Special Tips: Remodeling
SURVEY HOME | BACK
Many times, you can find the date a garage was added on the property cards from the courthouse. Detached garages (DETGAR) were common in the 1920s and 1930s when middle-class folk were able to purchase their own automobiles for the first time.
Sometimes, the only clues you'll find that will indicate remodeling will be obvious clashes with the style of the house (adding 1960s ashlar stone to an 1890s National). Windows, siding, and roofing materials may clash and give it away, as well. The idea is to think like the homeowner and have a keen eye. Most homeowners are more apt to be practical and functional rather than concerned with style integrity.
Common remodeling methods include adding small sunrooms to Colonial Revivals, (See McAlester page 323). Often, Craftsman houses (below) will be remodeled to enclose originally-open front porches.
