Matthew S. Meyer Richard E. Hall, AICP County Executive General Manager

Department of Land Use

HISTORIC REVIEW BOARD October 6, 2020 5:00 p.m. Business Meeting Agenda Updated 9/28/2020

ZOOM Video Conference beginning at 5:00 P.M. In accordance with Governor Carney’s Proclamation and the Declaration of a State of Emergency, New Castle County is holding all public meetings as telephone and video conferences, utilizing Zoom Meetings until further notice. The appropriate weblink, call-in number(s) can be found at the Historic Review Board Webpage: newcastlede.gov/313/Historic-Review-Board

HRB meetings are held on the 1st (Business Meeting) and 3rd (Hearing) Tuesdays of each month.

ROLL CALL

RULE OF PROCEDURE

MEETING MINUTES

September 1, 2020 Meeting Minutes

OLD BUSINESS

NEW BUSINESS

Case No. 2019-08887: 706 New London Road. (Located on the east side of New London Road, south of the intersection with Wedgewood Road.) (TP 09-005.00-074). White Clay Creek Hundred. Code violation case for interior work and demolition without a permit. William Kennedy Post Office and Store ca. 1860. NC21 Zoning. CD 3.

App. 2020-05988: 904 Old Baltimore Pike. (Located on the west side of Dayett Mill Road, south of the intersection with Old Baltimore Pike.) (TP 11-014.00-044). Pencader Hundred. Demolition permit to demolish two non- contributing structures located within the Cooch’s Bridge Historic District. I Zoning. CD 11.

App. 2020-06221: 10 & 12 Pyles Lane. (Located on the south side of Pyles Lane, east of the intersection with New Castle Avenue.) (TPs 10-005.20-135 & 10-005.20-136). New Castle Hundred. Demolition permit to demolish a ca. 1900 duplex. NC5 zoning. CD 10.

App. 2017-0666-S: 5300 Kennett Pike. (Located on the west side of Kennett Pike, north of the intersection with Pyles Ford Road.) (TP 07-012.00-018). Christiana Hundred. Minor subdivision plan to subdivide an existing parcel into two lots and convert an existing barn to a dwelling. Wm. Peters Ag. Complex (Beers) located along the Brandywine National Scenic Byway. NC2a Zoning. CD 2.

App. 2019-11735: 2203 W Newport Pike. (Located on the north side of W. Newport Pike, at the northwest corner of the intersection with Stanton Road, W Newport Pike, and Rock Avenue). Mill Creek Hundred. (TP 08-051.10-035). Demolition permit to demolish a ca. 1800 dwelling. NC5 Zoning. CD 9.

REPORT OF THE PRESERVATION PLANNER

REPORT OF THE CHAIR

87 Reads Way, New Castle, DE 19720 www.nccdelu.org Phone: 302-395-5400 Fax: 302-395-5587 PUBLIC COMMENT

…………………………………………………………………………… Individuals needing reasonable accommodations according to the Americans with Disabilities Act call 395-5400 (TT/TTY/TTD: DRS, 1-800-232-5460)

MINUTES BUSINESS MEETING NEW CASTLE COUNTY HISTORIC REVIEW BOARD DEPARTMENT OF LAND USE - NEW CASTLE ROOM 87 READS WAY, NEW CASTLE, DELAWARE September 1, 2020 5:00 P.M.

The Virtual Business Meeting of the Historic Review Board of New Castle County was held on Tuesday, September 1, 2020 via Zoom meetings.

The meeting was called to order by John Davis at [5:02 p.m.]

The following Board members were present: Perry Patel Karen Anderson Barbara Silber Rafael Zahralddin John Davis John Brook

The following Board members were absent: Steve Johns

Historic Review Board, Department of Law Colleen Norris

The following Department of Land Use employees were present at the meeting: Betsy Hatch Chris Jackson

RULES OF PROCEDURE

Ms. Hatch read the rules of procedure into the record.

