HomeMy WebLinkAbout1999 10 08 Quapaw Realty, Inc. Porch Balustrade 503 E. 7th StreetMs. Anne Guthrie
511 East 7th St.
LITILE ROCK, ARK. 72202
372-0861
October 8, 1999
Executive Director, MacArthur Park Historic District Commission
615 W. Markham Street, Room 106
Little Rock, AR 72201
Re: Porch Balustrade -503 E. 7th Street
Dear Anne:
I am writing in response to your phone call of this past week about the balustrade on the
front porch of 503 E. 7th Street which was installed several months ago. I was certainly
taken aback when I realized we had not made application to the Historic District
Commission for its approval. I really apologize for the oversight. The city apartment
inspection report we received for 503 E. 7th listed a porch railing as a requirement for
compliance. When Ron Young, the owner, and I received this report we saluted and
began preparations for building one and I simply forgot the Historic District Commission.
I had purchased the building "The Karcher House" in 197 4 when it was condemned by
the city to be demolished. It was in very bad condition. The front porch had been
enclosed years before with screening. There were no balustrades although I assumed
there were originally. I had wanted from the beginning to install a balustrade to give the
house a finished look as well as to give more security for the apartments opening on to the
porch. Financial constraints prevented this before I sold the property in 1980. When Ron
Young purchased the Karcher House some years later, we again discussed a balustrade
and he put it on the list for future projects. This became more pressing when the city
inspection made it a requirement.
We have never seen a photograph of the house taken before previous owners had enclosed
the porch with screen. We don't know how the porch would have looked, originally. To
create what is there now, we looked particularly at other 1880s Italianate buildings such as
308 E. 8th, & 1404 Scott, but also at the style of 507 E.7th Street and several others. We
found on measuring the spindles on at least ten different porches in the Quapaw Quarter
that spindles vary in length by several inches. We purchased these spindles at One Source.
We felt the length we cut them was in keeping with the height of the porch and also high
enough to keep people from falling over.
We would be glad to come in and discuss this with you or with the commission as a
whole. Again, I apologize for my negligence in not getting your approval in advance. As
you know I am a member of the Capitol Zoning District Commission and should have
thought of it immediately.
Sincerely,
Tom Wilkes
cc: Ron Young