718 Ohio Street Detached Garage

Fascinating architecture and local history are evident to anyone walking the sidewalks of neighborhoods located within Lawrence’s original urban core. The same is true of alleys and the structures along them. Tim and Alee Phillips spent 2020 doing a full rehab of the little house at 718 Ohio, but this year they turned to the detached structure out back, with the goal of using it as a 1½- car garage. After consulting with city Historic Resources Administrator Lynne Zollner and knowing about the availability of Kansas’ 25 percent historic tax credit, they decided to tackle this second rehab project.

718 OHIO DETACHED GARAGE

The house was built in 1910, but evidence uncovered during its rehab suggests a portion of it is older. The date of the detached structure is unknown. Longtime neighbors told the Phillips that the previous owner, Henry Johnson, had stored an old car in it for as long as they could recall—but no garage door opening was evident. When the panel and batt siding was removed to uncover original siding underneath, an opening on the west wall was revealed that was similar to the still-existing barn door on the east (alley) side.

The cracked foundation slab was removed, revealing that the original sill plate was laid on stacked bricks. That forced the couple to increase the concrete portion of their budget for a more substantial alternative.

COURTESY OF ALEE PHILLIPS

Hickory Ridge Construction (Matt Mozier, principal), the same contractor that did the rehab work on the house, performed all the carpentry work. New framing supports were added, and new cypress drop siding installed in areas where previous siding had been removed or was not salvageable. Matt relied on Woodhaven in Perry, Kansas to provide an expert match to the profile of the original material. Spyderart was the concrete contractor. Mike Myers of Hernly Associates provided architectural services.

A fun aspect of the project is that the barn door, with original hardware refurbished by Tim and Alee, still functions, though it does have a full wall behind it and is no longer an opening to the structure.

Stories of our history are embedded in structures both magnificent and humble. Humble stories are often most vulnerable to being lost over time, due to their nature. LPA appreciates this effort that preserves those stories for a modest alley structure while providing a daily function for a modern family.