How adorable is today’s 1835 Federal fixer-upper?! At first I thought it was a tiny house, but then I took a look around and noticed that there’s actually over 6,000 square feet to play with here. You can find it sittin’ pretty on historic West 6th Street in Columbia, Tennessee. Less than an hour’s drive from Nashville, this town boasts James K. Polk, the 11th President of the United States, as one of its most famous residents. Read on to see why I can imagine myself spending many a happy hour getting to know this Tennessee brick belle.
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AN ELEGANT ENTRANCE
The first thing that caught my eye on this house was its dramatic entrance portico. Isn’t that something? I could be wrong, but it seems like a later 19th century addition with its fanciful scrollwork at the top. It all leads to a beautiful wood door with a great fanlight transom and sidelights. Those 12-over-12 windows with colonette dividers are also quite special, and one even still has its sidelights. And don’t forget to be proud of that historical marker out front!
FLEMISH BOND!
It’s no secret that I love old brick houses, so naturally I was quite taken with this little beauty the second I saw the listing. If you study some of these photos closely, you’ll notice the brick on the front façade is laid in Flemish bond (learn more over at CIRCA School!). This tells me that a well-to-do family was very likely the original owner of this house, and I bet if you head on over to the local historical society you could dig up some great history.
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WARM ON THE INSIDE
Even though there aren’t too many photos of the inside of this home, I can tell there are some great mantels that would keep me warm and toasty this winter! I particularly love the elegant looking one in the unfinished room with its paired colonettes at each end. It fits just perfectly with those window casings complete with bullseye details at the corners. I’d love to see what that one-story nook at the back of the house looks like…
MYSTERIES ABOUND
This home is located in the West 6th Street Historic District, and I’m SO curious to learn more about it! Based on what I can see, it almost seems as if a few old buildings have been combined into one over the years or there have been a series of additions. There’s a second stately portico at the side of the house that may have been the original entranceway. And the one-story portion at the rear could have formerly been a separate servants’ quarters. Hmm, can you tell I would be spending many happy hours here trying to figure this one out?
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Ready to roll up your sleeves? Click through here to see the full listing!
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AUTHOR AMANDA DAVIS
Amanda is an historic preservationist living in New York City with a particular fondness for fixer-uppers. She can be spotted checking out quirky historic details here, there, and everywhere in her handmade dresses. Every time Amanda sees a cozy room with large windows and beautiful built-ins she can’t help but imagine her very own sewing nook with oldies music playing in the background.
