Home begins new voyage

Rain poured and wind howled around the stone walls of 843 Palmer Ave. the first night that Kate Tracy stepped through the front door. But somehow, as she crossed the threshold into the first Winter Park home she’d ever seen, she knew she was home — even if it wasn’t quite finished.

“It just felt like home,” Kate said. “It was storming and dark outside, but I felt safe.”

And as that cozy gray peak-roofed house protected her from the storm that night, she knew that she wanted it to be hers. The Dawn Treader’s journey had begun.

Now 14 years later, a project that took husband and wife Dennis and Kate nearly a dozen designers, architects and contractors to finish has turned itself into a breathtaking “jewel box” home that visitors have called the nicest in Winter Park.

But that wasn’t always the case for the 3,157-square-foot historically registered home. It’s taken years to transform.

Stepping inside the small foyer, it’s hard to miss the inset ship in the wooden door’s rectangular window. There’s a story to that, and in a way, that’s when this home’s adventure began when the Tracys were first remodeling it.

“We were here one night when it didn’t have electricity yet, and we were trying to come up with a name,” Kate said. “With the cars going by, the lights would flash the shadow of the ship along the wall and move around the wall every time.”

Couple that with their two daughters’ love of “The Chronicles of Narnia,” and you have the house’s namesake, The Dawn Treader Cottage, an homage to the ship that took young adventurers to a magical land in C.S. Lewis’ famed series of novels.

They call it a cottage, and for all outward appearances, it could be. Intimate at first, cozy charm gives way to ever-expanding space the farther back you go. Just 20 feet beyond that porthole front door, past the vaulted living room with iron and glass chandelier, gas fireplace and warm, antique feel, the home is newer than many in Winter Park.

Stepping a few feet into the broad expanses of sandy tile, white wood and dark stone in the kitchen, it’s easy to feel like it had always been there. But that’s where the house used to end before the Tracys expanded it.

“We cut the entire back of the house off,” Dennis said. Photos during the home’s renovation show the extremes the couple went to in order to expand the back of the house into what it is today. Namely, the rearmost 15 feet of the house is new. But during that project, something got in the way: the pool.

“We had to shrink the size of the pool or it wouldn’t work,” Dennis said.

Contractors went to work laboriously draining water, cutting cement, then re-framing and pouring a new edge of the pool to move it away from the house. A casual glance reveals nothing along the water’s edge.

Now framed by a lush garden of closely manicured bushes, palm trees and climbing ivy, it blends into the rear of the home like it had never been touched.

“You can’t tell at all,” Dennis said.

More obvious renovation secrets hide in the top floor. Beyond the art deco master bathroom, hidden behind an innocuous white door, a small staircase leads into a walk-in closet converted from attic space directly above the living room.

Diving down into the lower split level of the house next to the living room, what was once functionally a basement has transformed into an office, replete with the original decorative cracked tile floors that had been covered by carpet when the Tracys moved in.

Just above that basement, a den with a small vertical bookshelf opens up with a built-out window seat for reading. Atop that shelf, at about eye level, “The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe” sits waiting to take a reader on another adventure.

But in The Dawn Treader Cottage, that adventure will be someone else’s to take. The Tracys’ home recently went up for sale.

Thinking back on a decade and a half of memories, both said they’re sorry to see it go.

“When we were driving up the street and she saw the sign, [Kate] started crying,” Dennis said. “Even though [daughters Marianne and Maren] were in high school or just out of high school when we moved here, for them this is where they got engaged, then they moved home the last six months just around Christmas time. It was our last time together as a family. We’ll miss it.”

A little history

Lined by estate homes, the gently meandering Winter Park crossroad known as Palmer Avenue had humble beginnings. What began as a dirt trail cleared through the wooded homestead of the 1880’s E. R. Palmer family has turned into one of Winter Park’s preeminent addresses.

