Howard Hall Farm is both an historic restoration project and a vehicle for educating people in sustainable, environmentally conscious restoration techniques. The site of our learning laboratory is a 1780s stone manor in the heart of the Hudson River Valley. This Federal style home presents a number of restoration challenges specific to this region of the country. We invite you to join us in our effort to RESTORE GREEN.
Charity dinner had benefits for two historic sites: The Thomas Cole House, and our 1780's parlor
Last weekend, we hosted a dinner to help raise money for the restoration of the Thomas Cole House National Historic Site in Catskill, NY. In addition to being a fantastic cause, it gave us incentive to speed up the restoration of our parlor. For the first time since moving in, our eyes were able to feast along with our stomaches.
This was our Parlor long ago:
By the time we got here it looked like this:
Since then, we've done a seemingly infinite number of repairs to the room, not the least of which were restoring the original chimney, and bringing the walls back to their original lime plaster.
Today, only a few remaining acres constitute the National Historic Site, but the modest, picturesque residential grounds reflect Thomas Cole's period, and are to be restored to their period condition, when the landscape was described by fellow artist, Jasper Cropsey, as “not give off an atmosphere of luxury and wealth.” The panoramic views to the Catskill Mountains and its great “Wall of Manitou,” experienced daily by Cole, can still be enjoyed. The entry driveway coming from Spring Street can still be traced, and the adjacent flower garden blooms each summer with renewed care. Close by is the Federal-style privy, built to complement the house, and Thomas Cole's studio at the old store-house. These outbuildings have, or will soon be, fully restored. Beyond is the grove of old trees, the woodlot mentioned in Thomas Cole's writings. A stand of Cedar trees in the grove probably inspired the name Cedar Grove, and it is possible that Cole himself coined the term before 1830. With its scenic attributes and authentic rural amenities, the Thomas Cole National Historic Site is a living memorial to the artistry of its famous resident and the world of romanticism in the Hudson River Valley. Click here to visit the Thomas Cole House website for more information.
Finishing Fantasies and Faux Finishes "in the real world."
And now for a little skewed perception. It's time to play a little game called:
"Let the camera do all the work for you"
....wherein we try to take pictures that make it look like our restoration is completely finished already.
Todays contestants are Mr. and Mrs. Wall Corner, Lady Lamp and Mistress Ceiling, Roaring Hearth, and The Floor Siblings. Let's give them all a round of applause for playing.
Meanwhile, back in the real world...
The guys have been plastering away..
....and okay, so the other half of this room:
....looks like this:
..but a lot of lime plastering and painting has been getting done! (For those of you who are curious, you can learn more about historic lime plaster HERE.) We're also experimenting with pigments that are rumored to be lime-friendly, trying to create the color we will use for our hall walls.
Historical Pigments
If you're going to embark on a painting project of your own soon, and want to read up on environmentally friendly paint options, here are some useful online reading materials we've found:
These radiators were taken out of a home we are restoring in Athens, New York. We have many elegant specimens with fine detail, scrolling, and unusual designs and patterns. Radiators vary in color from white to silver and gold. Some look retro, some more antique. Whatever kind of radiator you are looking for, the chances are very good that we have it. You can come see the lot and pick the ones you want in Athens, NY: call 518-945-1253 or email: info@howardhallfarm.com
The bird that used historic lime mortar to weave its nest.
Who would have guessed that an avian would learn to use restoration techniques at Howard Hall Farm? Ralph was moving an abandoned nest off the wall so we could get to work on restoring the corbels, and discovered that the bird had been stealing little beak-size clumps of lime mortar from the bricks before it had time to set! It had also added strands of golden thread, and little bits of wool from the shearing of our Shetland sheep! Thus proving that even the tiniest of creatures can surprise us with their adept integration of green restoration techniques, historic materials, environmentally friendly insulation, and style!
The gorgeous corbels about to be restored:
Inside the house, John tackles the parlor ceiling:
THREE COAT LIME PLASTER ON RIVEN LATHE: Step 1: Scratch-coat on the main parlor ceiling
+ =
And Nicky has been priming the doors and stairwells:
We've also had many great applicants for restoration internships. Thanks everyone who applied!