MINUTES & NOTICE OF DECISIONS

August 4, 2020 Business Meeting Minutes

On a motion made by Mr. Patel and seconded by Mr. Zahralddin, the HRB voted to approve the August 4, 2020 Historic Review Board meeting minutes (In Favor: Silber, Davis, Patel, Zahralddin; In Opposition: None; Abstention: Brook; Absent: Anderson, Johns. Discussion preceding the vote included:

Mr. Brook stated that he was not present for the meeting and noted that on the first item under old business should be updated to reflect that he did not accept a motion. Ms. Silber noted that she had an edit to the Section 106 language on page 3.

OLD BUSINESS

App. 2019-0676-S: 4353 Summit Bridge Road. (East side of Summit Bridge Road, 2,500 feet north of Boyds Corner Road.) (TP 13-007-00-078). St. Georges Hundred. Historic Overlay rezoning and associated parking plan for an adaptive reuse of the A. Eliason House, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, constructed ca. 1856. NC21 Zoning. CD 12.

At a meeting held on September 1, 2020, the Historic Review Board considered the application, public testimony provided at its August 18, 2020 public hearing, as well as the recommendation provided by the Department.

On a motion made by Mr. Brook and seconded by Mr. Patel, the Historic Review Board voted unanimously to grant APPROVAL of the of the landscape plan and scope of work to be completed by a certified archaeologist. Discussion preceding the vote included the following:

Ms. Hatch gave a brief presentation on the application and provided a recap of the public hearing. Ms. Hatch informed the Historic Review Board that the applicant had contracted with a professional archaeologist and provided the scope of work to be completed on the site. Ms. Silber commended the applicant on the project, noting that the pool demolition is an unusual situation and noted that the surface observation by the archaeologist will satisfy the condition. Ms. Anderson noted that the information provided by the applicant was well documented regarding the landscaping and lighting on the site. Ms. Hatch noted that the archaeological report would be shared with the Historic Review Board.

App. 2018-05785: 2314 Glasgow Avenue. (West side of Glasgow Ave., north of the intersection of Glasgow Ave. and Pulaski Hwy.) Pencader Hundred, (TP 11-026.00-043). Building Permit to renovate historic barn (Brooks House, c.1795). NC10, CR, and Historic Overlay Zoning. CD 11.

On a motion made by Mr. Brook and seconded by Mr. Patel, the Historic Review Board voted unanimously to DENY the proposed permit as the proposed materials are inconsistent with the New Castle County Historic and Cultural Resource Design Guidelines for exterior modifications, as well as the surrounding National Register Historic District. The Historic Review Board recommended the applicant bring forward different materials that maintain historic character and nature of the building. Discussion preceding the vote included the following:

Ms. Hatch gave a brief presentation on the application and read into the record the Staff Recommendation. Mr. Davis confirmed with Staff that the Historic Review Board has the ability to deny the proposed materials for the exterior of the structure, as the property was located with the bounds of an Historic overlay zoning district. Mr. Brook noted that the staff is following the required design guidelines and asked Staff if they had talked with the applicants about alternative materials. Ms. Hatch noted that the Department had talked with the applicants regarding what materials are appropriate based on the proposed design guidelines; however, the applicants wished to proceed with the T1-11 siding. Mr. Brook stated that the Historic Review Board is charged with ensuring that Historic overlay properties follow the appropriate design guidelines. Mr. Zahralddin concurred, noting the applicants had not demonstrated why they would not consider higher quality materials that align with the NCC Historic and Cultural Resource Design Guidelines.

NEW BUSINESS

None.

REPORT OF THE PRESERVATION PLANNER

Ms. Hatch noted that the demolition permit for 565 Walker School Road was not on the agenda this evening, as the Staff has been trying to work with both the DE Division of Fish and Wildlife and the DE Division of Historic and Cultural Affairs for an update on the application prior to bringing it back before the Historic Review Board for consideration. Ms. Hatch noted that the Department is continuing to work on the Historic Marker Program proposed by Councilwoman Durham and noted that the Department is close to ironing out final details. Finally, Ms. Hatch stated that the next meeting would be on September 15, 2020 at 5:00 pm.

