Washington Street Lofts-Best Upper Floor Redevelopment 2014
The Washington Street Lofts are two approximately 700 SF loft apartments that were created on the top floor of the 646 Washington Street building. Built in 1901, this historic building was originally the home of the Bank of Leaksville. Prior to the current renovation, the upper floor consisted of a simple loft apartment in the back of the building. The front half was comprised of four rooms in their original layout of the building. Horsehair plaster, original, badly damaged pine floors and windows, and three evolutions of electrical wiring were just some of the issues to be addressed prior to the renovation. There was no plumbing in the front half of the building and the floors and ceilings sagged.
The loft project created two separate apartments. New electrical, plumbing, HVAC, drywall and custom framing were part of the rehabilitation of this historic building. The renovation was submitted for a This Old House Magazine Renovation award for 2014. Out of 200 entries, the Washington Street Lofts came in at No. 5 for the contest. The cost of the rehabilitation exceeded $35,000 but the owner did most of the work himself.