By 1898, the wooded homestead had been cleared to make way for Orange groves and a lakefront estate home on the south side of Lake Maitland. The word Alabama is derived from an Indian word meaning clearing of the woods, and such was the inspiration for William C. Temple when naming his newly acquired estate.

The property changed hands a couple of times during the great Florida land grab of the early 1900s. Cleveland, Ohio, developer Joseph Kronenberger arrived on the scene in 1921 with visions of developing a lakeside hotel resort surrounded by a platted subdivision of second homes for his northern clientele. In 1927, the residential lot at 843 was built out to accommodate a modest Tudor Revival home.

The 843 Palmer Ave. home is now on the Winter Park Register of Historic Places. Known around town as the ‘gingerbread home’ or the ‘Hansel and Gretel house’, current owners Dennis & Kathleen Tracy more affectionately refer to their cottage as “The Dawn Treader”. A fitting name, for adorning the original door is a unique sailing ship silhouette worked in metal behind decorative iron works and glass.

In an effort to protect homes such as the Tracys’, the city of Winter Park adopted a historic preservation ordinance in 2001. A 2000 survey of the city’s historic resources identified 650 historic resources built before 1950. Of those, the survey identified 136 resources that might be eligible for the National Register of Historic Places. Seventy-six historic buildings have been on the Winter Park Register of Historic Places since 2001.

In addition, two local residential historic districts, the College Quarter and Virginia Heights East, have completed the historic designation process for the Winter Park Register of Historic Places.

A link to the city’s FAQ on Historic Preservation is on WPMObserver.com. For more information on Winter Park’s Historic Preservation initiative, contact Lindsey Hayes at 407-599-3498 or [email protected]

Visit wpmobserver.com to view a photo gallery of The Dawn Treader.

Additional information: historic preservation

What is historic preservation?

Historic preservation is about more than just saving bricks and mortar, and it is not just about the past. It is taking responsibility for saving special places and the quality of life they offer the people who live there. It has to do with the way individuals, families and communities come together to celebrate their heritage and plan for the future. Knowing that a place matters is knowing that its people matter, too.

Why did Winter Park include historic preservation in the Land Development Code?

We live in an era and environment of change. In the last few decades,Winter Park has grown from a small town to a bustling urban village surrounded by one of the highest growth areas in America. During that time several historic resources were lost, some historic neighborhoods experienced incompatible new construction while a state of decline damaged others.Winter Park’s unique character and outstanding quality of life attracts exciting prospects for our future.The local historic preservation policy provides an opportunity for Winter Park and its residents to preserve the character and quality that drew residents and businesses to the city in the first place, and to restore ageing neighborhoods.

What is historic about Winter Park?

Winter Park’s historic properties include both imposing estates and modest bungalow neighborhoods. Grove houses and winter cottages date from the early development years of Winter Park in the late 1800s.The Park Avenue commercial area contains several historic buildings built before 1950. The Florida Land Boom of the 1920s shaped many of the city’s traditional neighborhoods. Winter Park has a rich variety of vintage architectural styles. The city has recorded over 700 historic structures representing slightly less than 5 percent of our commercial buildings and 7 percent of our residential buildings. It is these buildings and their settings that give the city its unique character.

What does the preservation ordinance do?

The preservation ordinance:

a. Establishes a Historic Preservation Commission (HPC), whose members offer knowledge and expertise about preservation methods to the City Commission and citizens,

b. States standard criteria for determining if and why a building, district or neighborhood is historic and procedures for property owners who want their building, district or neighborhood designated,

c. Establishes a Winter Park Register of Historic Places for locally designated buildings, districts and neighborhoods,

d. Offers incentives for owners of designated historic buildings and for owners in historic districts and neighborhoods,

e. Provides for design review policies for the rehabilitation of, and additions to, designated historic buildings,

f. Sets procedures for owners in districts and neighborhoods to participate in developing design review guidelines, and

g. Enables the city to participate in the Certified Local Government Program, which provides funding, educational and technical assistance for preservation programs.

What makes a property, neighborhood or district significant?