Mr. Patel asked if there was an update on the demolition application for 2203 W Newport Pike. Ms. Hatch stated that the Department is meeting with the engineer and the legal counsel in the upcoming week regarding the application. Ms. Hatch stated the County is also considering utilizing Certified Local Government Grant funds to have the structure documented. Ms. Hatch stated the application should be appearing before the HRB at its October business meeting.

REPORT OF THE CHAIRPERSON

None.

COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC

None.

ADJOURNMENT

The Board voted to adjourn the meeting at 6:31 p.m.

ATTEST:

Richard E. Hall, AICP John R. Davis General Manager Chairperson Department of Land Use Historic Review Board

MID-ATLANTIC HISTORIC BUILDINGS AND LANDSCAPES SURVEY

Assessment of the Impact to Significance for the

William Kennedy House and Store

White Clay Creek Hundred

New Castle County, Delaware

MID-ATLANTIC HISTORIC BUILDINGS AND LANDSCAPES SURVEY

Assessment of the Impact to Significance for the William Kennedy House and Store (CRS # N04009)

White Clay Creek Hundred New Castle County, Delaware

By Catherine Morrissey, M.A.

Prepared For

New Castle County Department of Land Use

Center for Historic Architecture and Design University of Delaware

September 2020

The University of Delaware is committed to assuring equal opportunity to all persons and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, gender, religion, ancestry, national origin, sexual orientation, veteran status, age, or disability in its educational programs, activities, admissions, or employment practices as required by Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, with the Americans with Disabilities Act, other applicable statutes, and University policy. Inquiries concerning these statutes and information regarding campus accessibility should be referred to the Affirmative Action Officer, 305 Hullihen Hall, 302/831-2835 (voice), 302/831-4552 (TDD).

Table of Contents

PROJECT SUMMARY ...... 4 BRIEF HISTORY ...... 4 ASSESSMENT...... 5 SIGNIFICANCE AND INTEGRITY ...... 8 PHOTOS ...... 10

Project Summary

The staff at the Center for Historic Architecture and Design (CHAD) visited the dwelling and store located at 706 New London Road, Newark, White Clay Creek Hundred, Delaware, historically known as the William Kennedy House and Store (CRS # N04009), on four occasions in 2020—twice in March and twice in June. The first visit was requested by the property owner to determine a cost estimate for documentation of the store portion of the historic building. The second visit was requested by CHAD, approved by the owner, to take graduate students enrolled in “Methods in Historic Preservation” at the University of Delaware for a field trip to study the building. The two visits in June were requested by New Castle County Department of Land Use, approved by the property owner, to document the building prior to demolition of the store section, which was funded using a portion of the County’s Certified Local Government Grant. Contained below is a brief history of the property, an assessment of the changes to the building over the course of four months observed by CHAD staff, as well as how those changes impact the dwelling’s significance and material integrity.

Brief History

The William Kennedy House and Store is situated in a historic hamlet known as “McClellandsville.” The village was named for William McClelland, one of the earliest settlers of the area and also owner of a large nearby milling complex on the White Clay Creek.1 By 1868, the mill complex contained a cooper shop, a gristmill, a sawmill, and a bark mill. The village likely sprang up to support the nearby mill complex. As recorded in 1888 by historian J. Thomas Scharf, McClellandsville contained a store, a blacksmith shop, a post office, church, a schoolhouse, and ten dwellings.2 Scharf noted that William Kennedy opened the only store in town in 1860.3 Today, a handful of these nineteenth century buildings survive, clustered mostly on the northeast side of New London Road, south of Wedgewood Road. Two buildings listed on the National Register of Historic Places are located within the vicinity of 706 New London Road—the Samuel Lindsey House (CRS # N06759) and the Wesley M.E. Church (CRS # N06758)—both of which were listed in 1984 as part of the White Clay Creek Multiple

1 J. Thomas Scharf, History of Delaware: 1609-1888, (Philadelphia, PA: L. J. Richards & Co., 1888), Vol. 2, 527. Period sources refer to the vicinity as “McClellandsville” while the 1868 Beers Atlas Map labeled it “McClellandville.” This report refers to the vicinity as McClellandsville. 2 Scharf, History of Delaware, vol. 2, 527. 3 Scharf, History of Delaware, vol. 2, 527.

