THE PRESERVATION PROJECT

With the Bay area in an absolute home frenzy, Access caught up with established builders Geoffrey and Jared Cochran for a fascinating local history lesson. It’s so engaging, we’ve decided to follow the progress of this historical Olde Towne Daphne home renovation to share what a project of this magnitude is all about. From the sordid termite tales to the fascinating Civil War details, we invite you on this journey. Take your front row seat next to the historical mantel as we tackle molding challenges, floor matching and so much more, right to the very end. We promise you’ll keep you coming back whether you love old homes or are considering a renovation
or a new build of your own. First up? An introduction to the home and all-star team.

By Hayley Hill Photos Layla Lambert, L-egantPortraits.com

When it comes to the history of the Bay area, Louis Craig Roberts, aka Craig, is not only a trusted source, he’s in the center of it all. Debonair, worldly, and oh-so-charming, Craig is one of the top architects in demand for transforming past structures into functional gems.  Imagining him in his element would most likely conjure up an image of a royal descendent donning a perfectly wooly sweater burrowed into a wingback chair surrounded by books and architectural drawings next to a historically significant fireplace roaring with flames. There may even be a pipe involved. He is everything. Why? In his hands (and head), he holds our history.

 And, historically speaking, the Bay is flooded with significant and just plain fascinating structures and stories. Indisputably in a growth spurt in our area, it’s important to share these stories of yore with new and established residents as they risk being lost. Also, knowing these stories adds so much pleasure to living here and it just makes us all feel a bit smarter, right?

 For Olde Towne Daphne homeowners Amy and Matt McDonald, honoring history played a big role in their current home renovation project that they never wanted. With two young daughters, Amy and Matt excitedly took ownership of their move-in-ready Bayfront dream home in 2015. Nestled on a picturesque lot with a magical view and room to grow in, they had found their forever home. And for three years, life happily hummed along until the dream became a nightmare.

 Sound dramatic? Perhaps, but listening to Amy and Matt tell the story of how termites literally ate their home from the inside out is truly the stuff of night terrors. Fast forward to today and the couple is hard at work with their carefully curated team of local experts. All committed to returning the home to its former glory, this project is far from complete.

With its fascinating past, attention to every detail is being considered in the name of preservation. Now referred to as the Cullum-Lea-Caffey home, the exact date of its origin is fuzzy but experts place it around 1846 and confirm it to be one of the oldest homes in the area. It’s listed by the Alabama Historical Commission as one of the finest representations of a Gulf Coast Greek Revival cottage, which has also landed it on the National Register of Historic Places.  The name is a combination of the few families that have called it home over time.

As most know, the port of Mobile saw a lot of action during the Civil War. Perfectly positioned, Point Clears’ Grand Hotel was turned into a base hospital for Confederate soldiers. It was even guarded by the 21st Alabama Infantry. With its Bay access and proximity to The Grand Hotel, the Cullum-Lea-Caffey home went from family abode to triage center. Treating emergency wounds of soldiers pulled from battle, the homes long shutters were even used as stretchers to quickly carry the wounded from the Bay to the home in hopefully enough time to stabilize the patients until they could be sent down-river to The Grand Hotel for further medical attention and recovery.

As you walk the vast property between the Bay and the home, you can imagine the frenzied soldiers running about where there now lies a breathtaking pool and outdoor entertainment area. The property even boasts one of the oldest and tallest China Fir trees that was planted around 1880. Historically recognized, it even receives visitors of its own. The fact all this is in the McDonalds’ backyard is as astounding as the land’s original $391 price tag in 1845.

Clearly a local treasure, the McDonalds took this challenge seriously and chose the talented building duo Geoffrey and Jared Cochran, who in turn presented the team just right for a project of this significance. As brothers and owners of the esteemed Cochran Builders Inc., they specialize in high-end architectural home builds and large renovations around the Bay area and Gulf Coast. “It gives us a sense of pride to add our name to a property that was built before we were even thought of. Historical projects are both fun and challenging as we can’t go rogue on even the smallest detail. Having an architect with a background in historical homes on the team is key,” Jared tells us.

 Enter Craig. Committing to just one to three projects per year, Craig brings with him his unmatched architectural skills and historical knowledge and connections with historical societies. This is important since every piece of the home carries significance and all changes must be approved by various organizations. “Chosen for his extensive work with historical homes, Craig’s love of local history and the fact he’s on the Architectural Review Board for the Mobile Historic Development Commission means he is probably one of the most valuable historians we have left on the Gulf Coast. His comprehensive knowledge and his contacts, not only locally, but nationally, are invaluable to projects of this magnitude,” Geoffrey shares.

 In total agreement, Jared adds, “Craig ensures the history and integrity of this home will be preserved. There were so many questions to address before the planning could even begin—is it on the national registry, where are the records, how do we get approvals, what’s allowed, etc. Obviously more complicated than a new build, the finished product will be more than worth it. As builders, we’re witnessing firsthand how things were done before all the technology we have at our fingertips today. Those builders were definitely talented craftsmen. Used to big projects, taking apart this home and putting it back together is a big challenge, but it’s what we love to do. Making sure all the termites and damaged wood are removed has been the main task so far.”

 Visiting the home opened our eyes to the level of planning and craftmanship this renovation requires. Looking like a typical job site, we were wowed by a board with samples of the salvaged original moldings created to ensure all new moldings are replicated exactly as they were all those years ago. “Deas Millworks has been a big part of this project. We wanted to preserve everything we possibly could and his vast knowledge of working with old moldings and windows with weights and fixing any damage to the doors without replacing them has been invaluable.  We can’t just go to the store and find the same materials that were used in the 1800s. Having a great millwork company like Deas to help remake these old pieces is key,” Jared states.

 If all goes to plan, the McDonalds will be back in their home in a year’s time. Knowing the importance of including an interior designer in the planning stages, Amy chose Courtney Malouf. A local talent the Cochran brothers have enjoyed working with for many years, Geoffrey shares, “Having Courtney on board has been great. You need an interior designer like her to help throughout this extensive build as many design elements can impact building decisions.” Happy with the way her home was, Amy adds, “Courtney and I are refreshing many of our furnishings while planning for the return of several family favorites like the grand piano that sits in the long grand entrance between the front door and back door.”

 Humble, kind, and defined by the relationships they build with their clients, Geoffrey and Jared agree that the McDonalds are great clients because they know exactly what they want. “While they want everything new, it’s vital to them that the home remains historically correct. And they will have that as we’ve been able to repurpose a lot and, in the end, it will be the same home they loved made from the best (and termite resistant) materials.”

 As for the temperature so far? The McDonalds and the team appear to be in good spirits and tackling the hurdles like champs. Excited for what’s to come—check-ins on how the McDonalds are handling the chaos, expenses, and never-ending decision making, to seeing how new floors are made the old way, and of course to how all of this is going to come together beautifully decorated with no battle scars, we hope you’ll not only stay tuned but buckle up and enjoy the ride, too. 

Cochran Builders Inc. | 251.423.9686 | Cochran_Jeff@BellSouth.net CochranBuildersInc.com

L. Craig Roberts, Architect, AIA 146 Westfield Avenue, Mobile, | 251.343.6107 LCraigRoberts.com LCraigRoberts@aol.com