The Veillard House in downtown St Petersburg, Florida, has had an interesting history. It was built in 1901 and designed by Henry DuPont for Ralph and Minnie Veillard. Veillard had a farm supply business/general storeand was in local politics. Originally from Laval, France, he came to St Pete via Canada, Baltimore and Ocala. DuPont designed several St Petersburg buildings, the most noteworth being the Don ceSar Hotel. He did not design a lot, as he stayed small with only a few draftsmen - he did his own electrical and mechanical drawings.
The crenelated or rusticated concrete blocks are typical of the St Petersburg homes built between 1900 and 1915. Most are gray concrete color, so this pink-brown tone (brownstone) is unique to the area. It has some elements of the bungalow style (note the overhang on the roof and the exposed roof rafters, the wide front porch and large windows on the main level) and others of the Queen Anne (the hexagonal tower barely visible on the right). The gable ends have half-timber ornamentation. This two story home is said to have 4,600 sq ft and does not have a garage.
In the late 1970s the house was going to be torn down so that retirement apartments could be built. Instead, it was purchased by Francis Pruitt and moved two blocks to its present location. It is one of very few single family homes left in downtown. It was leased to the Junior League, and later held general offices. It was purchased in 2006 by Blake Whitney Thompson, a local developer.
The roof appears to be slate tiles, but it's actually a GREEN roof - it's made of "rubber" tiles, actually a new material called Thermal Poly Olefine (TPO) from recycled polyethylene, polypropylene and EPDM rubber, and also has UV protection against our heavy sun. These roof tiles have a 50 year warranty, look like expensive roofing, but cost only slightly more than asphalt shingles.
The corner home is surrounded on two sides by the Huntington Townhomes, so it's unlikely it will ever be dwarfed by a highrise.
Ines, usually I don't like "mashups" of styles, but somehow this comes together as an attractive, appealing house. Perhaps the dark colors help.
I actually thought of buying this house in '05-'06 when it was on the market for $700,000. It's right in downtown, has historic value, and I thought would be a great graphic for my office. However, the interior layout just wouldn't work for offices, without destroying the integrity of the house (unless we wanted to just use the bedrooms upstairs, which I didn't), but most important, there wasn't enough parking. There was just a narrow concrete driveway that would hold two cars, one behind the other - not enough for four of us on the team, much less our customers. Also, I had concerns about the expense and appearance of making it handicapped accessible. Oh, well, I just admire it every day I drive by.
Ines - couldn't be better said!
Cynthia - Me, too. I hate to see any home, but especially a beautiful and/or historic one left to deteriorate.
this is the best building in town but you guys complain about the dumbest things