For the Contextual Residential Infill at 630 North Blount Street, Raleigh
Byrne and Sara Huddleston, owners of the new house located at 630 North Blount Street, grew up near Colonial Williamsburg in Virginia, moving to Raleigh in 2006. With an appreciation for historic preservation and historic buildings, they admired the rich detail and architectural character of the Blount Street Historic District. In February 2014, they purchased an empty lot from Peace College. They began developing plans for a home whose design would resonate with the historic character of the area and which would, at the same time, offer the modern amenities that any new house should include.
The house at 630 North Blount was informed by examples of the Italianate vernacular style found in and around Blount Street Historic District, most notably, by the Merrimon-Wynne House located a few blocks south at 500 North Blount Street. Window and door trim, roof overhangs and ornate entablature, along with large, neighborly front and rear porches, complete the design. Fenestration of all four sides of the house includes large vertically-proportioned windows on the front facade as well as front doors that are nine feet tall. The entablature on the front upper portion of the house is 28″ tall and includes custom brackets.
Located within the boundaries of both the Blount Street National Register Historic District and the Blount Street Local Historic District, the Huddlestons received a Certificate of Appropriateness from the Raleigh Historic Development Commission to construct their new house, reflecting, perfectly, the character of the neighborhood. Neighborhood and community are delighted with their new addition. The house serves as an outstanding example of appropriate contextual residential infill within Raleigh’s historic districts, paying tribute to the city’s rich architectural heritage through new – differentiated – contemporary compatible design.
The Board of Directors of Capital Area Preservation, Inc. is pleased to present a 2015 Anthemion Award to Byrne & Sara Huddleston; Dixon/Kirby & Co. for the Contextual Residential Infill at 630 N. Blount Street, Raleigh.