Hein Park was laid out in 1925 adjacent to the 100 acres purchased by Southwest Presbyterian University, which was relocating from Clarksville, Tennessee. The new school, now Rhodes College, was designed in the Gothic Revival style to resemble Oxford (and that’s not Mississippi).
The residential subdivision was cast in the supporting role of rural English village. Streets did not follow the urban grid but wandered over hill and dale.
Houses were scaled from small to large to attract an economic cross-section, but not to be too egalitarian, homes were grouped with the largest fronting North Parkway and adjacent to the campus.
Of course, the houses, like the campus, needed a touch of Olde England and, thus, the popularity of the Tudor Revival in the neighborhood. There’s practically a textbook here on the picturesque use of masonry. Mixing stucco, stone, and brick suggested age and even the possibility of repairs made by subsequent generations using varying materials.
This house on the eastern edge of Hein Park was built in 1926. Though not of manorial scale, it doesn’t omit any of the popular decorative touches of the style. Limestone sheaths the ground floor with stucco and half-timbering above. There’s even a little irregular castellated stonework above the arches of the entry porch and the porte cochere. A cast-stone plaque on the chimney sports a bas-relief of deer, the street address, and the name “Deer Lodge.” All that’s wanting is a small gatehouse and a long, winding drive.
The current owner, in residence since 1996, has been busy. The wall between kitchen and dining was removed. The original Geneva cabinets are plentiful and in perfect shape with all their custom features, like cutting board, cup hooks, and bread box. The sink and immediate surround are stainless steel with an integral drainboard on both sides. The other original cabinets have stylish, black, ceramic-tile tops and splash. Two new sections of cabinets have charcoal soapstone salvaged from U.T. lab tables.
The centerpiece of this spacious kitchen is a vintage O’Keefe and Merritt stove from 1957, with six burners, a griddle, and a warming shelf. (Viking, eat your heart out.) A soffit over one new counter holds recessed work lights. Two high-style 1920s ceiling fixtures finish off the retro look.
The living room, with its two arched inset cabinets and cozy library feel, seems the more logical place for a big dining room. There’s even a fireplace with its original surround of Tennessee marble. The mantel’s a tad Colonial and something with more heft would be more appropriate. Certainly the original dining area, open to the kitchen, is now the preferred gathering spot.
Two bedrooms and a full bath complete the ground floor. A large basement has ample work and laundry areas. Upstairs is the master suite. The master bath has been recently expanded. The new room was tiled and a tall vanity and spa tub were added, as well as ample linen storage. A rear dormer adds headroom and allows big windows to look out over the large backyard. But smartly placed, high windows on the front and the side permit cross-ventilation and natural light that any Anglophile would cherish.
575 Trezevant
1,660 square feet, 3 bedrooms, 2 baths; $168,000
Realtor: Sowell & Co., 278-4380, Agents: Donna Giluly, 246-8951
Judy Childress, 277-3321
