HomeMy WebLinkAboutHCD-1.08P4
DATE: July 10, 1995
TO: Historic Landmark Commission and City Council
FROM: Stephen C. Richardson, Planning Director
SUBJECT: Request to consider an application for a historic preservation loan for exterior
rehabilitation of a residential structure at 1695 Milam.
FILE: HCD-1.08
STAFF REPORT
The Planning Director recommends approval of this request in the amount of
$11,000.
The applicant has requested $45,000. According to bid estimates, exterior work
totals $53,583.
The applicant purchased this house in 1992. The house is of Queen Anne Style and
was built in 1901. SPARE Beaumont rates this house as being of high historical and
architectural significance. It is the largest example of Queen Anne Style in
Beaumont. The house was originally built by T.H. Bass, an oil speculator. Mr. Bass
then sold it to Lipscomb Norvell, a prominent lawyer. It was sold out of the family
in 1937. The house has had a succession of owners since. At some point, the house
was converted into several apartments. The current owner has removed these
improvements and reverted the use of the structure back to a single family residence.
The only variation to the original that the applicant proposes will be the use of
asbestos shingles rather than the original slate roof.
Provided the loan amount is approved at $11,000, the rate of repayment will be
$22917 monthly for a period of forty-eight (48) months.
Exhibits are attached.
BEAUMONT,
TEXAS HISTORIC SITES INVENTORY
FORM - BEAUMONT HISTORICAL LANDMARK COMMISSION
JEF
1.
County
JEFFERSON
5.
USGS Quad No.
3094-111 Site No. 1431*
City/Rural
BEAUMONT
BMT
6.
bete: Factual
1901 Est.
7.
Name
Lipscomb Norvell House
Address
1695 Milam
7.
Architect/Builder
Contractor
3.
Owner
W.W. Bearden
8.
Style/Type
Queen Anne
Address
2005 Potomac, Houston 77057-2923
9.
Original Use
DOMESTIC -Single Dwellin
4.
Block/Lot
Blanchette I Lots 31-32 Block 3 SE 5-4
Present Use
DOMESTIC -Multi le Dwelling
10.
Description:
Two -and -one-half story house, complex roof line with gables and hipped forms, asphalt shingles, 2 interior corbelled
brick chimneys, copper roof cresting, finials, conical tower beginning from first floor extending above roof line,
wood shingles around tower, 8 windows with no panes around tower, wood siding, wraparound second story and first
story porches around 3 sides of house, dentils, round wood columns, spindle balustrade around second story porch,
round wood columns with concrete posts and balustrade along first story porch, northeast and southwest facing
entrances onto porch with triangular pediment with decorative pattern in gable, northeast entrance has large roof
gable directly above it and second story porch, decorative wood shingles and tripart vent in large gable, southwest
facade has large roof gable to side of porch entrance, tri-part vent and decorative wood shingles in gable,
asymmetrically placed 1/1 sash windows on first and second story, 2 second -story doors with transoms, main first -
story door with side lights and transom, concrete pier foundation.
11. Present Condition fair. House has suffered from neglect and too many tenants.
12. Significance:
High historical and architectural significance. Architecturally it is an outstanding Queen Anne house and undoubtly
the largest example in Beaumont. It is also one of the few extant highstyle Queen Annes. The original owner was
T.H. Bass, an oil speculator, who sold it to Lipscomb Norvell, a prominent lawyer. it was sold out of the family
c. 1930.
*May be eligible for National Register - Needs immediate preservation attention.
See Site #1506 and #1507 for outbuildings.
j Relationship to Site: Original Moved x Date c. 1930 (Describe original Site) Faced Franklin
14. Bibliography
15. Informant
16. Recorder Leslie sharp _ _ - Date 06-13-91
PHOTO DATA
Black and white 35 mm negative
YEAR DRUR ROLL FRME ROLL FRME
91 1 1 09 1 20 to 09 1 23
VIEW: N.W. Facade
RECORDED BY: Leslie Sharp
DATE: 06-13-91
e
History THE LIPSCOMB NORVELL HOME was built in 1904 at a cost of
$50,'000.00. Mr. Norvell was in the grocery business and began
Norvell-Wilder Hardware. The Norve'lls moved the house to the
opposite corner of the block from its -original location. Origin-
ally it had six bedrooms, a 10-horse carriage house, cow barn,
chicken house, washhouse and a double water tank. The house is'
immense and pretentious, but, unlike many -Victorian structures, it
is unified in its overall design. On the first and second floors
are two small sitting rooms,.perfectly circular and lighted by
pairs of high curved -glass windows. The Norvell home was built
with space to live in and style to enjoy, but with a little more
flare for the romantic than usual.
