LAWRENCE HISTORIC RESOURCES COMMISSION

ITEM NO. 4: L-02-01-2006

STAFF REPORT

A. SUMMARY

L-02-01-2006: Hold public hearing for consideration of placing the structure located at 820 New Jersey Street on the Lawrence Register of Historic Places.

B. HISTORIC REGISTER STATUS

820 New Jersey Street is not listed on the State or the National Registers of Historic Places. A PSIQ has been submitted to the Cultural Resources Division of the Kansas State Historical Society and the property has been determined eligible for the Register of Historic Kansas Places.

C. REVIEW CONSIDERATIONS

1) History Summary

According to the nomination, the structure was constructed between 1868 and 1870. While the architect/builder of the structure is not known, the house does show on the 1873 Atlas with no name. The nomination notes that the property was originally held by the New England Emigrant Aid Company and was deeded to – unimproved – to Adams & Ayling in 1862. The In 1868 Green Lewis contracted to by the property and it is presumed due to the increase in property values that he built the existing structure sometime between 1868 and 1870. The property is now owned by the Nicolette Proudfoot.

820 New Jersey Street is significant for its association with the development of Lawrence and the utilitarian structures built by the working class in the eastern portion of the city.

2) Architectural Integrity Summary

820 New Jersey Street is a good example of the gabled-front National Folk Residence. This building type is a typical property type and is the predominant housing stock in the city, especially in Lawrence’s working class neighborhoods. The Gable-Front sub type form evolved from the Greek Revival style, where its front-gabled shape mimicked the pedimented temple facades of that style. It was common in New England and the northeast region in the pre-railroad era, and continued with the expansion of the railroads after the 1850s. It became a dominant urban folk form up through the early twentieth century, and in Lawrence was popular in neighborhoods like East Lawrence, where the plan was best suited for the narrow tracts in the rapidly growing neighborhood. Unlike the smaller “shotgun” houses of southern cities, in Lawrence the typical gable-front house was two stories with a moderate to steeply pitched roof. The earliest examples harken back to the Greek Revival style, while later examples from the early 20th century derive more of their influence from the prevailing Craftsman and Prairie styles, particularly in their porch details. 820 New Jersey Street is a very simple example of this form and is important because of its brick construction. No porch exists on the structure.

The nomination application notes at least three known alterations to the structure including the historic addition by Overton noted in the nomination.

3) Context Description

820 New Jersey Street is a good example of the housing that was constructed in Lawrence during the “City Building (1864-1873)” period as defined by the Historic Resources of Lawrence, Douglas County, Kansas Multiple Property Documentation Form (MPDF).

The area surrounding 820 New Jersey Street is mainly a residential area contains an historic mixture of residential, commercial, and industrial uses. The age of the extant structures in the area ranges from the late 1800’s to the 1980’s. This area is included in the original township plat of Lawrence. Duplexes exist in the area as does a bus storage area and vacant lot. The area to the west is predominantly residential while there is limited commercial to the south.

4) Planning and Zoning Considerations

820 New Jersey Street is zoned RM-2 Multiple-Family Residence District - (2,000 sq. ft. minimum lot area per dwelling unit). The RM Districts are designed to provide areas for medium and high population density. RM districts consist mainly of (1) areas containing multi-family dwellings (including two-family dwellings) with some single-family dwellings, (2) areas which contain single-family and two-family dwellings, are centrally located, and are appropriate to ultimate multi-family development, and (3) open areas where future multi-family development appears desirable. In addition to the general purposes applying to the RM and RS districts, the regulations for the RM Districts are designed to encourage the provision of multiple-family accommodations in districts of four permitted densities.

This area was rezoned in 1975 from C-4 to RM-2. The lots as originally platted are small 118 X 50 foot lots. The area north of this block is C-4, M-2, and RM-2. The area south of this block is zoned RM-2 and C-4. The area to the east is industrial zoned M-2 and M-3 and the area to the west is RM-2.

5) Fiscal Comments

There are no monetary benefits directly associated with nomination of a structure to the Lawrence Register of Historic Places.

However, listing on the local Register does help preserve built resources important to Lawrence's history and helps to maintain streetscapes in older neighborhoods through environs reviews.

The original information submitted with nominations for properties to the Lawrence Register is kept on file in the City Planning office for public review and consultation with regard to development projects within the notification area. Copies of this information are also on file at the Kansas Collection in Spencer Research Library on the University of Kansas main campus and at the Watkin’s Community Museum. This type of information is useful, for example, if present or future property owners seek nomination to the State or National Register of Historic Places.

6) Positive/Negative Effects of the Designation

The positive effect of designation is the creation of a permanent record of the historical significance of an individual property, for its architectural quality or its association with a significant local individual or event. This provides the local Historic Resources Commission, an advisory board, with pertinent historical data which can help to provide an ‘historic' perspective to property owners when they desire to improve, add on, or redevelop a property within an older section of the City.

The public accessibility of this information is also a resource as it can be used by realtors, builders/developers, and others in the community prior to a property's resale, redevelopment or rehabilitation. In a more general sense, this information can be used by the Chamber of Commerce and existing businesses and industries to ‘identify' one of the facets that makes up Lawrence's Quality of Living.

