VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — For developer Katie Denton, home is where the heart is, especially when it comes to preserving the charm of historic homes in Virginia Beach. With a focus on restoration, Denton believes that many of these houses have sturdy “bones,” but recreating them can be an expensive endeavor.
Denton asserts that each home has its own story. “Every house has its own story. I feel like it’s a curation process,” she explained. Part of this process involves building a deep understanding of the property.
“I find a property, I study it. I live and breathe the property and spend a lot of time learning the house,” she said.
Her work encompasses preservation, restoration, construction, and design. Denton’s most recent project is a two-story brick colonial house built in 1965, located in the North End neighborhood, just a block from the Cavalier Hotel and the beach.
“We had to fix up the crawl space, and then we opened up some walls which meant we had to put in three steel beams,” Denton said.
The renovations go beyond structural repairs. “This house is going to have all brand new windows, the HVAC is brand new, we’re including two new water heaters, and the kitchen will be brand new with new cabinets and appliances and a brand new roof,” she added.
Denton’s organization,Bees Nees, aims to give each home a second chance by preserving and protecting assets that would be hard to replace if the home were to be bulldozed.
“The bones are incredible: the original hardwood floors, the brick walls, the two original fireplaces,” she noted.
Denton pointed out that many features from 1965 are nearly impossible to find or are very expensive to replace. “A lot of these products put in in 1965, it's nearly impossible to find them or it’s very, very expensive to re-purpose them. For example, the original slate floor; another example is the original copper piping in the plumbing. It’s very expensive to replace that, so we are preserving those pieces.”
Bernice Pope, a resident of the neighborhood for 45 years and a member of the Historic Review Board, emphasizes the benefits of preservation.
“Especially in this neighborhood, there are benefits to preserving these homes. We’re listed on the National and State Registers of Historic Places. It doesn’t mean you can’t tear the house down because it’s a historic destination, but the city offers tax abatement programs, and you can always qualify if you apply,” Pope said.
Denton anticipates that the renovations will be completed by mid-May and looks forward to showcasing the final product.
“It’s not just important for the home but for the neighborhood,” she said.
To learn more about Bees Nees click the link, here.
