DURHAM -- When Jonathan and Emily Cates purchased their home at 311 E. Trinity Ave. in January 2006, they saw little more than an investment opportunity. At the time, the 3600-square-foot structure was divided into the four apartments as it had been since 1965.
They certainly could have never imagined that only ten months later, they would start a two-year journey to bring the Craftsman-Traditional-style structure back to its original glory.
Shortly after buying the 1915 structure, the couple found themselves inexplicably drawn to the property and the neighborhood as they started hanging out in the single vacant apartment on the weekends. After careful planning, they decided to let the remaining leases run out, sell their Pittsboro home and move in, declaring that the "neighborhood deserved more."
In October 2006, John and Emily hosted a "Brunch & Bust" party for their adopted Trinity family and demolition on the house began -- beginning with the wall that divided the foyer and stairwell in half. It was the tip of the iceberg.
Before they purchased the house, the Cateses could not get the structural engineer to sign-off on the property, and the transformation did not come without structural hazards. Brick piers and a skirt wall around the foundation contained cracks and shifting, a problem exacerbated by attempted repairs in the 1980s. The house had actually drifted slightly downhill and needed to be lifted completely off its piers.
While the rear of the house was being lifted it started to separate from the rest of the structure with the contractors yelling "run for your lives!" Thankfully the back of the house was able to be pulled back and reattached and now a state-of-the art kitchen opens up to an expansive back yard and a full-width rear deck.
Many of the home's original features were salvaged, including its clapboard siding, decorative windows, beadboard, bungalow-style porch posts, and dentil molding around the eaves. Inside, original mantles and tilework were repaired and the main stairwell newel and balluster rebuilt. An antique candy counter serves as the kitchen island, side-by-side with the repaired and reinstalled original pantry/hutch. All plumbing was removed and replaced and upstairs, space was reconfigured to make room for a master bath and closet, laundry room, and guest bath.