I.. - . -,.
Beaumont S-Otlday Enterprise -Journal, Sept-1214.1975 g.
o r ee t o �res .i.si t . ,
r�ct�vAi�
Editor's '.notes
#tfth in a series: f
.rthe
- cles
about ieaumont'
1�OWlS
a
tllustr9ated with •
drawJngs:.;byf�e'�
sill;.
Lamar University
k"
:professor;oi� ""�
me;so-
.homes are.
-.by members st-the
Heritage Soelety-s:
yavith
.Information onIB "
moat's
old homes :or •-,ihe- ers -
may .contact;arol'
af.;
the French_Ttadiog
MyCAKo>�
,,.
-A large istainedwln--
-iow-, -xounded�otder
ble
GLLIU
-all help -to createrwv
iering Ahe old mom f . i695
'lllilam, " . r...
,ne'71-year-7d` - bias
.story to tell .` ' - , .... _
"In :1904, .1:33
speculator,-W;his Velen "
IbuUt the giant house n the, 3
block bounded
Avenue C, Milam C.
yenue
D.-The houseJUW .. *, rtli ;
approx1mately'. , 50 then:
(Thal -would work�oti over'.
$.3W'0W today.)::'.
In INK 1:a06i6 l 0 ell-V,
. and his wife, Claudia barge -
Woryell,� bought M' " -and
.moved .In with .theithree
children,. Lip, .Ha7&y _and
Margaret.
Lip Norvell, VI, 401 2595
Gladys in .• 13ea&ont,...
remembers the:flrst:time he
saw the house. '11was1.4ourth
grade at Millard School and the
old colored man piekedi6e up
on our horse. Al the time, we'
-lived in an old bunga`to on
Orleans Street, but,instidd of
going home, -we -went-4-went-4 this
house. When I was told .was
odr new. home, I was seed of
It, itwas so big: Iwapted:to go
back home;" ''- .
-The: place looked hugs to a
fourth grader,•with its 14orse
carriage house, cow 3 barn,
chicken barn, wash `:house,
Rouble water -tank and -the six-
-bedroom, two-story house.'
_= ' e Norvell home-at.1694 Milam-wt siketched byBob O'Neill .
The front door opened into sP
enormous entry hall, hi4arge
as any modern. den-or4ving
room. To The -right :vas ' 1he
formal sitting room, -aft the
first floor of the •.tower.S vne
corner.'The walls were.patieled
+o about .four >#eet _high, in
walnut, the rest covered ingold
brocade:fabric. Heavy.broeade
curtains hung:at_thewinamrs•
'The room, -called the ='gold
room," was furnished An _Sold
leaf furniture. I
bedruoXs", and.thred ands
baths. Most bf the bedro' 9,
some with French wlndo 5'•;
opened onto the balcony 'Uhlch
rimmed three=qudrtets ai ttie
house. Scattered_ lhroughodi
:he house were. silt. 'ell
burning.'. fireplaces,'-wll
elegant marble the work.
Most exqulsitd l of A'
details of the house is the
cathedral stalned glas8..wll i
dow on the stair landing." .W
; : The house, which originally..
stood a1;,1628 Franklin, ivig l
moved in 199 to its present
site.
'; cording�t<3 iNorvell, Jhe
pMvM%used 12 fooWong•logs
,nnder.Ue-house and •-rolled.l(
_laraund-'Ahe -block 1 lo:.its new
.The Norv` Us, -who -lived in
:he.3house.until 3937, were an
interesting family.
;. Thei"..senior Norvell. was
ecretsiy-treasurer.-of Heisig-
xVprvev -Inc; _ and secretary-
treasurer of Lone Acre Oil 'Co.
0ch .Lip-Nolvetl-is now.
,..president. While the family
=Fiive'd =3n this :house, Norvell
:'.sold_7his. grocery business t .
