How To Ruin A Beautiful Detached House, Washington, D.C.
How To Ruin A Beautiful Detached House, Washington, D.C.
Spanish Colonial/Colonial Revival House,
Upper 16th Street, N.W., 16th Street Heights, Washington, D.C., NW
Much like the subject of our rant, this house represents a typical upper middle class detached house in NW Washington D.C. of the upper second and entire third alphabetical streets in Washington, D.C. This differs slightly from our putrid specimen given the extant Spanish tile roof. Note the beautiful porch that adorns the already large dwelling. This particular house was built in the early 20th century at 1314 Delafield Street, NW, Washington, DC.
We often wonder how people can sleep at night after destroying the beautiful in the built environment??? Beautiful homes, magnificent buildings, and all that is interesting is destroyed more and more everyday whether with wrecking ball or plain ole’ bad taste. The house above has a few ardent features, probably most appealing is the wrap around, deep porch. In the period photograph the porch details are simple, but in keeping with Colonial Revival details of the period. Aside from having a slightly more Spanish feeling, the house featured in our post (below) would have appeared very much similar:
Our subject property, a house we consider to be ruined among the beautiful architectural wonders of Upper 16th Street, NW, Washington, D.C.
As you can see, misery mavens have been at work upon the facade and no doubt the interior of this formerly Spanish Colonial style house. Not only has the decision maker insensitively enclosed what was once a beautiful porch, but the materials employed in their pursuit couldn’t be anymore of an insult to the once quality house. We have before us, a double Home Depot vinyl door with faux leaded glass flanked by pre-1980ish windows that no doubt are round the entire house. The exterior walls have been covered as well, the once wood or brick cladding now obscured completely by stucco. Beyond that the retaining wall is putridly kept, and augmenting the entire property is the most revolting high chain link fence. All and all, each feature indecently set aside, this place is digesting and a slap in the face to its former glories…
Located in Upshur Street, NW, these Wardman-like houses were actually built by Howenstein Co. They are even more similar to the subject dwelling, not only featuring Spanish tile roofs, but more appropriately accurate front porches. While these houses are actually built in a duplex style with three brick columns supporting the porch, they are very much identical to the fully detached, four column porch house we featured in this post. These are also Spanish Colonial Revival.
