Burt Carvings | Custom Handrail | Historic Charm | DuBose Remodel Historic Charm My good friend John Shoneman of Dovetail Construction approached me to design a garage with workspace and storage along with a porch/covered entry/pergola for Kate Faherty in the Historic District of Hillsborough, N.C. As design jobs go this one was pretty easy as both John and Kate had very clear ideas about what they wanted. It was my task to provide the numbers and work out the detailing on paper. We did have a number of meetings where I presented the drawings to John and Kate as they evolved. This was a very enjoyable design by committee. Being in the Historic District presented some issues as the design had to be reviewed before building could be started. Our plans were quickly accepted and Kate eventually received an award from the Hillsborough Historic Society for projects in keeping with the goals of the Historic Society. I had received this same award for work I did at the Still Lott House of Wally and Leah Burt. The garage was a replacement for one that was on its last legs and wasn't going to last much longer. The new one is larger with two separate storage areas and a workspace for Kate who is an avid gardener. One of the few touches that I added was a small bump out on the south side that provided a desk area and broke up the linear aspect and provided a little depth to the project. The style is very much in the Craftsman mode with wooden shingles, exposed rafter tails and nicely detailed garage and entry doors. The porch area provided something that Kate really wanted which is a covered entry for her kitchen door. The south side of the porch provides a nice sitting area with views of the gardens and sunsets. The north side is a planter that covers a set of stairs that goes to the basement. The design of the rockwork and columns is almost a duplicate of the existing covered porch. The pergola and covered entry is pretty much John's design while I worked out the heights for the connections to the house and roof and the porch elevations and detailing. John and his fellow craftsmen did a great job in executing the work. And as you can see, Kate has done a wonderful job integrating the work with her beautiful gardens. Custom Homes | Solar | Restoration | Woodworking | Techniques | About Us | Testimonials | Home Click above to see the Historic Charm slideshow.