Moving a Historic 1920s Nashville Brick Cottage

Moving Day: Lifting a Historic 1920s Nashville Brick Cottage

One of the most ambitious and challenging aspects of any historic home renovation is the decision to physically move the structure itself. In This Old House Season 46, Episode 2, host Kevin O’Connor takes us through an extraordinary journey as a 1920s brick cottage in Nashville, Tennessee, is carefully lifted off its foundation to make way for a comprehensive renovation project. This moving day episode showcases the technical expertise, precision, and specialized equipment required to undertake such a monumental task.

Understanding the Renovation Goals

Kevin O’Connor begins the episode by reminding viewers of the ambitious goals set for this Nashville brick cottage renovation. The homeowners, Adam and Rachel, had a clear vision: they needed significantly more space for their growing family while maintaining the historic integrity and architectural character of their 1920s home. This presented a unique challenge that would require creative problem-solving and expert coordination from multiple teams of specialists.

The decision to lift the house off its foundation wasn’t made lightly. It was a strategic choice that would allow the renovation team to completely overhaul the foundation, add new systems, and create additional space in the basement and lower levels of the home. This approach, while unconventional, would ultimately preserve the home’s historic exterior and charm while modernizing it for contemporary living.

Preparing for the Lift: Professional House Moving Expertise

The success of such an ambitious project depends entirely on the expertise of specialized professionals. Kevin meets with Don Toothman, an expert house mover whose experience and precision are critical to this operation. Don and his team from Elevate Tennessee, LLC, undertake preliminary work to prepare the cottage for the actual lifting process. This preparation phase involves far more than simply placing equipment under the house; it requires careful planning and structural analysis to ensure the home is supported safely throughout the entire moving process.

The preliminary work conducted by Don’s team includes:

• Structural assessment of the foundation and load-bearing walls
• Installation of temporary support systems and bracing
• Precise measurement and mapping of the house structure
• Preparation of the pathway and temporary foundation area in the backyard
• Coordination with utilities to ensure disconnection and safety

Architectural Planning and Historic Preservation

While Don’s team handles the physical logistics, architect Kaitlyn Smous from Nine 12 Architects meets with Kevin to discuss the renovation plans and the specific challenges this historic home presents. The architectural plans must balance two competing priorities: the family’s need for additional space and the imperative to preserve the home’s historic architecture and character.

Kaitlyn explains that the renovation must respect the integrity of the 1920s design while incorporating modern amenities and systems that today’s families require. This includes everything from electrical systems and plumbing to HVAC and structural upgrades. The plans developed by Nine 12 Architects provide the roadmap that will guide all the specialized contractors and crews working on the project.

The architectural challenges of this project include:

• Maintaining the exterior brick facade and architectural details
• Preserving original windows and trim work where possible
• Creating new interior spaces while respecting original room layouts
• Integrating modern systems without compromising historic character
• Expanding square footage without overwhelming the original footprint

The Actual Lifting: Precision in Motion

The climactic moment arrives when Don and his crew return to move the house. With the beams and support systems now in place beneath the structure, the team executes their carefully choreographed plan. This is where months of preparation, planning, and coordination come together in a dramatic display of engineering precision.

The lifting process involves gradually raising the house using hydraulic systems and temporary support columns. The crew works methodically to ensure that the weight is distributed evenly across all support points. Any uneven lifting could cause structural damage to the historic building, potentially causing cracks, misalignment, or even catastrophic failure.

As the house rises and clears its original foundation, the reality of the project becomes visceral. This 1920s home, which has stood in the same location for nearly a century, is being physically relocated. The process requires constant communication between team members, continuous monitoring of the structure, and the ability to make real-time adjustments if any issues arise.

The Journey to the Backyard: Rolling to a New Temporary Home

Once the house is lifted completely off its foundation, the next phase begins: moving it to its temporary location. Don’s team uses a combination of specialized equipment to slowly roll the house to its new temporary home in the backyard. This isn’t a simple matter of dragging the structure across the lawn; it requires careful route planning to avoid obstacles, account for ground conditions, and ensure the structure remains level throughout the movement.

