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Miracle on Cedar Street
07/24/2016 6:15 AM by John M
Six years ago, this double house at 2117 and 2119 Cedar Street was named one of the 10 most blighted houses in the area. Four years later, it was one of the 2 of the 10 that hadn’t been either fixed up or torn down.
Undergoing “complete renovation”, two bedroom apartments in the circa 1860 house are now renting for $1,650.
— ∮∮∮ —
2117-2119 Cedar Street (2010)
Marvelous? Sure. Miraculous? Nah, needs a front porch.
Lee, no it doesn’t. I am glad it’s finally fixed up!
1650/mo??? That’s a steep price for that part of the hood. Cedar St. isn’t Broad…
@ 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.
Running people out? This was vacant before, right?
#8…absolutely….vacant for decades.
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.
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!
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.”
@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.
@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
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 …