Property Nomination. Besides the Wesley M.E. Church, the only non-residential nineteenth-century building to survive in McClellandsville is the William Kennedy store.

Assessment

Built between 1849-1860, the dwelling and store at 706 New London was constructed in at least three different periods.4 Based on a physical examination of the building, the dwelling house (the southern portion) was the first section to be constructed. It is a frame, two-story, three-bay, side-passage, double-parlor plan, with late Greek Revival detailing on the exterior. The dwelling sits on an excavated stone foundation. The interior was exposed down to the framing members at the time of documentation, so CHAD staff never had the opportunity to observe any interior trim or finishes. Additionally, all of the lath-and-plaster wall finishes had been removed— some of which were disposed of on the floor of the basement, while other historic materials had been disposed of in a dumpster on the exterior of the property. The main block of the dwelling is constructed with up-and- down sawn lumber, with timber framing as opposed to balloon framing, the latter of which became increasingly popular after the Civil War. The corner posts and other principal posts display a mixture of nail and peg joinery. The posts all utilize up-braces, which display a mixture of nails and pegs and are tied into girts with pegs. Up- and-down sawn studs span the distances between the posts. The second floor, which is accessed by a straight stairway in the hall, is constructed in the same manner as the first floor. The attic, accessed by a winder stairway from the second floor, is the only space to retain its original finishing. On both the first and second floors, interior partition walls were created using nailed up-and-down sawn studs. The dwelling featured two interior brick chimneys at the southeast gable end that ran the full height of the dwelling, with small stone supports in the basement.

Attached to the northwest gable end of the dwelling is the Period II, wood-framed, one-and-a-half story, three- bay, false-front store. This addition was likely constructed around 1860 (according to Scharf, which is in line with observed construction methods). Perhaps originally one room on the first floor, today the space is divided into three rooms, one of which is a modern bathroom. Like the main block of the dwelling, the store sits on a continuous excavated stone foundation and is also timber framed, featuring a mixture of lumber treatments

4 This dwelling does not appear on the 1849 Rea and Price Map of New Castle County. However, it is located on the 1860 Gillette Map of the Philadelphia Region.

including circular sawn and hewn members. The store has corner posts and principal posts, both nailed and pegged. The corner posts, up-braces, and joists are all circular sawn, while the girt is hewn. Interestingly, the two periods of construction are not physically tied together above the basement level. In the basement, both the dwelling and store sections’ floor joists are tied into the same sill, sitting on a shared stone foundation wall. However, at the first and second floors, the two portions of the building are framed independently—each relying on their own posts, up-braces, girts, plates, joists, and rafters. The use of the different wood members between the two sections, up-and-down sawn in the dwelling, and mostly circular sawn in the store, as well as their independent framing structures, indicates that the two portions of the building were constructed at separate times. Additionally, since circular sawn lumber mostly replaced up-and-down sawn lumber by the 1860s, the sawing of the timbers indicates that the store post-dates the construction of the house. Additionally, no stairway exists in the store—another clear indication of later periodization. A hatch door survives between the first and second floors, so the second-story space could have been accessed via a ladder. Today, there is a door punched through on the second floor, between the dwelling and the store section, providing access to the loft above the store.

To the northeast (or rear) of the main block of the dwelling is a frame, two-story service wing. Unlike the other two portions of the building, the service wing sits on a continuous, but unexcavated stone foundation. The second-floor height of this rear ell does not align with the second-floor height of the main block. This fact, in combination with the different basement treatment, indicates this portion of the building was constructed at a separate time than the main block. At the time of documentation, the service wing included one room on each floor. Prior to any CHAD visits, a winder stair was removed from the rear, northern corner of the period III addition. Like the period I and period II sections of the building, this addition is timber framed, displaying a mixture of treatments. The corner posts and other principal posts display a mixture of nail and peg joinery. The posts all utilize up-braces, which display a mixture of nails and pegs, and are tied into girts with pegs. Up-and- down sawn studs span the distances between the posts. Physical evidence survives on the second floor that indicates that this space was previously subdivided with a hallway from the winder stair leading to the hallway into the main block stair hall. However, only ghost marks survive on the floor, as this wall was removed prior to any CHAD visits.