This past weekend, I saw a breathtakingly beautiful and creative new kind of historic "restoration". Three fantastic Troy artists brought a lost history to life. To read more about their wondrous and hauntng project, go to: http://spectresofliberty.com/site/
From their site:
"Spectres of Liberty is a public memory, site-specific art project. Beginning with a sense of loss about the changing built environment of Troy, New York, we set out imagining ghosts of demolished buildings and structures. Through imagining inflatable sculptural extensions to buildings whose facades have been destroyed to thinking about recreating vanished historic sites, we decided on creating a ghost of the Liberty Street Church.
The Liberty Street Church is not only significant as a vanished part of Troy's architectural history, but also for its value as a historic site in the fight to abolish slavery. From old photos of the site provided by the Rensselaer Historical Society, we created an inflatable 1:1 scale reproduction of the church and will install it at the former site of the church, which is now a parking lot. We will be animating this ghost church through video projections that call forth the history of the site, as well as through the social context of a cultural event that will bring community members to the site to think more deeply about the space and its history.
Through our research we learned more about Henry Highland Garnet, the pastor of Liberty Street Church from 1843-1848. He was known around the world for his militant orations and publications calling on people to actively participate in the fight to end slavery. When we read Henry Highland Garnet's words from the 1840's: "Let your motto be resistance! resistance! resistance! No oppressed people have ever secured their liberty without resistance," we do not think they are dead words from a forgotten time - but a call, an urging, to participate in transforming our world now.
*Not that kind of hunt...we don't want to shoot them, just invite them over for a nice cup of tea, and a week of free restoration training.... We're offering a number of different internship opportunities. We have positions ideal for students (of restoration, historic structures, writing, history, library studies, construction, architecture, antiquarian processes, artisans, etc.) as well as places for people who have their own historic home (or someone else's to work on), and would like a chance to get a feel for our environmentally friendly restoration techniques, and apply them to their own structures! Glean some of the benefits of taking our workshops at off-peak times working as an intern, and have a chance to meet all the interesting characters lurking about this old pile of beams.
All of the internships take place on the site of a 220-year-old Federal style home in Athens NY, which serves as a classroom and laboratory. The site offers a unique environment for hands-on learning and offers specific restoration challenges that are distinctive to this region.
The video features: Fred DePaul milking and shearing a sheep, gender issues in sheep shearing history, where lanolin comes from, and woolly tales of danger and woe.
Video features: Fred DePaul milking and shearing a sheep, gender issues in sheep shearing history, where lanolin comes from, and woolly tales of danger and woe.
Come and learn the materials and methods of lime plaster on wooden lath. Howard Hall will have a plaster raising party for two successive Saturdays, scratch coat then the intermediate coat on the main parlor ceiling and walls.
(A time will be set up for the finishing coat in the near future.)
We will be:
mixing lime plaster
plastering
celebrating
Joining in is free as a learning workshop, but you will have to work with a trowel. Lunch is provided.
Booking in advance is required. Call 518-945-1253 or email: howardhall.farm@gmail.com
Open to people in the trades as well as homeowners eager to learn.
This is a unique and free opportunity to learn about historic lime plaster in a workshop setting. We will be practicing on the ceiling of the parlor at Howard Hall Farm in Athens, New York.
______________________ Related events: ______________________
REMAKING LIME CROWN MOLDING in July with Rory Brennan, the plasterer from "This Old House". This is a structured as a paid class with fee limited number of students. Click the classes tab for more information or contact us: howardhall.farm@gmail.com
PRIVATE MORTAR CLASSES with Reggie Young on exterior pointing with lime mortars. We will cover mixing of mortar, proper prep of the area, pointing and curing. Whitewash recipes and appilcations can also be covered. For more information, contact: howardhall.farm@gmail.com
Unless I've missed some significant advances in quantum mechanics, it is not yet possible for the average historic home-owner to travel back in time and take digital photographs of the past, but last Saturday we did the next best thing. We invited Mercy Ingraham, The Open Hearth Cook to visit us here at Howard Hall Farm. Completely clothed in Federal garb, Mercy Ingraham arrived on the steps of our Federal Home looking like she had just emerged from a Vermeer painting to teach us how to cook on our recently restored historic hearth.
