What style do you think this house is?

10 years ago

Hi! We have been on a house-hunting journey for close to a year now. After having two other home sales fall through, we are finally just about all cleared to close on this house. It's listed as a Queen Anne built in 1907 in a neighborhood where there are lots of historic George Barber Victorians. However, the county has the house listed as built in 1920, and that's also what my homeowner's insurance pulls up (probably from the same county records?). The appraisal also notes the discrepancy, and I have asked into the 1907 date. Honestly, I think it's more in keeping with a 1920s era home, which would--I think?--make it not likely a Queen Anne by date alone. I don't see a lot that is consistent with Queen Anne other than the asymmetry. I have located a few other houses in the general area that are similar, and those were built in the 1920s.

The house had been chopped up to create apartments, then renovated/restored back to a single family home. It has an attic that was almost certainly used as living space either originally or very early on (old hardwood floors are still intact) in part of it.

The ceilings are mostly high, at least 9 feet and maybe higher. Lots of fireplaces, although none are operational any longer. Original kitchen is long gone. The rooms are all good-sized. There is an entry room that the front door opens into that is an actual room. The windows are all good-sized, but they are wood replacement so there are no clues there.

The house is in Knoxville, TN. I can post more photos if it would help. Thanks.

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Comments (14)

vjrnts
10 years ago
I am not remotely qualified to say (although "Craftsman Bungalow" comes to mind), but I'd love to see pictures of the inside! It's a great house, and it'll be beautiful when you tame some of the vegetation! :-)

Is it possible that the attic was a maid's room? We have a room and a small bath in the attic of our '22 colonial revival that was advertised as a maid's room back in the day.
jmc01
10 years ago
It's a bungalow!
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It has nothing to do with rich or poor, big house or small, professional or not. Just as IRL, people form bonds over their common interests and, of course, they will respond more to those they've known for years. Ditto ditto ditto. I'll add that yes, people are more apt to respond to photos. Decorating is a visual thing. I can offer almost NOTHING without seeing a photo. I also can't tell your style. I get really annoyed with the accusations of elitism and cliquishness. It's simply not true. Yes, there are people who've been here a long time. We've seen photos of each others' homes. We've seen various projects in the works, etc. Heck, I've never met AuntJen, but I "know" enough about her style from years spent on this board to see a Talavera Toilet and think immediately of her home. That's not cliquish, that's familiarity. I've never met Zipdee, but I know that when I see Jadeite green antique kitchen accessories, I think of her super cool retro kitchen immediately. Because she's in the "inner sanctum"? No! Of course not. It's because she routinely shares her progress with us, lets us peek at her photos, contributes frequently, etc. Lack of response on threads happens to everyone. It will happen more if the question is too vague. It will happen more if people can't see photos. It will happen more if we don't "know" your style. Hang around. Join in other conversations. Let us "see" your style, so that when you post a link to a dresser you're thinking about buying, we'll know if it would work with your house. Again, this is NOT cliquishness, this is familiarity. As far as the blogs, I don't see the big deal. People blog all the time about these things, and so what if FrenchDressing linked to hers? I honestly don't see what the uproar is all about.
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lsst
10 years ago
Bungalow
liriodendron
10 years ago
Not a Queen unless she's on the run in complete disguise - Bungalow all the way!

L.
sombreuil_mongrel
10 years ago
Hi,
The hipped-roof "Queen Anne Cottage" was such a popular design (also known as the Corner House, because so many of them were built on corner lots) that it continued to be built into the 20th century, so the exterior trim details represent the A&C style that were in fashion at that time.
Casey
word_doc
Original Author
10 years ago
Thanks! That's what I thought, too! The neighborhood is a historic overlay district because it has the highest concentration of George Barber Victorians in the country, including one of his residences on the street behind ours, but not all of the homes are of that period, including (I suspect) this one.

Here is a side view.
word_doc
Original Author
10 years ago
Thanks, Casey--that makes sense, actually.

I can't figure out how to post more than one photo per post, so here is another photo. This one is of the interior--it's the main redone attic room. There is also another, smaller room up there with original details including the floor, door and the original windows (the rest were replaced). It's possible that part of it could have been maid's quarters, although the house seems sorta small for that. Who knows. There is also a full bath up there.

The seller of the house won an award a few years ago for saving the house from destruction. Apparently it was in really rough shape. He was unable to save a lot of the period details due to the extensive damage, but he saved as much as he could, including some of the original hardwood, the original mantels and a few other things.

On the one hand, I'm sad that more original features are not there, but on the other hand, he did a very nice job with his choices and he did bring back most of the original high ceilings and take it back from apartments to a single family home. His real estate agent lived on the street during the time this was done, and she said it was in really rough shape. Apparently the preservation society thought this was one that was beyond saving--and look at it now!
graywings123
10 years ago
The 1920 date may have more to do with how records were kept or established that the real date the house was built. In my area, many houses are dated to 1919. That made sense, given it was the end of WW1 and presumably men were returning home and needed housing, so I accepted that date until I found records that contradicted it.

Some house research can be done on line. Try googling:
knoxville, tx Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps. Otherwise go to the local library where you will probably be able to find the maps.
word_doc
Original Author
10 years ago
Secret room (so cool!)
word_doc
Original Author
10 years ago
Oooh! Thanks, graywings! I'm on it. I have an unexpected day off work so that's the perfect thing to delve into.

OK last photo. This one is of the dining room, which is huge:
word_doc
Original Author
10 years ago
OKAY! This is really cool. Graywings, thanks so much for the extremely helpful tip. I found the maps and dinked around on about 40 of them until I finally found the one for this street. The maps say they are from 1917. There is no house on the lots my future house is on as of 1917 (it's on a double lot), so I guess it probably really is 1920! I had to go to google street view and count the number of houses from the closest side street to my house, and the hole in the sanborn maps corresponds to the two lots my house is on plus the one to the left of it. That was really EASY and fun! Thanks again!!
sombreuil_mongrel
10 years ago
Hi, that's a cool house; You are so lucky to live around Barber houses. One time in 1984 I was traveling between NY and AR, and spent the night in Knoxville just so I could get up early the next day and drive around to see as many Barber houses as I could, and take some pics through the windshield.
I've been a G.F. Barber fanboy since I bought the reprint edition of Cottage Souvenir in 1983.
Casey
lazy_gardens
10 years ago
Way cute Craftsman bungalow, and I love the secret shoe closet.

"Period details" for a Craftsman bungalow are easy to add on - it's mostly straight cuts and simple moldings built up into more complex things, but all very straight-lined. You can do an amazing amount with plain boards. That was the whole idea of the style - a reaction to the elaborate Victorian stuff.

Here is a link that might be useful: Detailed how-to
Cedarlanebungalow
10 years ago
Cute house! I'm also a fellow Knoxvillian! Saw your house during an open house back in October during the George Barber Home tour in your neighborhood! We must have missed the hidden room! I also live in a 1920s Craftsman in the Fountain City/Inskip area.

What style do you think this house is?

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vjrnts

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