,Joliii-_'W. Gates and began
Norvell-Wilder Hardware, the
:tiforer er_ if Norvell-Wilder,
Supply.
. s`-L�p`Norvell_.remeinbers"his
''introduction tdthe world bf'oil.
' �'Myfather came by to pick mi"
ip rat Sunday School. I
see6ber I had a'Little Lord
1 � untleroysuik,.the.whitekind
twith`tlie'white shorts. Well, he
460kme out to the oilfields and
,was explaining things to me,
;viien-a gasket blew -and got
ipud all over me. My 'lather
.said, `Your mother's going •to
,furious I!,..
In 1925, Lip and 1Norwell V di e�
2.. years .;later,: Ir$,
l,unlee Barbee. 711e Barbees
:were, iuciue :cvvectors and
�Norvell -so ld _. he -home'` •to ". ' Filled;3tie iroi�e- th ,massive
-Rosario �]4lacea;
`fpreslclent uE =
The
Jtried"lbe
d'iieaulztirU-Pleces ,
of �Ilve'i :end
ceos,:
Harrisun,�llvedthere�rnW 917 ,_e
� �►Yedthere.until.
980s:) -:,p
with `heir :door.-`dau hters:
g
Concetta ( Mrs. Jake .'Tor.
torice),
Thepresento ers;`Mr.-and
'Mrs. A -Beard
Selvina (Mrs, Sam C.
en -Jr., have
Parisi). Olivia (Airs. 'Frank
Messina) .and 1'heresa (Mrs.
,
J.C. Giglio),,all 'uf.Beaamont.
Mac lemiembers
renovated the house -and made
having
his "diughtersAie.rids over;#or .
dancing voarthree ajkjnip) r'
The ,six : .apartlnerf'-M e
ibeenbested
week: Mr$ ''W.C. Talkington;
who greWuPfnthatarea�nrli$
:bin �iithalii =�, .
B � -Mn vf ; the �dorigllldl
'a •. friend ."of .Mrs:-Gfglio,'.
elegain�d.00 YJ', `jhe s4o$g.
remembers Rosarici Macao's
.,record'vollection:."
:-*Ibe' athroorn•iss�l
do# the general feet`,of.
It Vas
fabWous and .he. use&-b `•loan:
:..0
r
When' World' 'War `.
the began,_.
Macaos -sold the
."We -just couldn't.get enough
help - to keep ft.,clean,,,.
Tortorice said.
After the Maceos iefl--iite:
house . in '19d2, :there .were'
several.owners, including one
who turned it info a boarding
house.
Eventually, the home -was-
Vurch"ased by Fred ; E... and .
Nor_-ve11'ftome`t0n:-.
D.-I ys
B>t Amt AMR1M
ITH its rounded tower a n d
gabled roof,..tlie.lfoino at 1695
Milton has served r<s a stitnutus
for childhood ilrihR'It _ r
rnatSy., many ypais. r
-Au lice aria o[
K �rIr priticee,K tiv n the,
totirer'be en-
adfrig bn its' J e its
Once upati a tirtt4,t Bass,
an oil s1SRctilatoi', wife
I�el "it biitlt t�te giatt . house
on land he had Dl used In 1904,
do the black be►1d by Frank-
•
lln, . Avenue C, Milani and. Ave-
nue D, the house faced Franklin,
I%with a second entrhAcb. on Ave.
nue C.
1N LATE 1907 TUN home was
!purchased by Lipscomb Nowell.
and his wife, Claudla Wllbarger
Norwell, by those name the house
Is boat khown,
It wV after mWntt* Ihlo this;
house (hat Mr, Norwell sold , his
gfocery,husinhso to John W.' Bet-
A-Mlllinn" Gates and began Nor
volt Wilder Hardware. later to
bPrmnh Nowell-Wilder.S it 0 D I y,
and Mrs. Nnrvell e 11 m a x o d 25
yenra of work to eslnhllsh the
roult of El CHmine Rrul, The
old Sail Antonio med or t h e
King'$ 1ituhWay, acid r *a 4I V e d
atatow1de recouniilon.
