Written by Cindy Podurgal Chambers
Clarksville, TN – Lloyd and Jennifer Hinote say that when local visitors initially step into their home, they often gush, “Oh, I’ve always loved this house!” or “I grew up in Clarksville, and I’ve always wanted to see the inside!”
I may have stammered something similar when the Hinotes welcomed me in. After all, who hasn’t gazed at the bespoke brick home while cruising around the hairpin turn on Porters Bluff — just before crossing the center line and nearly causing a head-on collision? Not me. Still, I offer this review in the interest of both architecture and public safety. No need to rubberneck; just keep your eyes on the page.
Built in 1940, the Hinote home defies convention and sidesteps architectural definition. Its solid rectangular shape suggests Colonial or even Federal design, but the curlicued wrought-iron balcony running the length of the second floor is reminiscent of New Orlean’s French Quarter. Perhaps renowned local architect Clarence Speight was hit with a fit of whimsy. Or maybe the breathtaking view that the house commands — the twinkling lights of Clarksville spread out below the bluff, with the Red River meandering around its base – called for a Mardi-Gras-like celebration.
Somehow, Speight managed to wed the disparate styles. And it’s a marriage that works. The same can be said for Jennifer and Lloyd. The couple married just three months after their first date; she was 19 and Lloyd was 23, and both were students at Western Carolina University. After 37 years of marriage, raising two sons, and multiple moves, “We’ve grown together,” says Jennifer. Indeed, the couple seems remarkably suited for togetherness – to include finishing each other’s sentences and tacitly agreeing to undertake the tasks that invariably come with the purchase of a vintage home.
Fortunately, this wasn’t their first foray into antique-home ownership. Their last house, located on Richland Avenue in Nashville, was built in 1920. Before that, they owned a home in Nashville’s Hillsboro Village which dated back to 1934. Each required significant updates and an understanding that they are not just homeowners, but caretakers.
“I never want to appear disparaging to the people who came before us,” says Jennifer. “And we hope the people who come after us appreciate any changes that we’ve made –” “– and make it their own,” finishes Lloyd.
Jennifer was the head of Oak Hill School in Nashville for eight years before being hired as Clarksville Academy’s Head of School in 2018. For six long months, she made the frustrating commute north and south, while Lloyd, who works primarily from home for a Japanese valve company, held down the fort at their Richland Avenue residence. They knew they wanted to settle in Clarksville, and “we did the Zillow thing for a while,” which is where Lloyd first spotted the house on Porters Bluff.
He encouraged Jennifer to drive by and take a look before reaching out to listing agent Rob Holleman. It was the only house Rob showed them, and the only one they needed to see. Actually, Jennifer was leaning toward purchasing a new home in Sango when they pulled into the circular driveway in the winter of 2019.
But inside, they were greeted by 10-foot ceilings, a wrought iron balustrade flanking an elegant staircase, and original white-oak floors. “I warmed up to it pretty quickly,” she says with a smile. The house might need some updates, she decided, but “Lloyd is very handy, and we both have similar styles. I knew if the initial comfort level wasn’t perfect, we could get past that.”
Lloyd says, “We looked at the kitchen and knew we could make it our home.”
Both enjoy cooking and entertaining, and the kitchen — outfitted with everything a serious chef might need, from a professional-grade stove, to a wall-mounted pot-filler, to a built-in coffee bar, and everywhere, everywhere, gorgeous marble and tile – was already perfect. They knew any updates could be made elsewhere.
The couple ended up redoing two bathrooms, the roof, the HVAC system, and the plumbing, before painting nearly every wall in shades of silky, sophisticated gray. “But once we started digging in,” Lloyd says, “we learned there was more to do.” One of the first things they added was a tankless hot water heater in the basement, where the remnants of an ancient coal-fueled furnace, fed through cast-iron pipes painted fire engine red, remained. “In fact, the whole basement was kind of scary,” Jennifer admits. The washer and dryer were across the room from one another, making a hard job even harder. Lloyd undertook a significant basement reno which created several cozy rooms with space for everything from laundry to exercise.
A 1945 physician’s ledger that once belonged to Dr. Wilson was found in the home’s attic.
Fountain-penned in impeccable script, its list of patients reads like a Who’s Who of Old Clarksville.
There are Batsons, Bellamys, Baggetts and Bumpuses; Halliburtons, Hollemans and Heimansohns; Moores, Meriweathers; and — some things never change — lots and lots of Smiths. While the patients’ medical treatments aren’t noted, the highest fee charged was $35 to a Mrs. Welker, who must have been at death’s door to receive such an outrageous bill.
Tucked inside the leather cover was a typewritten account of yearly expenditures, including a $20 contribution to the War Fund, $1,382.99 for a “business car,” $139 for an ultra-violet light, and $150 for a spittoon, because – let’s face it — you just can’t skimp when it comes to spittoons.
There were other surprises, too. Before the Hinotes moved in, only three families had occupied the house, including Dr. and Mrs. Paul Wilson, the original owners. Lloyd’s renovations uncovered the fact that they had built the home with solid steel beams which reach well into the ground and support the second-floor porch nearly halfway into the structure. Maybe the Wilsons were concerned about the house being bombed as the Second World War began to heat up overseas. Maybe they worried about an earthquake shaking it to its foundation. Or maybe, just maybe, they wanted to build a house that would stand the test of time and delight its future owners.
When I ask Jennifer and Lloyd to name their favorite thing about the house on the bluff, both reply, “Location, location, location.” Sitting on three-and-a-half acres, Lloyd at first wondered if he could tackle the lengthy lawncare, before finding a professional service with an affordable rate. Jennifer loves the proximity to Clarksville Academy. “I can run home and let the dogs out over lunch,” she says. Despite being located on the aforementioned Porters Bluff hairpin turn (there have been three car accidents this month alone; please, people, stop rubbernecking), mature landscaping combined with their own leafy additions provide a welcome buffer from traffic noise. Still, they miss their walkable Nashville neighborhood with its meandering sidewalks and the hundreds of trick-or-treaters who used to ring their doorbell on October 31st.
But any downsides are upstaged by the remarkable view, which, during the evenings surrounding July 4th , alight with spectacular displays of fireworks bursting up from the neighborhoods below. Year-round, the sight of the rising sun parting the mists of the Red River compels them both to pause and soak in the scenery.
“As we look back now, all the houses we’ve owned have been projects,” Jennifer says, including the home on Porters Bluff. “Lloyd loves the journey, and I love the destination.” “But,” adds Lloyd, “wherever we go, and whatever we’ve faced, we’ve done it together –” “ – and we have faith that we’ll create the sanctuary home that we need,” Jennifer adds. It is, indeed, a marriage that works.
