Porchfest in Newtown

A vibrant purple house on Barber Street will transform once again into a music venue for Historic Athens Porchfest, marking the fourth time homeowner Courtney Loskoski and her husband, Van, have served as hosts. 

They expect crowds to gather on picnic blankets and lawn chairs on Oct. 18 to listen to rock musician Kennedy Puckett perform on the front porch at 2 p.m.

The couple bought the house in 2022, though they never intended to live in Athens. They had moved from Savannah to Gainesville in 2019, and while they found the local social scene lacking, they loved their home. Despite encouragement, they remained unconvinced about moving until a real estate agent friend offered to give them a tour of some Athens properties. Ultimately, the home on Barber Street changed their minds. 

We saw this one, and were like ‘Oh, cool! Shoot, we’re moving,’” Loskoski said.  

The house sits in what Loskoski refers to as the “purple community” — a cluster of homes that once all donned purple hues. Several neighboring properties have since been repainted, but Loskoski’s home still proudly maintains its distinctive shade. While property tax records estimate the house was built in 1930, it was included in a broader historical survey which identifies the structure as a circa-1910 New South Cottage built in the Folk Victorian style. 

The survey, conducted by the University of Georgia’s FindIt Program in 2020, documented the architectural history of Newtown, the historically Black neighborhood where the house is located. While 152 historic buildings were documented within Newtown, the neighborhood is not recognized as one of Athens’ 16 designated local historic districts. Historic Athens classified the area as a “Place in Peril” in 2022, highlighting its vulnerability to unrestricted development. 

Although many Newtown homes have undergone alterations, compromising their historical integrity, their Barber Street home retains several of its original details. The cottage features 12-foot ceilings, which is common in Victorian homes, original pine wood flooring and double-hung, custom-sized windows. Plaster walls keep the house remarkably quiet, and are finished in shades of blue, purple and green. 

Despite maintaining its historic charm, the house has seen its own series of renovations. Before the couple purchased the property, it functioned as an Airbnb, and the owner, an artist, left behind a few unique touches, the most prominent of which are her custom mosaics.

Four fireplaces sit throughout the main level, and while they are all non-functional, each is hand-adorned by the previous owner with striking tilework. Deep blue and floral tiles frame the cast iron fireback in the main living room. 

A double-sided brick fireplace, situated between the kitchen and the dining room, features a mosaic of roses on one side and flames on the other. The artist applied a similar mosaic technique to the bathroom floors, swapping the vibrant colors for earthier tones. 

Loskoski and her husband have made several changes. An artist herself, Loskoski repainted her son’s bedroom walls with planets and geometric shapes while her husband built an island topped with an acacia butcher block for the kitchen. 

Now that it is October, the house has become a canvas for seasonal decorations. Orange and black-and-white-striped candles sit on the piano, ghosts hang above the ornate fireplaces, and a witch hat rests on the coat rack. The front yard has been turned into a mock graveyard with fake tombstones and skeletons, setting the stage for the Porchfest performance. 

“Halloween is where we really thrive,” Loskoski said. “Our goal every year for Halloween is to add a little bit more and more.”

Loskoski notes there are several functional and aesthetic renovations that remain on the family’s wishlist.

“It’s been a little bit of a labor of love,” she said. “I love an old house, since the character, but it also comes with its fun renovations.” 

The windows on the main floor don’t open, and fixing them comes with an “astronomical cost” attached, she said. The textured plaster walls need a skim coat before wallpaper can be applied, and she hopes to connect the master bedroom directly to the bathroom. 

Eventually, the house may even lose its distinct purple color once the siding is redone. But for now, the color remains.

Despite the endless maintenance list, the Barber Street Victorian is definitively home, and the family plans to keep hosting at Porchfest every year they are allowed. 

“We really really love it, and would hopefully stay here forever,” Loskoski said.