High hopes

The other day as I was walking the dogs I noticed a startling transformation in one of the homes we always pass.  It used to look like this:

This small, 900 square foot colonial dates back to 1820, but looks more recent on the outside since it was covered at some point in vinyl siding which is no longer allowed in our city's historic district.

The owners of the home decided to renovate it, and after meeting with an architect and builder discovered the old foundation was crumbling beyond repair and the home's wood support structure was completely rotted from years of moisture penetration.  In most cases the home would simply be demolished and a new home built in its place.

Except, this is a historic home in the historic district.  It can not be demolished.  Its the law.  So what were the owners to do, with a crumbling foundation and rotten framing?

This:

That's right, ladies and gentlemen.  The Historic Preservation Commission (HPC) required the original house remain where it is, so the salvagable portion (the 2nd story) was lifted so the foundation and unsalvagable 1st floor could be rebuilt in exactly the same spot.

Notice now that the siding is removed you can see that there once were 3 windows on the front of the 2nd story.

I'm sure the renovation plan includes an addition onto the back of the home since nobody wants a 900 square foot house anymore.  It will be very interesting to watch this project progress.  I'll be sure to reference this post later once the renovation is complete.