The Victorian stucco-sided brick cottage located at 304 N. Person Street was built in 1881 for investor Helen Whitaker. The first resident was J. D. Edwards, who had a dry-goods store on Fayetteville Street. The house was purchased in 1903 by Frank Weathers and still remains in his family today, now owned by his granddaughter, Anne Fleming Hunter.
A full restoration was begun in early 2018 and completed in October of that year by general contractor Robert Von Doster and his company VonDoster Restoration & Construction, LLC. Not a single interior or exterior surface was left untouched as a full rehabilitation and restoration was necessary.
In need of many crucial structural upgrades, lintels were installed at all windows and doors to better support the 16” thick kiln-fired brick exterior walls. The lower floor was completely gutted down to the dirt and 61 cubic tons of gravel and concrete installed to stabilize the exterior walls as well as to give the structure above adequate support. The floors and walls of the two rear sunrooms were reframed from below and from inside.
Exterior work included repair of stucco, rebuilding of lower back porch, upper back porch and stairs, and breezeway porch, roof and trim replacement, and exterior paint. The original stucco had been applied to mimic stone, and all damaged areas were painstakingly repaired with the same treatment. The lower back porch required complete demolition and a new concrete slab to be poured prior to being rebuilt. The upper breezeway on the rear was restored completely including its original ornate handrail. The upper back porch was rebuilt with new stairs and railings, all in period-appropriate style, and architectural shingles were installed on the roof. All of the original exterior crown and trim elements were re-milled and replicated throughout the entire house.
Interior work included structural reinforcements throughout, per the engineer’s direction. Interior systems were upgraded, including plumbing and electrical. Original hardwood floors throughout the upstairs were restored; and, new bathrooms featured new tile showers and new fixtures throughout the house. A laundry was added upstairs and down. The HVAC system was replaced and new returns with minimal visual impact were added. The original plaster walls were completely restored upstairs; and, new drywall and insulation were installed on the reframed walls. Original fireplace mantels were restored and reinstalled. All original windows were restored and made operable once again with many retaining their original glass panes. All doors are original to the house and were refurbished complete with original hardware. Interior trim was re-milled from the original profile and replaced where necessary. The floor plan was modified to allow for two baths downstairs and 2.5 baths upstairs. In one bathroom, the original claw foot tub was completely refurbished and reused in that space.
The Board of Directors of Capital Area Preservation, Inc. is pleased to present a 2019 Anthemion Award to Anne Hunter; VonDoster Restoration & Construction, LLC; Thomas A. Betts Custom Home Plans; P. E. Teague, PE, LLC for the Residential Rehabilitation of the Helen Whitaker House, 304 North Person Street, Raleigh.