CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – The Dunlop House is here to stay after the Clarksville-Montgomery County Historic Zoning Commission and Common Design Review Board unanimously voted against demolition.
The applicant, George Terrell, had requested permission to demolish the house at 517 Madison St. on behalf of the agent, Jennfier Willoughby. Willoughby planned to build a multi-use development, including apartments.
While making her case to the board on Monday, Willoughby pointed out that the Dunlop House was not listed on the National Register of Historic Places. She also said the apartments would help boost the local economy, while impacting the lives of hundreds of families.
When asked, she admitted that a structural engineer had not looked over the property to inspect the infrastructure of the house. However, she told the board that based on her estimates, renovations would cost somewhere between $1.5 and $2 million.
Willoughby said that at one point, renovations were attempted but they were never finished. She said no one had lived in the house for quite some time, and the house has been for sale for 15 years.
Jennifer’s husband, Joseph Willoughby, said he understood the sensitivity of the project, but their family has done a lot of good for this community, including bringing to life other historic buildings. Jennifer Willoughby was the developer who saved the 1830 Methodist Church building from destruction and renovated it to become Sanctuary on Main. She built the apartment complex across the street from the Dunlop House.
Joseph Willoughby said it wasn’t easy to come to terms with the conclusion of the project, but it sits on 1 acre of CBID (Central Business Improvement District) property, and it’s surrounded by commercial property. He said they’d be willing to sell the house itself for $1 if someone were willing to move it. Those who spoke after him said that would be next to impossible.
Speaking against
Fran Swartz said she is interested in buying the property herself and turning it into a museum. She said the for-sale sign didn’t go up until about two years ago, which is the reason she never got a chance to make an offer.
She said a group of buyers are now interested in helping her preserve the property.
Don Sharpe said he worked on historic homes for around 42 years before retiring. He said that before coming into the meeting, he drove around the Dunlop House and saw that the exterior looked as though it was in good shape.
“It would be pitiful to tear this property down,” Sharpe said.
Jennifer Rudolph said there’s a wealth of information about the Dunlop House and its creator. She said the original architect, Russell Eason Hart, had helped develop the Hermitage Hotel, the Governor’s Mansion in Nashville and the Ryman Auditorium.
Rudolph also said she had spoken with associates at WOLD, the firm that Hart had worked for, and she said they, too, are heavily interested in buying the property.
She asked the board to deny the application based on their duties to preserve and protect historical properties in Clarksville. Rudolph added that the board has to protect these properties from encroachment as well.
Officials, board members weigh in
The director of the Regional Planning Commission, Jeffery Tyndall, clarified that the Dunlop House is not part of the historic overlay. Rather, the board has to vote based off the criteria of the downtown urban design overlay.
“These guidelines are intended to preserve and enhance the special character of the Downtown Overlay District by encouraging rehabilitation and new construction that is sensitive to the existing urban form and historic character,” Tyndall said.
“The guidelines recognize that no single architectural style predominates, and the guidelines allow for creativity in the design of individual buildings. However, there are certain established urban design and architectural principles shared by most properties within the district that give it a cohesive character and strong sense of place.”
Tyndall told those in attendance that demolition projects within the overlay are usually decided at a staff level, unless the design review coordinator tags the project as a contributing building.
“When the application came in last month, we knew right away that this would have to go to the board as a contributing building. By ‘contributing,’ we mean contributing to the overall downtown historic feel,” Tyndall said.
Commissioner John Gannon shared two similar demolition projects that the board had dealt with previously. While he voted no on each, the projects were approved, and he regretted the board’s decision ever since.
He described one of the projects of leaving a “sore spot in his heart.”
Board members unanimously voted down the demolition project.