*Note the similarity:
Wearing Dutch linens and bearing an armload of iron and brass cookware, she lit a roaring fire, and proceeded to charm the hell out of all of us. She is a fascinating and intelligent woman, and one of the most incredible teachers we've ever had here. The workshop was filled with people from vastly differing fields, yet they all had some strange tie to historic buildings, so we all had plenty to talk about. We met a lot of incredible people. Clothed by references to rare films and literature, historic images, and odd chemistry facts (ex: ash+ saliva= lye, which I almost learned the hard way), Mercy gave us a treasure-trove of information....and as far as I'm concerned, it was the very best kind of knowledge: The sort you can eat afterward!
Shirley Plantation Mushroom Soup (which was so delicious it was gone before I could take a picture), String Roasted Chicken (Literally: it was roasted by hanging from a string), Southall Cabbage Pudding, Ember-Roasted Sweet Potatoes, Yam Pudding, Dover Cake, and more....
Mercy just finished her latest book, and signed copies for all of us after the class.
For all of you who were here, thank you for making this weekend such a scintillating experience. And Mercy, you are truly a wonder. I can't think of a better way to have brought the light and life back to our hearth. For the first time in probably a century, this house had a blazing, open fire and good company to enjoy it. I hope you'll all come back soon.
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*********************************************************** If you participated in this workshop, and have pictures, please send them to us! We'd love to add them to our collection... howardhall.farm@gmail.com
To view a complete listing of our 2008 classes and workshops: CLICK HERE
We're organizing photos of the entire progression of the house's life, downward spiral into devastating disrepair and hideous renovations, and our ongoing historic restoration. Check back soon to take an in depth tour of each of our restoration projects and track our progress day by day...
Harry is working on the fascia boards, soffits and crown moldings for the front of the house. We are trying to save as much as we can of the original, but sadly much of it is rotted beyond use...
Lorena is prepping all these boards so we can get them up primed. Can't wait until spring to get this all finally painted.
Andy has been jack hammering off the last Portland Cement left in the place. We will white wash these walls, even though they must have been plastered at one time.
This area in the front of the basement hall never had white wash on walls or ceilings like the rest of the hall, so we suspect it was a closed storage room with plaster ceiling and walls. Very odd as it would have blocked the light in the hallway.
Ralph has been steaming off the paint in the hallway. Getting closer to final plaster throughout the house.
When green products are just as affordable as their market equivalents, will you buy green?
A: Of course!
The day has come. In our continuing effort to green our lives, our research has led us to a company called Let's Go Green. They makes affordable, environmentally friendly products that often cost less than their unfriendly equivalents. All their products are eco-friendly and designed to either help save resources, money, or both.
Let's Go Green and Howard Hall Farm have decided to join forces to do a green fund-raiser, and make environmentally friendly products more easily available to eco-conscious consumers. Now you can help support a green and local business by spending less on items you regularly buy for your home. Let's Go Green has agreed to donate 25% of every purchase to the Howard Hall Farm Green Restoration, so your contribution can be substantial.
All you have to do is visit www.LetsGoGreen.biz, choose your items, and specify our group at checkout so that we get credit. It couldn’t be simpler.
Those masks are no joke. Talk about a survivor! This woman has lived through 13 years of renovations, and now shares what she's gleaned by donating time to blogging about affordable real estate, diy, period restorations, decorating bargains, and sustainable living. She writes more than any other house blogger I know, and always has interesting tidbits and links to share. I wanted to thank her for helping us out with our green fundraising efforts and always posting great content! You can visit Reclaimed Home by clicking HERE.
Ken Greene's efforts to revive the local seed trade and save heirloom seeds and their stories has culminated in the creation of a unique regional Seed Library. Like us, Ken and his friends are trying to share information about environmentally conscious skills and trades with workshops like Permaculture in Action and by sharing planting instructions for all to learn and grow from... You can read the article Ken wrote after his visit to Howard Hall Farm below.
Dennis Heaphy, the tin man behind the restoration of statue of liberty and Ellis Island, coming to Howard Hall, a center for Historic Restoration and Green Technology in Athens.
