Level III: Fourth And Gill H
5-C-25-HZ
Applicant Request
Other: New primary structure- New primary structure fronting Eleanor Street. The two-story single-family house will measure 60' wide, and it is proposed to be set 20' from the front property line. The house features a cross-gable roof (9/12 pitch) clad in either low-profile standing seam metal or dimensional asphalt shingles with overhanging eaves (all over 12"), pressure-treated wood gable brackets, faux rafter tails, and trim. The roof also features an internal brick chimney. The house and its foundation will be clad in brick veneer, with gable fields clad in fiber cement shakes with vertical trim. The roof features shed-roof dormers on the façade and left elevation. The application proposes fiberglass, Fibrex composite, or aluminum-clad casement windows as three options for window materials, and includes specific products.
- The house features a partial-width front-porch recessed under the front-gable massing, supported by four tapered square columns on brick bases, with a brick guardrail. The porch is accessed by stone steps with a metal railing with simple square balusters. The porch flooring and ceiling materials are not specified.
- The façade (west) features five bays. The leftmost bay is located on a projecting, one-story shed roof massing. The façade features three bays of single-light casement or fixed windows, with one bay featuring three adjoining windows adjacent to a quarter-light Craftsman door with a transom. The rightmost bay is recessed in plan to create the deepest portion of the front porch.
- The right (north) side elevation features four bays of single-light fixed or casement windows on the main story, with a centrally located pair of single-light casement windows on the upper gable field. The rear deck is accessed by paired French doors. The rear elevation (east) features four bays on the first story, with the left two bays accessing a rear deck recessed under the primary roofline. A second-story balcony is accessible via a single-light door. The rightmost bay features steps leading to the basement level. The left (south) side elevation features five bays of single-light fixed or casement windows. A shed-roof extension clad in shingles projects from the center of the elevation.
- The project also includes a new secondary structure, featuring a garage on the first story and an accessory dwelling unit on the second story. The carriage house two-story carriage house will be set 12' from the rear lot line and 5' from the southern side lot line, and it will be accessed via the rear alley. The carriage house features a side-gable roof with shed dormers, with one-story shed roof massings that will be clad in either asphalt shingles or low-profile standing seam metal, and the rooflines feature overhanging eaves, exposed faux rafter tails, and decorative brackets. The exterior is clad in fiber cement shakes with fiber cement board-and-batten accents, and it has a block foundation. The alley-facing (west) elevation features two carriage-style wooden garage doors recessed under a shed roof.
Fourth and Gill H
- Style: N/A
- Vacant lot.
- Style: N/A
Applicable Guidelines
Fourth and Gill Design Guidelines, adopted by the Knoxville City Council on April 20, 1999 and June 29, 1999.
See Guidelines- Roofs
- 1. The shape and pitch of roofs on new construction should imitate the shape and pitch of roofs on neighboring existing houses or other houses of the same architectural style. Replacement roofs should copy the shape and pitch of original roofs, and the soffit, fascia and trim detail between roof and wall should mimic the original.
- 2. The eaves on additions or new buildings should have an overhang that mimics the original eave, or where this is not feasible, mimics the existing buildings near the property. A minimum eave overhang of at least eight inches should be used on new construction. Fascia boards should be included on the gables.
- 3. Repair or replace roof details (chimneys, roof cresting, finials, attic vent windows, molding, and other unique roof features). Use some of these details in designing new buildings.
- 4. Materials used in roofing existing buildings or new construction should duplicate the original roofing materials if possible. Asphalt or fiberglass shingles can be appropriate, as are slate, standing seam metal or metal shingle roof coverings. The color of roofing materials should be a dark green, charcoal gray, black or dark reddish brown to simulate the original roof colors.
- Porches
- 3. New front porches in Fourth and Gill must be large enough to provide seating, i.e., six to eight feet in depth.
- 4. In new construction, the proportion of the porches to the front facades should be consistent with the historic porches in the neighborhood. Details such as columns, posts, piers, balustrades and porch flooring must use materials that present a visually and physically appropriate appearance historically.
- Entrances
- 4. Secondary entrances should be compatible with the originals in size, scale or materials but should not give the appearance of a primary entrance.
- Wall Materials
- Wood
- 3. New construction should use wood materials rather that aluminum or vinyl siding. New buildings should also use corner and trim boards and appropriate door and window trim. Concrete composition planks may be appropriate for new construction.
- 12. Siding or pressboard or particle board, and vertical siding (including T-111) is not appropriate for primary structures in the Fourth & Gill Historic District and should not be used.
- Infill Buildings
- Width of Houses and Lots
- 1. Maintain the historic facade lines of streetscapes by locating the front walls of new buildings in the same plane as the facades of adjacent buildings. A new building should continue and reinforce the alignment established by its neighbors. Never violate the existing setback pattern by placing new buildings in front of or behind the historic facade line.
- 2. Avoid placing buildings at odd angles to the street.
- Scale and Massing
- 1. Relate the size and proportions of new structures to the scale of adjacent buildings.
- 2. Break up uninteresting boxlike forms into smaller, varied masses like those of most buildings from the historic period. Variety of form and massing are essential to the character of the streetscape.
- 3. New buildings should be designed with a mix of wall areas with door and window elements in the facade like those found on the neighborhood's historic houses. Also consider the width-to-height ratio of bays in the facade. The placement of openings with respect to the facade's overall composition, symmetry, or balanced asymmetry should be carefully imitated.
- 4. Relate the vertical, horizontal, or nondirectional façade character of new buildings to the predominant directional alignment of nearby buildings. A new building should continue and reinforce the alignment established by its neighbors.
- 5. Relate the roof forms of the new buildings to those found in the area. Duplication of the existing or traditional roof shapes, pitches, and materials on new construction is one way of making new structures more visually compatible.
- Height of Foundations and Stories
- 1. As a general rule, construct new buildings to equal the average height of existing buildings on the street.
- 2. Raised foundations, or the appearance of raised foundations, must be designed for any new housing constructed in Fourth and Gill. The height of the foundation should replicate those of adjoining buildings.
- 3. If building new structures, the eave lines should conform to those of adjacent properties. Divisions between stories should either be omitted, or should mimic neighborhood buildings.
- Materials
- 1. The materials used for new buildings should be consistent with existing historic building materials along the street.
- Features
- 1. Always design front facades with a strong sense of entry. Strongly emphasized side entries, or entries not defined by a porch or similar transitional element, result in an incompatible flat first-floor facade.
- 2. Avoid replicating or imitating the styles, motifs, or details of older periods. Such attempts can present a confusing picture of the true character of the historical area.
- Outbuildings
- 1. Buildings resembling servants' quarters or carriage houses, work buildings, or simple one story garages are appropriate to be constructed in the Fourth and Gill Historic District. Their size and construction should use materials that correspond to the original primary buildings on the lot.
- Demolition
- 3. Demolition may be considered if the building does not contribute to the historical or architectural character of the district.
Meeting Date
May 15, 2025
Fourth and Gill H
911 Eleanor St. 37917
Applicant / Owner
