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Altizer House, 324 Washington Avenue, Roanoke 3

(This set on the Altizer House contains 11 photos) These photos are creative commons images, which you may freely use by providing a link to this page. Please respect the photographer and his work.

 

The Altizer House is located at the corner of Washington Avenue and Franklin Road in Roanoke, Virginia. The large city lot of over 1/2 acre permitted photos from all facades, starting at entrance and moving to the right façade on around the structure. Built apparently in 1925 (the NRHP nomination form gives date of circa 1910), this Colonial Revival style house has features typical of that architectural style, especially the 2-story front portico, the nod to classicism in the columns, and in the use of pedimented gables throughout.

 

Constructed of brick in a stretched bond pattern, the 3-bay 2 1/2 story house (with basement) is painted white. Today the building is multi-purposes with commercial offices. Information on square footage is inconsistent from various internet sources with 5,699 to 7,037 square feet given. The larger number may include the detached unit separated from the main house by a paved parking lot.

 

The most distinctive feature is the elliptical 2-story portico (in the central bay of the front) with a roof supported by two fluted columns and two fluted pilasters; a sort-of Corinthian capital is used in these support units. The gable roof contains three dormers on the front façade, all pedimented with 6 over 6 pane windows. Two unadorned internal chimneys are visible from the front, and two additional internal chimneys are at the rear. Below the cornice on all facades are block modillions.

 

The front entry is a single-leaf wood door with 6 recessed panels of varying sizes. Above the door is a large semicircular transom with sunburst motif, and to the sides are tall sidelights with ornamental design. Very slender mock columns separate the sidelights from main façade and from the door. A small roofless wraparound porch extends from the portico; it consists of turned balusters with short, squat rectangular porch posts between.

 

Fenestration throughout shows windows of various sizes with 9/1, 6/1 and 12/1 panes. An involved gable window on the side façade to the left of the front has an involved tripartite division with a vertical orientation. Each façade has an architectural element that creates an uneven plane--from the portico on the front to a gabled extension on one side, a complex mass of extensions at the rear (including a wood terrace) and an additional 3 story element on another side, of the basement is included. There are several lower-level entrances at the rear.

 

Separated from main house by a parking lot is a smaller unit of 1 1/2 stories with a pedimented front gable entrance and a side gable with partial returns.

 

The Altizer House is included in the Southwest Historic District of Roanoke, Virginia. The district was added to the National Register of Historic Places June 19, 1985 with reference ID #85001349. The 195 page form is online at Virginia Department of Historic Resources www.dhr.virginia.gov/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/128-0049_... The district has a boundary increase in 2020 (listed December 3, 2020) and that information is at www.dhr.virginia.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/128-6472_...

 

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Uploaded on May 8, 2023
Taken on June 27, 2014