Friday, November 08, 2013
 
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Lincoln's 'twin sisters' houses: an update on the updates

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[November 08, 2013]  The corner of Pulaski and Hamilton streets has been host to a lot of contractors lately -- not only for all the roadwork being done, but the restorations of the "twin sisters" houses.

David Lanterman, owner of the houses, gave a part of his afternoon to share what has been accomplished and what is yet on the horizon.

The home at 625 Pulaski is completed and very nearly ready for tenants.

The home on the corner, 629, is just starting the process. Lanterman's current goal is to have the roof replaced in order to close it in over the winter months, thereby preventing any further weather-related damage.

Overall plans being developed for 629 are to bring the house back to the Victorian beauty she was in her day. This one will have more of the "gingerbreading" than her sister, making them similar and yet different.

One very good find early in the process was how well they were built. The framing was done with both quality and craftsmanship. Anyone who has remodeled knows that the biggest scare is what's under the drywall. When this level of construction was found, there was a sigh of relief for a lot of people.

You can't talk long with Lanterman about one house but what he mentions the other house. While called twins, they are more like mirrored opposites. As Lanterman pointed out, when facing them, there are bump-outs on the left of 629 and on the right of 625. That is because both the houses had exterior stairways as entrances. The original structures had their stairways facing Pulaski Street. The 625 location currently has the upstairs apartment stairway in the rear of the property.

The porches on both homes had been added at a later date. When discovered at the 625 remodeling, the upstairs center window had a beautifully curved base sweeping down until flush with the front of the house. That detail was re-created, and the porch on this home reflects more what the original would have been.

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Additional windows in this structure were replaced with modern windows. The replacement windows were sized to the openings, those being taller than conventional windows. Lanterman wanted this feature to keep the home fitting with its past.

Original to its construction was the newly re-created ram's-crown molding that tops and trims out the windows' exterior.

The early plans for porches on 629 will keep the style of the present front porch, again adding more Victorian details. The former upstairs entrance will be completed with a railed walk-out porch, allowing the inhabitants a wonderful crow's-nest to enjoy a morning cup of coffee. The entrance to the upstairs dwelling will be in the rear as well.

Fencing between the fronts of the two homes will create a private courtyard, making for a shared common space.

Each of the two buildings will consist of two flats. Each flat will have two bedrooms and total approximately 800 square feet.

While Lincoln Community High School students in the building trades program did the bulk of the restoration on 625, much of 629 will involve contractors. To date, all the contractors have been local businesses.

When it's all said and done, Pulaski and Hamilton will be something that downtown Lincoln can be proud of. It's a long process, but that's what it takes to get to something better.

[By ROY LOGAN]

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