Additional effects of designation are the creation of an arbitrary, 250' environs notification and review area. Within this 250' circle, projects which require city permits, e.g., demolition, redevelopment, renovation or modification, require review by Historic Resources staff or the Commission. These environs reviews permit scrutiny of proposed development/redevelopment by individuals sensitive to historic preservation.

A Certificate of Appropriateness or a Certificate of Economic Hardship is required to be issued by the Historic Resources Commission before a City permit can be issued for the proposed project. If the Historic Resources Commission denies a Certificate of Appropriateness or a Certificate of Economic Hardship, the property owner can appeal to the City Commission for a new hearing. The City Commission can uphold the decision of the HRC or it can grant the proposed development over the Historic Resources Commission's action.

The local ordinance 250' environs review area is exceeded by State law with regard to State and/or National Register properties. Certificates of Appropriateness or Economic Hardship are required for a project within the 250' radius of a Local Register property.

Examples of projects which would require review and approval are: projects involving the exterior building which are considered ‘structural' changes, demolitions or partial demolitions, rezonings, replats, site plans, variance requests or other items which require a city permit or are the direct result of an action of the City Commission. Minor changes which require a city permit can be administratively approved by the Historic Resources Administrator.

7) Summary of Applicable Designation Criteria

Chapter 22, of the City Code is the Conservation of Historic Resources Code for the City of Lawrence. Section 22-403 of this code establishes criteria for the evaluation of an application for nomination to the Local Register of Historic Places.

D. CRITERIA FOR EVALUATION AND DESIGNATION - Section 22-403

Nine criteria are provided within this section for review and determination of qualification as a Landmark or Historic District. These criteria are set forth below with staff's recommendations as to which this application qualifies for:

(1) Its character, interest, or value as part of the development, heritage or cultural characteristics of the community, county, state, or nation;

820 New Jersey Street is a good example of the plain traditional style of building that was constructed by the working population of Lawrence during the “City Building” period as defined by the Historic Resources of Lawrence, Douglas County, Kansas Multiple Property Documentation Form (MPDF).

(2) Its location as a site of a significant local, county, state, or national event;

(3) Its identification with a person or persons who significantly contributed to the development of the community, county, state, or nation;

(4) Its embodiment of distinguishing characteristics of an architectural style valuable for the study of a period, type, method of construction, or use of indigenous materials;

820 New Jersey Street is a good example of the gabled front folk house national traditional building style so often associated with the early “City Building” era in Lawrence and is important to the study of the evolution of architectural styles in Lawrence.

(5) Its identification as a work of a master builder, designer, architect, or landscape architect whose individual work has influenced the development of the community, county, state or nation;

(6) Its embodiment of elements of design, detailing, materials, or craftsmanship that render it architecturally significant;

(7) Its embodiment of design elements that make it structurally or architecturally innovative;

(8) Its unique location or singular physical characteristics that make it an established or familiar visual feature;

(9) Its character as a particularly fine or unique example of a utilitarian structure; including, but not limited to farmhouses, gas stations, or other commercial structures, with a high level of integrity or architectural significance.

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The HISTORIC RESOURCES CODE establishes a procedure to follow in the forwarding of a recommendation to the City Commission on applications for listing on the local register.

"Following the hearing the commission shall adopt by resolution a recommendation to be submitted to the city commission for either (a) designation as a landmark or historic district; (b) not to designate as a landmark or historic district; or, (c) not to make a recommendation. The resolution shall be accompanied by a report to the city commission containing the following information:

The Historic Resources Commission needs to formulate its recommendation in response to the following subsections section 22-404.2 (b):

(1) Explanation of the significance or lack of significance of the nominated landmark or historic district as it relates to the criteria for designation as set forth in section 22-403;

(2) Explanation of the integrity or lack of integrity of the nominated landmark or historic district;

(3) In the case of a nominated landmark found to meet the criteria for designation:

(A) The significant exterior architectural features of the nominated landmark that should be protected; and,

(B) The types of construction, alteration, demolition, and removal, other than those requiring a building or demolition permit, that cannot be undertaken without obtaining a certificate of appropriateness.

(4) In the case of a nominated historic district found to meet the criteria for designation:

(A) The types of significant exterior architectural features of the structures within the nominated historic district that should be protected;

(C) A list of all key contributing, contributing and noncontributing sites, structures and objects within the historic district.

(5) Proposed design guidelines for applying the criteria for review of certificates of appropriateness to the nominated landmark or historic district.

(6) The relationship of the nominated landmark or historic district to the on-going effort of the commission to identify and nominate all potential areas and structures that meet the criteria for designation.

(7) A map showing the location of the nominated landmark or the boundaries of the nominated historic district.

E. RECOMMENDATION:

820 New Jersey Street qualifies for designation as a Landmark on the Lawrence Register of Historic Places pursuant to Criteria #1and #4, as described in Section 22-403. If the Historic Resources Commission recommends this property for local nomination, the Commission should direct staff to draft a resolution for recommendation to be submitted to the City Commission for designation as a landmark. In addition to the resolution, staff should prepare a report to accompany this resolution including the information set forth in Section 22-404.2(1) - (7) and an environs definition. The Historic Resources Commission would review the report, environs definition, and adopt the resolution for nomination at their May 18, 2006 meeting.