An early-twentieth century, wood-framed, shed roofed, enclosed porch addition stood at the northeast (rear) end of the service wing. It was built on an unexcavated continuous stone foundation, and the interior space was finished with lath-and-plaster. A heating stove was once tied into the chimney located in the Period III service wing. This enclosed porch was accessed from the exterior via a door at the northeast elevation, with access into the Period III service wing via a door located to the south of the fireplace.

The William Kennedy House and Store also had two porches appended to building. A one-story, flat roof porch sheltered the front entry, added during the Victorian era. It was built on a stone foundation and supported by two chamfered posts and two squared pilasters. The porch was adorned with decorative post brackets and drop scrollwork. Two benches spanned the sides between the pilasters and posts, framing the path to the door, though only one of these benches was extant in March 2020. On the southeast elevation (right side) was an early twentieth-century, wood-framed, one-story, hipped roof porch spanning the length of the service wing at the rear of the main block, terminating at the end of the enclosed rear porch. It was set on a continuous stone foundation and was supported by unadorned square posts. The porch had exposed rafter tails, as well as materials consistent with an early-twentieth century build date—though some of the materials had been replaced over the course of the twentieth century. Still, the porch had retained its general, earlier form.

In March 2020, the William Kennedy House and Store retained most of its original floorplan. Even with plaster walls removed, most of the historic framing was still present the main block of the dwelling, in the Period II store, the Period III service wing, the enclosed rear porch, and the two exterior porches (front and side). However, by June 2020, substantial demolitions on the exterior, selective removal of historic framing in the interior, and other alterations and reframing had substantially altered the character of some key areas of the historic building. On the exterior, this included the demolition of the front and side porches, and the removal of the rear enclosed porch.

Many alterations were made to the interior of the main block of the dwelling, as well as in the rear service wing, between March and June 2020, with most changes confined to the first floor of the dwelling. The historic front entry door of the dwelling, facing New London Road, was removed and replaced with a window. Its previous vestibule area has now been framed to accommodate a new space, likely a bathroom, on the interior. Other reconfigurations of the first floor plan also occurred between March and June, including the removal of the stair

hallway (by removing the wall dividing the two parlors from the stairway / entry hall), except for a small portion used to frame out the new bathroom space near the front wall. Additionally, the partition wall between the two back-to-back parlors was removed, with a newly framed wall with a large opening replacing the earlier historic wall. In March, each parlor retained an interior brick chimney on its southeast wall; since then, the chimney in the front parlor (facing New London Road) has been completely removed, except for the stone support in the basement. The wall between the Period I main block and the Period III service wing was also reworked. In March, the wall consisted of nineteenth-century studs, with a door frame for access between the two spaces. Since then, the wall has been almost entirely removed and reframed with modern materials, creating a half-height wall and a more open plan, allowing for continuous sight lines into the parlor spaces. Additionally, a winder stair was originally located at the rear corner of the Period III service wing, with ghosts of stair treads still visible in the remaining plaster—though, again, this stairway was not in place during any visits by CHAD, and it is unclear when the stair was removed, or by whom.

Significance and Integrity

The significance of the William Kennedy House and Store is especially tied to the one-and-a-half story, false- front store connected to the two-story dwelling. As a rural, wood-framed store and dwelling combination, dating to the 1860s, it is an incredibly rare historic property type in New Castle County. Small, rural, commercial spaces do not survive well, if at all, as many were replaced in the twentieth century by larger grocery stores, department stores, and other retail spaces, making small, local stores increasingly obsolete. Additionally, these types of buildings were often located close to historic roadways and at crossroads—leading many to be demolished in the twentieth century for road widening and realignment projects. In short, we are not aware of any other surviving Civil War-era buildings that so distinctly combined residential and commercial functions, with the commercial section clearly demarcated architecturally with a false front.

