Neighbors Julie Seel and Harriet Fowler are enjoying a brisk autumn breeze under the protective covering of Seel’s haint blue porch. The Cottontown residents gladly share their enthusiasm for the area, while at the same time serving as the embodiment of what the neighborhood is to them: porches and friends.
 

Photo by Graeme Fouste

“It’s a great neighborhood,” says Fowler, who moved into Cottontown in the mid ‘90s. “I was just walking down the street when I first moved here and was invited into four homes!”

Officially known as the Cottontown Bellevue Historical District, the area dates back to the early 20th century and was named for the cotton storage warehouses that used to stand there. The neighborhood encompasses the homes north of Elmwood and bordered by Anthony, Sumter and Bull streets. Walking the sidewalks, you’ll find mostly craftsman-style bungalows with yards framed by large oaks and maples.

The surrounding area has been in the news a lot lately: City Council is considering a TIF district to spur development; the Department of Mental Health is close to selling its massive tract of land along Bull Street; and some Cottontown residents are fighting a proposed homeless shelter in the area.
 

Photo by Graeme Fouste

Seel, with the help of her sister Tammy, renovated her 1929 bungalow over the past three-and-a-half years. She wanted to maintain the bungalow charm but add a contemporary update. She refurbished the oak hardwood flooring and removed layers of old wallpaper, which were signed by the 1930s workmen who hung them. Seel banished the Pepto-Bismol pink bathroom tile and mint-green Formica kitchen countertops in favor of elegant stone and glass tile and granite.

One of her favorite design elements — molding — is used heavily throughout the kitchen, from the faux judge paneling in the hallway to the coffered kitchen ceiling.
“Moldings are the biggest thing in a home,” Seel says. “And they’re cheap. They just take a lot of time.”

Extensive renovations such as Seel’s have become more prevalent over Paul Bouknight’s time in Cottontown. Now in his fourth year as president of the neighborhood association board, Bouknight sees a dedication among the residents to preserve their easygoing way of life.

“There has been renewed interest in the neighborhood,” he says. “We are focused on the outside. There are a lot of impromptu porch parties. It’s a very outdoor-oriented neighborhood.”
 

Photo by Graeme Fouste

For people who want to enjoy the old-time feel of Cottontown without the renovation, there are the Confederate Oaks Condominiums. Formerly apartment units, the set of eight 1,400 square-foot condominiums feature three bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths, stainless steel appliances, berber carpet, granite counter tops and many more upgrades. The brick and flag stone facades are accented by the property’s abundance of large oak trees, which shade the common areas.

“They are just inspiring and majestic,” says Capital Property Group’s Isabelle Martinez. “This is just a really quiet and convenient area.”

Along with the quiet streets of Cottontown comes a desire to keep the neighborhood’s charm intact even as changes inevitably come to the surrounding area.
“We’ve got churches within walking distance,” Bouknight says. “Downtown is close by. It is exactly a mile to the Columbia Museum of Art and Main Street. We’re fighting hard to protect this. The homeless center is an important issue, but if it were placed on those sites it would completely cut us off from downtown.”

For now, residents will wait and see what happens — likely from the rockers on their front porches.