At 1208 Newning Avenue, the Wilkins-Heath House is a City of Austin historic landmark. The Victorian cottage was built in 1888, according to Volz & Associates Inc.
An Address Older Than the Neighborhood Itself
The house was built for Virginia Alma Day Wilkins and her husband, Frank Wilkins, according to the Austin American-Statesman.
Ownership passed to the Heath family as the 1920s approached, giving the house the second half of its name. The City of Austin designated it a historic landmark.
What Landmark Status Means for Exterior Work
For owners planning exterior work, landmark designation brings a City review requirement: according to Austin Planning, proposed exterior alterations or additions, permanent site work, and sign installation at a designated landmark must go through the historic review process. The City says routine maintenance and in-kind repairs do not require historic review.
From Near-Ruin to Restoration
The Austin American-Statesman reported that Melanie and Pat undertook the restoration, a two-year project Melanie completed with help from family and contractors Russell and Beckie Forsyth.
The Statesman also reported that the work included repairs to the chimneys and refurbishing original hardware at a San Francisco shop. Martinez modified a chimney to let birds nest without entering the house and brought in Candace Volz, who had worked on the Texas Capitol restoration, to help source wallpaper and advise on installation.
Pat learned restoration skills as he went. The project earned the Wilkins-Heath House the Heritage Society of Austin Award of Merit in 2005 for restoration of a private residence, according to Volz & Associates.
Inside the Folk Victorian, Queen Anne Details and a Widow's Walk
The house is a Victorian with Queen Anne details, with about 2,466 square feet of living space on roughly one-third of an acre, according to Commercial Property Executive. Features include longleaf pine floors, an upstairs primary bedroom and bath, and a roof-level widow's walk with a view of the Austin skyline. The house has two bedrooms and two bathrooms in total.
Outdoors, the backyard is a certified Backyard Wildlife Habitat that the Statesman describes as home to a family of foxes — maintained, as noted by Commercial Property Executive, by Martinez as an organic gardener focused on native plants.
A Previous Asking Price
The house was listed for $1.35 million, reduced from an initial $1.5 million asking price.