The survival of this rural store is likely tied to its re-use—its later incorporation into living space for the main dwelling, and a string of owners who never felt compelled to renovate the dwelling to remove he commercial look on the façade of the northwest section. Of course, other mid-nineteenth-century commercial spaces do survive in rural New Castle County, but they are mostly limited to taverns and hotels, since those types of buildings are easier to convert into domestic spaces. A handful of rural, historic taverns are extant in Northern

New Castle County, including the Mermaid Tavern (CRS #N00242, NRHP# 73000529), the Beeson-Dempsey House (CRS #N10156), and Tweed’s Tavern, though the number of survivals are low compared to their overall frequency in the nineteenth century.

Even with the numerous demolitions and alterations to the dwelling section of the William Kennedy House and Store, the survival of the store alone makes the property quite historically significant. The property owner has not significantly altered the store structure during his ownership, due to his plans to demolish it. The store section thus survives with a very high level of material integrity from the 1860s, especially for a commercial space. The rooms added to the first floor of the store were framed into the space as partitions and did not significantly alter the material fabric of the store framing.

However, without the retention of the store, it is unlikely that the dwelling portion, as a standalone building, retains enough historic material or integrity to recognize it as significant under National Register Criterion C (for architecture / design)—especially considering the removal of the three porches and the enclosure of the front door. These exterior alterations, combined with the interior demolitions and reconfigurations, result in a very diminished historic integrity—meaning that portion of the building is now limited in its ability to convey its historic significance. Though historic elements certainly remain—including exterior clapboarding, most framing members of exterior walls, the stairways, and two of the three chimneys, and perhaps wood flooring—the significant alterations on the interior, especially the first floor, have highly obscured its original floorplan. A potential case could potentially still be made for the dwelling portion under Criterion C, as a late example of timber framing construction in New Castle County; however, that argument might be challenging to contextualize. Further, the dwelling could potentially be significant under Criterion B (person) or Criterion D (potential to yield information / archaeology), especially at the local level; however, it would necessitate further research, investigation, and phase I archaeology at the site. And even then, the question would be raised of whether a baseline level of integrity exists even for these non-architectural criteria—and none of these additional avenues of research were pursued by CHAD during our documentation.

Photos

Above: View of front (southwest) façade, March 2020.

Above: View of front (southwest) façade, June 2020.

Detail view of the front porch, also showing the detailing at the roof cornice, March 2020.

Detail view of the front porch. March 2020.

Detail view of the historic transom above front door, March 2020.

Above: Perspective view of the southwest and northwest elevations, March 2020.

Above: Perspective view of the southwest and northwest elevations, June 2020.

Above: View of the rear (northeast elevation), March 2020.

Above: View of the rear (northeast elevation), June 2020.

Above: Perspective view of the northeast and southeast elevations, March 2020.

Perspective view of the northeast and southeast elevations, June 2020.

Above: View of the southeast elevation, March 2020.

Above: View of the southeast elevation, June 2020.

Above: Detail view of the ghost of the winder stair in the period III service wing, June 2020.

Above: View from period III service wing, showing two removed and newly framed walls, June 2020.

Above: View of the now removed period I partition rooms between the two parlors, June 2020.

View of stairway from rear parlor, showing now-missing hallway wall, June 2020.

View of removed chimney in front parlor, June 2020.

View of removed front door, and new bathroom space in front vestibule, June 2020.

View of period III second floor, showing now enclosed stair (on left side of chimney), June 2020.

Robert T. MacIntosh, P.E. Steven T. Krumenacker, P.E.

2 Mill Road | Suite 100 Wilmington, DE 19806 ph. 302.252.9200 fax. 302.252.9201

MacIntoshEng.com September 24, 2020

Mr. Vinod Patel VRNS II, LCC 411 Nattul Drive Bear, DE 19711

RE: 2203 W. Newport Pike – Structural Condition Assessment Wilmington, DE Project Number: 920.049

At your request, we have performed a visual review of the existing structure for the above referenced property. The purpose of the review is to observe the current condition of the existing building’s structural integrity.

