Revival Times Three Equals Opportunity

by Lucia Malon, HPF Correspondent

October, 2020

They met when she was looking for a place to rent. She took a real shining to the guy showing her the apartment and decided it was better not to rent from him. She moved into an apartment across the street instead.

That guy was Dale Pittman. He was then in the middle of the second restoration project he had taken on during his years as the director of Petersburg’s Legal Aid Society. That impressed Linda who also loves old buildings. It’s not hard to guess where the relationship went from there.

Fast forward 30+ years. Dale and Linda Pittman are still fascinated by and restoring old houses in Petersburg. They own a grand Italianate home on High Street and recently bought historic Strawberry Hill plus the two adjacent houses.

Strawberry Hill has an interesting history. The Federal style house was built in 1792 as a two-story with single-story wings on either side. Around 1815 second stories were added to the wings, making it one of the most impressive homes in Petersburg. It even sported a lightning rod (which is still there) designed by Ben Franklin. But in the 1880’s it was divided into 3 separate residences and in the years that followed, gradually fell into disrepair.

Strawberry Hill sat empty and deteriorating for years before the Historic Petersburg Foundation partnered with the City of Petersburg and the Commonwealth of Virginia to come up with a plan to save it from total ruin. It was deeded to preservation-minded Joe Miller in the late 1970’s. He spent more than 35 years restoring the 6,000 square foot structure to its original grandeur.

Last winter, Miller decided to sell Strawberry Hill. The Pittmans jumped at the chance to own the property. Asked why, Linda said, “I have always been interested in starting a pick-your-own flower farm in the meadow behind the house. That was never possible as Joe was adamant that it stay with the house.” Dale added, “This is an architectural jewel. It is now on the National Register of Historic Places. Besides being spectacular inside, it is one of the most important houses in Petersburg, historically.”

The two houses next to Strawberry Hill were also owned by Miller. He had planned to restore them as well but never got the plans off the ground. Renters occupied them for a while but a fire the week Joe Miller moved into Strawberry Hill left one of them uninhabitable and both subsequently sat empty for years. They became part of a package deal with the Pittmans.

Your average person would be daunted by the idea of taking on 3 historic properties needing work in addition to already living in and working on an historic house. But the Pittmans are not ordinary people. They are excited about the challenge and the possibilities.

High Street will remain the Pittman family address. Strawberry Hill will, if all works out as planned, become an event venue, perfect for weddings, other special family celebrations, corporate receptions, and social gatherings. The two adjacent houses, newly and aptly named Gooseberry and Dewberry, will become a B&B of sorts, providing extra lodging for events at the main house as well as serving tourists and other visitors to Petersburg. “Perhaps, one day I will also get to put in my flower farm,” Linda remarked with a laugh.

Work has begun in earnest on the restorations. And it is a family project, which is not surprising. After all, the 3 children – Linnea, Tim, and Matt – got “preservation genes” from their parents. Linda, who can aptly be described as a visionary, is the “project manager.”

Strawberry Hill

Although Strawberry Hill needs the least amount of work by far, thanks to Miller’s efforts, there are things that need to be done before it can be used for its intended purpose. For example, the brick and stone walls in the basement are being stripped and re-mortared for better resistance to water encroachment; the chimneys are being re-lined both to keep moisture out and to make them all fire-ready. Some of the plumbing is being updated. The roof and guttering are being examined.

Because of the age and significance of Strawberry Hill, for the historic elements like the chimneys and basement walls, restoration experts have been called upon to make sure the work is in keeping with the expected norms. For example, Neil Underwood is doing the painstaking brickwork; Michael George and Jason Lamb have been at work on the roof; Jack Abeel will be doing any millwork needed, especially on windows; Rebekah Jamerson will be working on plastering needs. “Fortunately for us, there are some very good traditional craftsmen in the area,” says Linda, “and that expertise is what is needed. Without it, we would not be able to get very far!”