The house is positioned onto cribbing, which provides a level surface and stable foundation for the structure while it sits in the backyard during the renovation work. The cribbing system is essential for maintaining the structural integrity of the home and ensuring it won’t settle unevenly while the new, permanent foundation is constructed at the original site.

Key aspects of the temporary positioning include:

• Precise leveling and measurement of the temporary foundation
• Installation of cribbing to support the full weight of the structure
• Ensuring clearances from property lines and neighboring structures
• Planning for utility access during the renovation period
• Considering weather protection and seasonal factors

Timeline and Coordination

According to the episode, the house will sit on this temporary foundation in the backyard for approximately one month while the new foundation work is completed at the original site. This timeline requires precise coordination between multiple teams of specialists. The structural engineers must oversee the construction of the new foundation, which will be taller and more robust than the original, creating additional basement space for future expansion.

While the house rests in the backyard, general contractors from GTZ Construction, LLC, and structural engineers from Structural Engineering & Inspections, LLC, work to prepare the new foundation. This new foundation will be a critical component of the overall renovation, providing the structural support for the updated systems and the additional living space that the renovation will create.

The Role of Professional Coordination

The success of moving a historic home like this depends on excellent communication and coordination between multiple teams of specialists. Don Toothman’s house moving company must work seamlessly with the architects, structural engineers, general contractors, and city officials to ensure that every aspect of the process goes smoothly.

This coordination extends beyond just the technical aspects of the move. It includes permits and approvals from local authorities, notifications to neighbors, coordination of utility disconnections and reconnections, and careful documentation throughout the process. Any miscommunication or oversight could lead to significant delays or, worse, structural damage to the historic home.

Significance of This Approach

The decision to lift and move this house, rather than undertake a traditional renovation in place, demonstrates the commitment of the homeowners and the renovation team to preserving the historic character of the structure. Lifting the house allows for extensive foundation work and basement expansion that would be virtually impossible to accomplish while the house remained in its original location.

This approach also showcases the advanced capabilities of modern house moving technology and expertise. What might have been considered impossible fifty years ago is now a viable, though still challenging and expensive, option for historic preservation and renovation. It represents the intersection of preservation philosophy and modern engineering capabilities.

Behind the Scenes: Professional Teams Involved

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Why would homeowners choose to lift their house instead of renovating in place?

A: Lifting a house allows for extensive foundation work, basement expansion, and complete infrastructure upgrades that would be impossible or impractical to accomplish while the house remains in its original location. It also provides an opportunity to preserve the historic exterior while modernizing the interior.

Q: How long does the actual lifting process take?

A: While not specified in this episode, the lifting process typically takes several hours to a full day depending on the size and complexity of the structure. It requires careful, deliberate movements to ensure the safety of the building.

Q: What happens to utilities when a house is lifted?

A: All utilities—including water, gas, electricity, and sewer—must be disconnected before the house is lifted. These are reconnected once the house is repositioned on its new foundation after the renovation work is complete.

Q: How much does it cost to move a house like this?

A: House moving costs vary significantly based on distance, structure size, and complexity. For a historic home requiring specialized handling, costs can range from $50,000 to $300,000 or more, depending on specific circumstances.

Q: Is moving a house safe for the structure?

A: When handled by experienced professionals like Don Toothman and his team, moving a house is safe and can actually be gentler than heavy interior renovation work. Modern equipment and techniques have been refined over decades.

Q: What permits are required to move a house?

A: Moving a house requires numerous permits from local authorities, including building permits, utility disconnection permits, street use permits, and often permits from neighboring properties depending on the route required.

The Future of the Renovation

This moving day episode represents just the beginning of an extensive renovation journey. With the house safely positioned in the backyard on temporary cribbing, the real transformation can begin. The new foundation, which will be taller than the original, will create valuable basement space for future rooms and modern amenities.

The fact that Adam and Rachel’s 1920s brick cottage is being treated with such care and expertise speaks to a broader movement in home renovation that honors historic preservation while meeting contemporary family needs. This episode of This Old House exemplifies how thoughtful planning, professional expertise, and innovative techniques can preserve the past while creating homes suitable for today’s families.