Ehrlich House
1315 Blanding Street

Modified heavily in the 1880s by Edward Ehrlich, this circa -1869 building represents a fusion of the Italianate and Queen Anne styles of architecture. The asymmetrical, two-story, weatherboard house is capped by a complex roof line of intersecting gables, typical of the Victorian Queen Anne style. A roof projects from the façade, wrapping around the east elevation on both stories but continuing only the first story as it curls to the west elevation. Supporting the porch are chamfered posts with decorative caps that intersect with the horizontal eaves ornamented by heavy console brackets, a feature identified with Italianate architecture from 1840-1880. Marble stairs approach the porch directly in front of the entryway, which has a recess including a colorful mosaic tile floor and a transom above the doorway incorporating the street address. Most of the original windows on the façade feature one-over-one panes with louvered shutters. The first-floor windows rest on the floor and are likely walk-through windows for easy access to the porch and for ventilation. The cross-gable on the façade has a peaked attic vent to follow the roofline and wooden shingle sheathing.

The property's interior is equally impressive. Tradition credits artisans from the Biltmore Mansion with its embossed leather wall coverings. These coverings, as well as the intricate parquet floors and plasterwork, have been restored throughout the house. Most of these features were installed by Ehrlich a century before attorney Jim Anders began rehabilitating the building into his law office in 1995. A painter's torch accidentally ignited debris inside a second-story wall during the restoration and the subsequent fire destroyed the roof. Undaunted, Anders had the roof reframed and slate shingles installed. Attention to detail and historic accuracy during the restoration resulted in a solid example of adaptive reuse that continues to be home to the Jim Anders Law Firm to this day.

Staci Richey and John Sherrer

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