Allow me, for a moment, to wax about about windows: They are the eyes to a building’s soul. The transom light above a Yankee barn door and the triple-hung sash in a meetinghouse facade help to distinguish a building, or relate it to its peers. Even when dismantling the most decrepit of barns, we are…
Built by Elias Carter in 1821, the Acworth Meetinghouse, with its double lantern spire, is a masterful representation of historic building craft. But by 2008, the building was in desperate need of repair. PTF was called in to give an estimate, but Acworth, NH is far, and endowed already with a number of seasoned carpenters. Arron,…
Last week, the Wall Street Journal published an article about I-Farm and Chris Barensfeld’s efforts to restore it. Online, the story was accompanied by a video and slideshow. From the article: For years, Christine Barensfeld dreamed about fixing up and living in a property down the street from her home: a historic white barn, carriage…
Since last we updated, PTF has been busy on a number of projects. The Northern contingent documented and dismantled a barn in West Poland, which will be repaired and rebuilt on a new site five miles away. The Southern contingent is repairing the trim on the Federated Church in South Berwick, as well as putting…
On Friday we erected the Ice House, c. 1770. This small, 10′ x 13′, frame is an exact replica of the larger barn to which it was found adjacent. The Ice House had been fully sheathed inside and out, and the wall cavities filled with sawdust, for insulation. It is extremely rare to find an…
Last week, we dropped the staging from the front of the York First Parish Church. After the 24 ft picks were lowered smoothly, we took apart the rest of the ledgers and standards like a rogue band of dismantling Doozers. Staging takedowns like that don’t just happen, they are engineered, by people like Keith Trefethen. …
Maine Preservation recently released an independent study of the economic impact of Maine’s Historic Preservation Tax Credit. Read all about it. Since the start of Maine’s Historic Preservation Tax Credit in 2008, $135 million has been privately invested by developers rehabbing historic commercial buildings in the state of Maine . This $135 million comes in…
These past few weeks, with the inclement weather, the York Congregational trim has kept us busy in the shop. Using a steam box, we carefully scraped the lead paint from the trim pieces, made dutchman repairs, and filled nail holes with West System epoxy. We were able to repair 90% of the scroll-shaped trim that…
We have begun replacing the clock faces of the First Parish Congregational Church in York, Maine. Formed in 1636, the congregation is the oldest in Maine. The current building was built in 1747, and moved to its position, facing the road, in 1888. It is time for this old girl to get a face lift. …
In 1900, Charles Goodhue drew this sketch from the memory of an elderly parishioner. This is one of the only remaining images that depict the building from this era. Fortunately, evidence within the building has proven this sketch to be remarkably accurate. From the beginning of our involvement in the project, we have been looking…