Midtown landmark became one of architectural historian John Hopkins’ last projects
When owner Diane Laurenzi began to renovate the Stonewall Lodge on Overton Park, she reconnected with architectural historian John Hopkins, whose plan guided restoration of the facade to its 1932 condition.
Diane and Eugene Laurenzi knew they needed a stonemason when a chunk of limestone fell off the old Stonewall Lodge masonic hall onto the sidewalk of Overton Park Avenue.
But having preserved the building as mixed-use neighborhood retail eight years ago, they didn’t want to compromise its architectural integrity with a bad renovation.
Consultant John Hopkins died of cancer before the facade was finished, but he visited the site and climbed the scaffolding to check the quality of the work.
The Laurenzis reconnected with an old friend with encyclopedic knowledge of historic architecture and construction techniques.
The friend, John Hopkins, an architectural historian and preservation consultant, didn’t live to see the scaffolding come down last week to reveal a limestone facade restored to its 1932 condition. He died from cancer while renovation was in progress.
The two-story building at 1581 Overton Park became part of a professional legacy that includes more than 150 landmarks and historic districts across the South. Hopkins, with his wife and business partner Marsha Oates, specialized in helping clients preserve old places and spaces and qualify for preservation tax credits in the process.
Stonewall Lodge No. 723, Free & Accepted Masons, has been a neighborhood fixture since the Depression. It housed the fraternal organization on upper floors and a drug store on the ground floor when longtime neighborhood resident Sue Williams was a little girl in the 1930s.
Williams was glad to see the building’s architectural integrity maintained in the recent renovation by Whitney-Anderson Building Group, which does Rhodes College’s masonry repairs.
“It is an important part of the neighborhood, and I really was delighted to see they were taking care to make it continue as an important part,” Williams said.
The Laurenzis were in good hands with Hopkins, Williams added. “His work, in helping them, helped us in the neighborhood. The ripples keep flowing.”
The Laurenzis had been friends with Hopkins many years ago and became reacquainted after Memphis Heritage Inc. executive director June West recommended him to plan their facade repairs.
“It was such fun to reconnect after all the years,” Laurenzi said.
The consultation consisted of a series of lively and entertaining e-mails, followed by a site visit in which Hopkins climbed the scaffolding to make sure the Laurenzis were getting their money’s worth.
The project included replacement of 30 stones that were deemed beyond repair. Christie Cut Stone Co. hand-made matching pieces. The contractor also refurbished mortar joints and cleaned the facade by hand with bleach and water from a garden hose, per Hopkins’ instructions.
“John said, in red letters, ‘Do not use a high-pressure wash,’” Laurenzi said.
The building’s first floor houses the original Fresh Slices deli on one side and Diane’s Art Gift & Home on the other side. Upstairs is Overton Park Gallery, where photographers Chip Pankey and Allen Mims display their work, and a massage therapy studio.
Laurenzi said for a finishing touch, she plans to have a limestone plaque made by Christie, dedicating the renovation to Hopkins.
– Wayne Risher: 529-2874
