This is a continuing series about historic homes and places in North Augusta.
Kenny Dukes enjoys learning about North Augusta's history, especially since he and his wife Cari live in a piece of it.
The couple didn't set out to buy a home with historic significance. But when they looked at the house at 1108 Carolina Avenue in 1995, the fact that it was the Boatwright Tea Room added to its appeal for them.
Built in 1902, the house now sits across the street from Fairview Presbyterian Church. It once stood in the shadow of the Hampton Terrace Hotel. The Dukes can almost see the remnants of the massive hotel's smokestack from their front porch.
During the opulent five-story hotel's 13 seasons, guests could enjoy afternoon tea at the Boatwright. Some guests may have enjoyed their tea while waiting for the trolley, which stopped across the street from the tea room, Kenny said.
"We liked the history and we liked the house," he said.
He soaks up whatever he can learn about the hotel, which burned to the ground on New Years Eve in 1916.
The Dukes have sketches and old photographs of the hotel hanging in the small dining room Kenny built onto the rear of the house.
"I really liked the Hampton Terrace," he said.
Kenny said he knows very little about the tea room or the original owner. He does know, through photographs, that it once had fallen into disrepair.
The Dukes keep a scrapbook of the house during various stages of renovation. Photographs from previous owners show paint chipping off of the wood siding and a poorly landscaped yard.
Some repairs were made when the Dukes bought it, such as the installation of the blue vinyl siding.
The couple also added a master bath and refinished the wood floors. An expanded kitchen area includes a small dining area and laundry room.
"The house was an L shape," Kenny said. "We basically made it a square."
They also added a large den to the back of the house, incorporating the original exterior chimney into the design of a large built-in bookcase.
They wanted their additions to conform to the character of the house, Kenny said.
The couple plans to expand the kitchen area again to make it easier to entertain friends and family.
The Dukes said they enjoy the neighborhood as much as the house.
"It's a good neighborhood. It's quiet," Kenny said.
Reach Lisa Kaylor at lisa.kaylor@northaugustatoday.com.
