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Miracle on Cedar Street

38 comments

Lee 07/24/2016 at 10:47 AM

Marvelous? Sure. Miraculous? Nah, needs a front porch.

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Cadeho 07/24/2016 at 11:39 AM

Lee, no it doesn’t. I am glad it’s finally fixed up!

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Kay9 07/24/2016 at 12:07 PM

1650/mo??? That’s a steep price for that part of the hood. Cedar St. isn’t Broad…

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Lee 07/24/2016 at 6:44 PM

@ Cadeho – I’m not saying it’s bad or not an improvement, just that not replacing the obviously missing front porch seems like an oversight for a 1650 a month rental. However:

@Kay9 and @ Rebecca Parker – I wonder if there are three 2 bedroom apartments (one per floor) on each side, or if these are VERY LARGE two bedrooms spread over three floors? The answer might explain the pricing.

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Union 07/24/2016 at 8:14 PM

Running people out? This was vacant before, right?

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mary 07/25/2016 at 6:45 AM

#8…absolutely….vacant for decades.

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dontmincewords 07/25/2016 at 7:15 AM

Probably need to consider price per sq. ft. on this. Shockoe Valley view at Cedar & Mosby is ~ $1300/mo for 800 sq. ft. 2br/2ba. You get a pool, but you are living on top of each other. Parking is extra. I bet if you pull a few more comps, this is just about competitive with other new construction in the area.

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Matthew Conrad 07/25/2016 at 9:54 AM

I think dontmincewords is correct on pricing. Our rental in the area is similarly priced per sq ft based on amenities.

I am extremely grateful to the folks who redeveloped this ca. 1860 house known in the Union Hill nomination as the Patrick Lynch house (looks like Travis Gardner was involved). It was probably unreasonable to ask not to paint the brick, and clearly the brick was painted once before, but I recall Kim Chen telling me there was something unique about the building materials for this house.

I’m piecing together a couple memories here, but it seems like the sandstone brick was unique in the neighborhood and perhaps Richmond. It’s uniqueness had something to do with the lack of availability of building materials as the war neared, so it tells a piece of the architectural/political history of Union Hill and Richmond that others do not. I think there is also some funky things going on with the foundation – like maybe the original owner/builder threw in some scrap materials from his professional life to create a very utilitarian, but irregular foundation for the house.

Kim, if you actually have time with all you have going on to weigh in here, it’d be good to preserve that history!

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Matthew Conrad 07/25/2016 at 9:55 AM

Wait: I found the answer in my records from back in 2010:

“An unusual house built between 1855 and 1865, is the Patrick Lynch House at 2117-2119 Cedar Street. The Lynch House is a two-story, double house set on a one-story raised basement. There are entrances on both the basement and first story. Stepped parapets contain the shallow, gabled-roof, and there is a shared central interior chimney. Similar to its neighbors in form, the Lynch House is unique because of its building material. It is constructed of over sized, beige sand and aggregate bricks that resemble tabby, a material common in coastal Georgia and South Carolina. On the facade a stretcher-bond pattern is used but on the exposed west elevation four-course American bond is alternated with five courses of Flemish bond. Also noteworthy is the brown stone and granite slab foundation visible on the west side of the dwelling. The unique building materials may be explained by a brick shortage during the war.”

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urbngrilla 07/25/2016 at 2:27 PM

@13 that’s precisely why the exterior never should have been painted! The green paint covers all that unique masonry. Who dropped the ball on this? CAR? Staff? Tut, tut, Secty Of the Interior Guidelines for Historic Restoration went out the window on this home’s exterior. Tragic.

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Lee 07/25/2016 at 7:48 PM

@Urbngrilla: Tabby is usually coated with stucco to help water and weatherproof it. I was intrigued enough by the description to do a little research and it sounds like it isn’t particularly durable if it isn’t coated with something. Not sure that exposing it is a historically accurate treatment, and doesn’t sound like a good idea regardless

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Daniel 07/25/2016 at 10:29 PM

Did anyone else noticed the only downspout for the front valley gutter is still routed to the property next door? They must he the same owner ! Just kinda funny their roof water is routed to the neighbors front porch …

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