Grnwing lip let" the house IM,
Iligloft ilroniselve# as plrawi or
pprrine'eFiAPA were tlje. Nomplf chil-
dhwn, Margaret (Mm. D, D, Mon•
t`4e of Pelham, IV:;Y,); Il it f.v v y
�(8t F(ousinn) and 4.fyyss.CCort1b.
It W" dilrinc:.the. N.orvell's
in
trees 'Ifrotrt the ~and, the
built,- � ..f_..
flit!, x01ivyll. wrj). in' aim
lrhd . in 19d? Mrs, Ndrvelf ` a o l d
Rhe home to Rosnrla. tut t", areal:
ant of Texas Coffee Ch., w h o
wlth . hlR family Iived. them un-
til 1]reembor.YlMl2:
Several owners aad. s a vex 81
Months later, M-ed 0; and Eunice
liat'bdi, the present occupants;
pltechased the horft, and # h e ff
cupola ' capped ''teahouse" hl f
the yvd, ,
:. A ]over and collector of nn-
tiqueR, Mrs. Barbee has the
enormoushigh ceiling rooms flll-
gtl with massive plecea of fumi-
tbre- and belautiful' pleco* of ail-
Iver, glass aild blaque.
The front er(trance of the house,
facing Milam, Is. of; Panels.. of
haveled glass with a, wide, 'nar-
r0w ttantorn a a rr o s ■ the entire
doorway not` only beveled ' b u t
with a design cut Into it.
ALL THIS .WOODWORK is of
file p i c t u r e fraine type rattier
than the usual 'f1uRh-wllh the -wall.
iVainscoting, featured In the most
of the downstairs rnnihn, condn-
ues up the %vide stairway a n d
through the hotel - width upstairs
hall Wh4i- type wood used is
con by '&tta of tan paint
o¢plW` by aotno 'of the earlfer
osmettl, hot only to ti�e. yvht 011,
ing hW woodwork buE to thA giant
sliding doors and all flm'*ces in
the home. .
Fngllsh designs. — shlelds, ea.ty-
ed lions and griffins --- are found
in most of the carving on (hot
fireplace mantels and In the orig-
inal light ftxtures`of a variety of
colored glass.
Also English lu design 4 a r e
heavy, . lined lapestrlcs hanging
from brass rods over each of the
double downstairs.dowmays, Sim-
ilar ones in red velvet once hung
in the dining raorn to allow piiva
, ey without edrnpletely el4whating
air cirmlatfori,
1lO*NSTAIIi.4 It001iti9; In oddL
(ion to the dinita room, fnelude.
a formal parlor, tt libraay, iziuslc'.
morn, ' iL kitchen and a'lobby-size
great entrance halt which, catches
the mullleolor rays from .a cathe-
dral. window on tW stair landing,
Upstatrit, most of the iilx bed-
rooms; Borne. with PY-ench win-
dows, open onto the balcony run
ning three - quarters of the way
around the house:.. .
And most eWAan.t-of the three
and a half baths upstairs is the
roaster bath, with white marble
We floors, lavatory and wafaseot-
ing- Marble also frames a. double
mirror,
From the second floor, namw
step go up to the third floor, used
mostly for storage, and to t he
(ewer, the stirnulds for all t; h e
childreh's fairy tales which end
wllh •'they_ ilVed: happily ever aft=
Of`
`Copt
.1
In. Roy
IIMAGIINATION STIRHEladles. hO
half a '"niury by children vhnwing the otd,l%tfi
an oU -then, T. S. Bass, on the corner 61:.I+11-n1
vellp,:,yYho lh•rd in it warly'10 yenro. $oinAtw
Ineatlorl. Poring tlinir uecupancy great. pots of
nectipled by the ['red R. Barhees, shrubi, and
from the Avenue n nnlrance, s10lrq the pdrehes.
N
GENERAL INFORMATION
APPLICANT: David M. Flynn
PROPERTY OWNER: Same
LOCATION:
1695 Milam
EXISTING ZONING: RM-H (Residential Multiple Family Dwelling Highest
Density)
EXISTING LAND USE: Single Family Residential
SURROUNDING LAND USES:
NORTH: Residential
EAST: Residential
SOUTH: Residential
WEST: Vacant
COMPREHENSIVE PLAN:
SURROUNDING ZONING:
RM-H
RM-H
RM-H
RM-H
Conservation and Revitalization