Tax Credit Program Highlight: Svenska Kullen

Austin, Travis County

1891

Designation	Listed in National Register as part of Swedish Hill Historic District
Historic Use	Single family home
Current Use	Bed and Breakfast
Total Rehabilitation Cost	$173,360
Qualified Rehabilitation Expenses	$145,000
Date Certified	October 23, 2019
	Also certified for federal tax credits.

History

The Swedish Hill Historic District in East Austin is a small, residential building district with well-maintained structures displaying remarkable preservation of historic character. The Victorian homes found in Swedish Hill reflect many building plans, but all are finely detailed and feature carpentry ornamentation in the form of porch columns, balusters, railings, brackets, and sidings and shingles. The “Svenska Kullen” bed and breakfast property is a one-story, late-Victorian frame cottage typical of the district, with a cross-gable roof, a welcoming front porch, and a few small rear additions that expanded the house over time.

Rehabilitation Project

This cottage had been poorly maintained but retained most of its original character, including interior and exterior woodwork, flooring, walls, windows and doors. The most pressing problem, however, was that the pier and beam foundation had shifted and the house was tilting considerably. The rehabilitation began with a full foundation replacement to bring the house back into square. Modern alterations—such as a small rear lean-to addition, and various interior closets and doorways that affected the simple floor plan—were removed to bring the house closer to its historic design. Insulation was added, systems were upgraded, and the bathroom and kitchen were remodeled. On the exterior, damaged and deteriorated wood elements such as siding, porch decking, and turned porch posts were repaired. New wood was spliced in or substituted where necessary, and missing wood brackets were custom-made to match exactly. Utility panels were relocated to the back of the house, and a new wood perimeter fence was added as a finishing touch.