BACKGROUND

Our review was based on our visit to the site on September 17th, 2020. The original existing multi-story residence was built circa 1812 and consists of a basement, first floor, second floor, and attic. Several one-story and two-story additions have been added to the North and West at unknown dates. The overall structure is approximately 4,000 square feet (excluding the basement and attic). The first floor framing consists of timber planks on timber beams @ 2’-0” o/c bearing on stone and brick masonry walls and columns. The second floor framing and third floor framing consists of timber decking on timber floor joists bearing on interior timber framed walls and exterior stone walls. The roof construction consists of timber roof rafters with collar ties spaced at 2’-0” o/c bearing on exterior stone walls. The one-story and two-story additions to the original structural are framed with wood floor joists and roof rafters bearing on wood framed walls. We understand the property has been vacant and abandoned for approximately ten years.

OBSERVATIONS

The overall condition of the existing structure is poor and deteriorating. During our survey, the following observations were made:

First Floor Timber Framing / Basement Exterior and Interior Bearing Walls: • The timber framing showed clear signs of accelerated deterioration due to extended exposure to moisture and termite throughout. • Majority of the wood framing was “soft to the touch” with significant extents of on-going mold presence. • Majority of the carpet finish on the timber planks appeared to be damp indicating potential water damage to the timber framing below. • Timber framing bearing directly on exterior stone walls were shows signs of deterioration. • Deteriorating mortar within the stone walls with some extents resulting in voids between the stones of the exterior walls. • The interior stone columns and walls appeared to be in fair condition. • Several large openings where timber planks have deteriorated or collapsed. • In several locations noticeable deflection was felt as the floor joist was loaded. • The slab on grade in the basement appeared to be in fair condition.

Wilmington, Delaware | W ayne, Pennsylvania

Mr. Vinod Patel 2203 West Newport Pike – Structural Assessment Project Number: 920.049 September 24, 2020 Page 2 of 2

Second Floor Timber Framing / First Floor Interior & Exterior Bearing Walls: • Observations of the timber floor framing was limited due to existing finishes. The existing finishes throughout showed signs of significant deterioration. Where timber floor framing was visible, deterioration was noted. • Existing drop ceiling tiles were noted to have water damage indicating water infiltration from above. • In several locations, noticeable deflections were felt as the floor joist was loaded. • Where visible, the interior bearing walls appeared to be in fair condition. • Where visible, the exterior stone walls appeared to be in fair condition with minimal mortar deterioration.

Third Floor Timber Framing (Attic) / Second Floor Interior & Exterior Bearing Walls: • Observations of the timber floor framing was limited due to existing finishes. The existing finishes throughout showed signs of significant deterioration. Where timber floor framing was visible, deterioration was noted. • Existing drop ceiling tiles were noted to have water damage indicating water infiltration from above. • In several locations, noticeable deflections were felt as the floor joist was loaded. • Where visible, the interior bearing walls appeared to be in fair condition. • Where visible, the exterior stone walls appeared to be in fair condition with minimal mortar deterioration. • A large opening in the floor where timber planks are missing, and the timber joists are deteriorating.

Roof Framing / Low Roofs of Porches and Additions: • The main roof rafters appeared to be in fair condition. • Areas of noticeable water presence and deterioration throughout the timber roof planks and timber roof rafters. • The exterior stone bearing walls appeared to be in fair condition with little mortar decay. • The non-bearing exterior stone walls at the windows were damaged and deteriorated due to water infiltration. • The top of the masonry brick chimney had deteriorated away in some locations with missing brick and voids within the chimney. • The exterior non-bearing stone walls had several voids where either the stone had fallen out or the mortar was deteriorated. • The low roof wood decking in both the front porch and side addition had collapsed in several locations creating openings within the roof. The remaining roof rafters had significant signs of deterioration.

CONCLUSION

The structural integrity of the property is significantly deteriorating and not sufficient to support the intended residential/commercial use. Significant repairs and/or reconstruction is required to the restore the existing structure for future use.

If you have any further questions or need additional information, please feel free to contact our office.

MACINTOSH ENGINEERING

Richard M. Savona, P.E. Senior Project Engineer

Wilmington, Delaware | W ayne, Pennsylvania