farther south and the ceilings are a mere 9'.

I believe the board isn't as much about soot as about charred dust, the same thing can happen with radiators if you run them hot enough (ordinary dust starts to char around 60 C if I'm not mistaken).

The oak is great but you might want to trim it back quite a bit to keep it from touching the house.

Does preventing charred dust reduce the risk of fire?

The oak looks like it's touching the house, but it's not. The house has been neglected for many years, so there are volunteer weed trees along that side that are touching, however. They are at the top of my list for removal.

Manalto, let me add my welcome to The District as well.

Does preventing charred dust reduce the risk of fire?

Nope, it just cuts down on dirt on your walls and ceilings.

I think the board may be an attempt to protect the mantel from the heat of a stove. I wonder if it is wood, or maybe something else? when my woodstove was fitted I was told that I should attach a similar metal (or non combustible shield) to my mantel as it was about 3" too close to the recommended distance. I did not bother, though I might have it it was say a foot too close

Here's an update on the Alabama house. I was surprised to learn that my house is in the historic district (I was surprised - and pleased - to learn there was a historic district in that dinky town!) and subject to the Commission's guidelines, including paint colors, of course. The trouble is, I already bought the paint (Memorial Day sale on Behr Premium Plus Ultra at Home Depot)so I submitted my chips for approval. Fingers crossed because my time there is limited. I've spoken to the Building Inspector and the president of the Historical Commission and, because my colors are sedate (ivory, warm gray and moss green), seem to be willing to consider my choices. In fact, they assured me that there's "probably" a match in the approved colors. I also sent them a Seroco (Sear, Roebuck & Co.) paint brochure from 1918 that offered colors quite close to those I chose.

I'm driving down to Alabama on June 17 to paint the house and/or do some inside work. Painting the outside is a top priority in this case because I'll be away so much - I want to make it clear to the neighborhood (and the powers that be) that I care about the house and property and want to make a positive contribution to the community. Also, it will be satisfying to see the place with a fresh coat of paint.


James

I am envious you have a Historic Commission.

It sounds like they are willing to work with you, so I hope it goes well.

We knew that our home had gained a bad rep in the neighborhood because of the tenants that were renting before they were evicted and the house put up for sale. So we're also focusing more on the outside now that the weather has warmed as well. So far, the response has been positive, so I hope it will be for you as well.

Thanks, Lily. The closing was after I had returned to Connecticut, so my real-estate agent (bless her heart) went around knocking on doors to tell the neighbors that there was a new owner, handed them a card and asked them to keep an eye on the place. She reported that they were delighted that the house was finally getting some attention after having been unoccupied for a few years. I'm looking forward to doing some landscape improvements too, as much as time (and Historical Commission restrictions) will allow.

Good luck with your place as well.

James