Gooseberry

Situated right next to Strawberry Hill, 7500 square foot Gooseberry needs the most work. It was the house that suffered the fires (there had been another fire in the attic at an earlier date). As a result, the roof was partially destroyed and water was getting in. In exposing the “bones” of the house, it was discovered that it was not properly built. So architect Yvette Conte is working on identifying the pressure points that will need to be replaced or fortified before the roof can be restored. In the meantime, old walls and ceilings and other damaged or extraneous elements are being removed. Petersburg’s James Shin is the builder in charge of the work.

The restored Gooseberry will be vastly different from the original house, which was a duplex. The entire structure is being reconfigured to have a huge dining/banquet room and parlor-type rooms on the first floor, guest rooms and suites on the second floor, and an apartment on the third floor.

Envisioning and planning the layout for the repurposed Gooseberry was not difficult, says Linda. She appears to have a natural talent for that type of thing and clearly loves doing it. Asked about the process for getting her ideas transformed into workable plans, she says she gives her ideas to the architect who then comes back with sketches of how it might work. They go back and forth adjusting and tweaking until there is a detailed floorplan that is acceptable.

Dewberry

The foundation of this 1880s house used to be the stables for Strawberry Hill. At about the same time that Strawberry Hill was being divided, the roof of the old stable was taken off and the 3200 square foot house built on top of the remaining stone walls. An original entry door remains and the stalls are still evident.

Unlike Gooseberry, Dewberry was a single-family home. It has weathered the years fairly well, although outdated guttering did allow moisture to get into the walls. “The greatest challenge with this house is the plasterwork that will need to be done,” says Linda, adding, “Fortunately, it is largely repair work rather than replacement.” They will also replace most of the electrical and plumbing.

Plans for Dewberry include more guest rooms, suites and apartments, a handicapped-accessible entrance, a large patio out back for outdoor events, and features that will help service the guest/event complex. These include a catering kitchen, a laundry room, and storage areas.

The Scope of the Project

The Pittmans are simultaneously doing work on all three properties. Asked about the wisdom of such a monumental undertaking, Dale responded, “It actually makes good sense to be working on all three buildings at the same time. It is more efficient as contractors might be able to work on one structure while the other that needs the same work is not quite yet ready for it.”

When will all the work be done? “We simply can’t predict that right now,” both Dale and Linda respond simultaneously. Obviously, they want it to proceed as quickly as possible. And to see what’s been accomplished so far is a good indication that it won’t drag on. It’s truly impressive.

All three of the younger Pittmans, Linnea, Matthew, and Timothy, have been home and helping out for the last few months, due to the pandemic. Linnea and Timothy will both be headed to new jobs in New York City after the end of the year – Linnea as an attorney like her Dad, Tim as a tech account manager. It is obvious that their help will be missed. Matthew has already returned to his lab at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore where he is working on a doctorate in mechanical engineering but he sometimes gets home on weekends to help with the work.

One more factor is that the Pittmans are making new discoveries about the property all the time. One is that there is a water source in the meadow to the rear of the houses that can provide up to 10,000 gallons of water per day! It is probably one of the reasons that the location was chosen for Strawberry Hill.

What this means to Petersburg

Those who have had the opportunity to visit Strawberry Hill already know what a magnificent house it is. We can thank Joe Miller for that. What he did was nothing short of amazing. And it was not only Petersburg folks that noticed. Strawberry Hill was featured in and on the cover of Early American Life magazine’s June 2019 issue.

What the “Strawberry Hill Complex” is slated to become is, many believe, even more exciting. The fact that people will be able to use it for special events opens up its doors to new possibilities. Not only will Petersburg residents, businesses, and organizations be able to take advantage of and enjoy the venue, but it will bring new people to the City – people who may well return again and again.

“Everyone who walks by and sees what we are doing is thrilled,” say Dale and Linda. “We’re all looking for a brighter future for these properties,” they add.

And a brighter future for Petersburg, I might add. That’s not just speculation, either. Dale reports that he has already replaced 153 light bulbs with high-efficiency types at Strawberry Hill alone!