RESIDENTIAL 130 HABERSHAM STREET OF A CERTAIN AGE?

RESIDENTIAL 130 HABERSHAM STREET OF A CERTAIN AGE?

130 HABERSHAM STREET Anchoring a corner of Savannah s storied Columbia Square, this Italianate townhouse was built by iron magnate William Kehoe in 1884. Kehoe produced everything from distilling equipment to kitchen pans; however, it was his intricate architectural ironwork that found its way onto the house s graceful balconies and interior detailing. Kehoe s $950 investment in the lot was an impressive sum at the time, and the almost 6,000 square foot mansion he built upon it boasted eight fireplaces, five bedrooms, and seven bathrooms across three stories.

...creeping ivy clings to wood or stone, And hides the ruin that it feeds upon. Over time twining ivy, made trendy across the country by landscape architect Fredrick Law Olmstead, began to climb the mansion s stucco-over-brick walls. The ivy created a charming living facade, and this romantic appeal made 130 Habersham one of the most photographed buildings in the city. The house was a sentimental favorite of residents and tourists alike. Ivy, unfortunately, can be insidious as well as beautiful. In the words of poet William Cowper,...creeping ivy clings to wood or stone, And hides the ruin that it feeds upon. In order for the lush vine to gain a structural foothold, it must send tiny tendrils into crevices and joints. These tendrils grow larger and more numerous, allowing moisture and decay to erode the facade as the ivy climbs. Further: all charm and sentiment aside, ivy also provides an excellent habitat for a variety of wildlife species. In the case of 130 Habersham, this wildlife included rats. At least twenty of them, nesting and frolicking under the dense green foliage.

130 Habersham needed an intervention.

In a city such as Savannah, of course, renovating an architecturally significant building poses a unique set of challenges. How can we best renew an architectural treasure? To which period in its history should we restore it? Should we preserve it as an artifact of the past, frozen in time under glass, or should we update its function so that it can continue to thrive as part of a living city?

These are difficult questions, to be sure. For 130 Habersham, Neil Dawson and his team wanted first to preserve the severely damaged structure, and then to re-imagine its layout for modern use, all while restoring the mansion to its originally intended Italianate style. restoring the mansion to its originally intended Italianate style.

Their intervention was just in time. When the ivy was removed from the facades, the team found that the ivy and other invasive vegetation had pried the second-level stoop nearly 10 off the main building, where it appeared to be hanging by a thread. The team implemented structural repairs immediately, and began the task of restoring the mansion from the outside in.

With the ivy gone, the newly restored exterior perfectly embodies the Italianate style which was so popular in the late nineteenth century with wide eaves, tall narrow windows, and large decorative brackets supporting ornate cornices. The restored stucco, highly detailed chimneys, graceful architectural ironwork, and historic architectural elements such as mahogany shutters were all repaired and unified with a neutral paint palette, with the result of both dramatically transforming the exterior and restoring the design to Kehoe s vision.

130 Habersham, of course, needed more than an exterior facelift in order to start a new chapter in Savannah s history. The segmented layout, dated interior, dark finishes, and historic (read: cramped) room proportions made the house feel more like a museum than a home. The design team solved this problem with strategies to improve circulation, modernize finishes, and maximize natural light. The most high-impact intervention, creating an upperlevel roof deck to expand outdoor living space and take advantage of city views, required replacing the roof of the adjoining carriage house with a rooftop terrace and parapet wall. A new exterior garden stair, tucked behind a louvered privacy wall, connects the kitchen with the roof terrace for ease of entertaining.

Inside, the high ceilings and modern bright white paint make the space feel expansive. All interior systems, including HVAC, lighting, audio, security, and plumbing, were completely overhauled for modern function. The project also refurbished all eight fireplaces and all seven bathrooms, bringing them up to standard for 21st century function. Kitchen finishes were brightened with white cabinetry. In most rooms, polished dark wood floors anchor the space and the original millwork, preserved and updated with white paint, nods to the history of the design.

will thrive as part of Savannah s living fabric for many eras to come. The result? 130 Habersham, once a home for a captain of industry which was slowly being consumed by its own lush facade, is once again a splendid Italianate beauty. Better still, this architectural treasure has been not only preserved, but also updated for modern use, and will contribute to Savannah s living city fabric for many eras to come.

CHARLESTON COLUMBIA GREENVILLE MYRTLE BEACH CHARLOTTE RALEIGH.COM/residential WILMINGTON SAVANNAH