by John Griffin
The only regret about the Lenox
School conversion is that you now use the side entrance, not the front --
though tucking parking away to the side and not bespoiling the east lawn
with asphalt is a very smart move. This also allowed the main entry to be
redeveloped as a private courtyard for residents. But marching daily up
to and through that enormous arched entry must have portended the great
treasures to be gleaned here. It still suggests the great spaces inside
available since the 1983 renovation as residential condos.
Fourteen-foot ceilings. Need more be said? How about 9-foot windows? These immense schoolrooms that once echoed with the hubbub of children are now hushed with carpeted sleeping lofts overlooking elegantly tall living spaces. Kitchen, laundry, and entry are all placed in what were the immense halls of the school, still leaving ample room for residential corridors.
The school was built in 1909. It's a textbook example of Romanesque design elements. Octagonal columns with interlacing foliage-carved capitals support a wide, rounded arch. A parapeted roof crowns this entry with eagles sitting both at the sides and top. The side walls are accented with more limestone carvings, as well as belt courses, and likewise finished with parapeted endwalls. It's an assemblage rich in detail.
The 1983 renovation included both this 1909 building and a 1920s building. Two rows of new townhouse units were constructed around a court in the rear. It is one of the units in the oldest and grandest building that is now for sale.
This unit is more loft than apartment. The very high ceilings allow the sleeping, dressing, and bath to be raised substantially above the main floor level (with the bonus of lots of storage underneath). Half-height walls around this sleeping area leave the large-scale room visually open while providing plenty of privacy.
Both the sleeping loft and the living and dining room share the views from the enormous windows. As befits a building of this scale, the ample grounds and the old trees create an estate setting. Newer sweeps of shrubs like azaleas and wax myrtle provide screening and seasonal interest. It would be wise to establish more younger trees now to continue this feel for the future.
The kitchen deserves special mention, as it is
anything but an afterthought. It is created from part of the original wide
halls and still gleams with old pine floors. The space enjoys the same tall
ceilings, which is an unexpected delight. There are high windows here, which,
in addition to glass-fronted wall cabinets, give this long gallery layout
a lot of sparkle. It's these kinds of extras that make this conversion definitely
a graduate with honors.
519 South Edgewood, #201
Approximately 1,000 square feet
1 bdrm, 1 bath; $63,000
FSBO: Chris and Sandy Connell, 278-4148