Tour Stop Nine: 374 Grant Park Pl. SE
Chesley Lowe, Vivian Lowe, Chesley Lowe Jr., and Brander Lowe
Built in 1905, this New South Cottage has undergone several changes over its lifetime, including a period when it was used as a duplex. Photos from this time show a second front door located where the stained glass is now.
Visitors walking down the main hallway might notice a line in the flooring just before the kitchen, evidence of the home’s original, smaller footprint. When it was first built, the house was listed at 202 South Avenue and was square-shaped (it is now very much a rectangle!). In 2001, the house was reunited and renovated by three separate contractors, who removed all of the original plaster walls and molding. Today, its heart pine floors are believed to be the only original feature that remains.
One feature that often draws attention is the retracting kitchen window. It slides fully into the wall and opens to an exterior sitting bar, operated by a garage-door mechanism hidden in the ceiling. A porch and backyard retaining wall were also added.
The house was significantly expanded in the past year, going from a 3-bedroom, 2-bath structure to a 5-bedroom, 3-bath layout with just over 3,000 square feet. Exterior updates during the renovation included rewrapping the chimneys in brick and adding cedar shingles with a geometric pattern between the new upstairs dormers.
Inside, the staircase was constructed in the dining room to preserve the wide central hallway, and a wall was removed to create a larger kitchen and eating area. The house also features a double-sided fireplace between the kitchen and living room, an office door concealed within a bookcase for a little “Scooby-Doo” moment, and interior stained-glass transom panels made by Lowe's.
A fun fact: The family placed a time capsule in a wall during the recent renovation, containing documents, photos, and notes about the neighborhood, as well as a mention of blueprints hidden inside the newel post - Hopefully a treat for the house’s future homeowners to discover one day!