Generally, the property must be 50 years old and possess architectural, aesthetic or historical value.The Winter Park HPC uses the National Register of Historic Places criteria as it applies to local history as a guide. The historic value is judged by identifying specific criteria such as an:

a. Association with events that have taken place over the course of time, including our local pattern of development,

b. Association with a person(s) who has contributed to our history,

c. Association with a master architect or builder, or that expresses architectural distinction,

d. Or has yielded or is likely to yield information about our history or prehistory (archaeological history).

How could I designate my historic property?

The property owner, the Historic Preservation Commission, or a City Commission member who believes that the property meets the criteria for historic designation may submit nominations of individual landmarks to the HPC. Every individual nomination must have the written authorization of the property owner. A petition signed by 20% of the property owners in a potential historic district or neighborhood is required to trigger meetings to discuss the goals and boundaries for the area.When consensus has been established to move ahead, owners will be polled and a two-thirds vote of all the owners in support of district or neighborhood is required for designation.

What will it cost to be designated?

There are no fees for historic designation or design review and variances needed for alterations and additions.

How long does historic designation last?

The designation lasts as long as the property exists or until the property is so irreversibly altered that it no longer possesses those qualities that originally contributed to its significance. Thus if a designated individual landmark building is destroyed by storm or fire, the designation will be removed.

What can the Historic Preservation Commission do for me?

By designating historic districts, neighborhoods and individual landmarks, the HPC helps retain and protect the character of the city’s architectural past for residents both in the present and in the future.The HPC review process can help guard against inappropriate new construction or exterior renovations in your neighborhood. By doing this, the visual historic nature of your district is assured and property values are enhanced.The HPC can grant variances within the historic pattern of the property and/or district, which allow additions and alterations to your non-conforming buildings and lots.These variances are permitted through the HPC design review process because your property is in a historic district or is an individually designated property.

Can I build a new building in a historic district and does it have to be a particular style?

Yes, new construction can take place, and no, it does not have to imitate historic architecture. New construction should complement, reinforce and respect the traditional patterns of a historic district.To be successful, infill design should pick up significant themes such as height, materials, roof form, massing, setback, and the rhythm of openings to insure that a new building harmonizes with its context and setting. New construction in a historic district may receive variances from the Land Development Code through the HPC review process in order for new development to appropriately fit into the existing historic pattern.

Will historic designation prevent me from making repairs and changes to my home that I wish to make?

Changes to historic properties are allowed and the HPC looks for their compatibility with the existing architecture. For example, it is recommended that additions be located on secondary facades and that they be in scale and character with the existing architecture. Character-defining features should not be changed, destroyed, or obscured. Historic properties are often non-conforming to the Land Development Code and thus, additions and changes may require variances.The HPC can grant variances that may be needed for appropriate changes and additions to historic properties as part of the review process.

Does designation affect my property taxes?

Historic designation is not a consideration in setting property valuations.

How does designation affect the value of my property?

A review of assessed values of historic properties in Florida has shown that historic preservation helps to maintain property values. Residential buyers appreciate the unique, authentic character and materials of historic properties, and understand the value of protective measures afforded by local designation as a means to ensure the stability of that community. Commercial buildings and areas have found that the irreplaceable quality and features of historic buildings and public places attract tenants and customers.

Does the historic preservation ordinance affect my property zoning?

No. Historic designation acts as an overlay to the existing zoning.

Would designation mean that I have to restore my house or commercial property?

No. Designation does not require owners to restore or make changes to their property.

Will interior remodeling of a designated structure be reviewed?

No. Historic property owners will, however, want to be aware of the value of some desirable interior features such as heart pine floors, fixtures, cypress paneling and built-in elements that they may wish to preserve or reuse in their remodeling.

How do I acquire further information and contact the Historic Preservation Division?

City Hall Planning Department

401 Park Avenue South

Winter Park, Florida 32789

Call 407-599-3498

E-mail [email protected]

Log on www.cityofwinterpark.org

Departments > Planning> Historic Preservation