The History of Mortar may sound like a heavy subject for a workshop, but Reggie Young at Howard Hall Farm finds the topic enlightening. For years Reggie and his partner Nora Johnson had been dreaming of finding a stone house that they could afford to buy and restore. Young, previously a New York City restaurateur, had been doing restoration in the Hudson Valley for six years. “I had thought about offering training on the lime/mortar issue,” he says.”I had seen too many buildings screwed up by using the wrong mortar.” Young had gone out of state, to Chicago, for his training, but it wasn’t until he looked at a dilapidated house perched on a bluff overlooking the Hudson River that the idea of creating a training center crystallized in his mind. “It took five seconds,” he says. “The building lent itself perfectly to the idea.” Young and Johnson bought the house and have dedicated themselves not only to its restoration but to its development as a hands-on learning laboratory.
Young sees the Federal-style home’s potential to be transformed into a modern, functioning dwelling that preserves the home’s historic integrity and has a minimal impact on the natural environment. Three years after purchasing the property, Young and his team are deep into the renovation of the structure and are still tinkering with the training center’s mission statement. Currently, the center’s main purpose is to “investigate, restore, and revive every facet of the structure in a green manner, and provide a forum for other interested homeowners and craftspeople to learn to do the same.” Part of this process of educating themselves and others involves bringing in preservation and restoration experts from all over the country. “With the help of these incredible individuals,” says Young “we can all learn to bring an old home out of the cobwebs and into the green. We are in a global crisis, and conservation and restoration can be very green.”
Young sees his responsible approach to renovation as one facet of solving many environmental problems. He advocates fixing up existing structures rather than building new, reusing as much as possible, locating local materials, and incorporating alternative energy practices into historic renovations. In at least one instance, Young found that being green and historically accurate go hand in hand. He located and used a type of sand from Saugerties for his mortar mix which brought him closer to replicating the mix originally used on the home.
Mortar is not the only mixing happening on the hill. Young’s use of the Howard Hall website and blogs reflects his pride in working collaboratively. One site, howardhallfarm.wordpress.com is called the Faces of Howard Hall Farm. Its pages are an enthusiastic and affectionate introduction to the core group and their contributions to the project. The home site howardhallfarm.com is overflowing with before and after photos, short videos, archives, history, introductions to visiting experts, and an impressive list of workshops past and present.
The fall series of offerings ranges from the practical to the esoteric. Young’s partner, Nora Johnson, will bring New York City artist Toby Nutall and collaborator Moira Kelley to teach a workshop entitled “Historic Paints and Finishes: Faux Wood Graining: Creating Fantasy Wood Finishes”; it takes place October 13th and 14th. For those in historic homes, there is the quintessential lime plaster workshop with famed plaster professional Roy Brennen. On the fascinatingly obscure end of the Howard Hall workshop spectrum is Lady Liberty’s personal face lift professional (and fourth generation tinsmith) Dennis Heaphy—also known as the Tin Man. He will offer a lesson on working with Terne Tin, the material that keeps the Statue of Liberty clothed and smiling. In addition to the workshop, Heaphy will also be working on Howard Hall’s tin ceiling and conducting a presentation for children on October 20th about the making of the Statue of Liberty.
For a complete list of workshops, presentations and available internships, visit Howard Hall Farm’s extensive website (www.howardhallfarm.com ), email howardhall.farm@gmail.com, or call 518-945-1253.
We are hoping that 2008 finds the world a lot greener and bit better preserved. Here at Howard Hall, we continue to work toward this goal. I had to move out for part of the winter with all the chaos that was happening in the house every day. We insulated with Soy foam in December, which was very exciting. I know that there is limited soy in this version of insulation but it has the green effect of doing a very tight high R value job, and (that's not nothing/ that counts for something). I would never use fiberglass as it is a bad idea to introduce workers to it, doesn't get very good R value, and if you research you will see that it causes endless future problems that you would rather avoid. Our application was tricky in that we wanted to do entire second floor ceiling without any demo of the original plaster, and without man-handling the old attic floor. We were able to take out some flooring and blow it in, and it did the job.
The view that day:
We also got the Co-generation unit up and running. That little boiler now just hums while heating this place, and it is so tiny. (Nora says it purrs). We have sold several of these units to our restoration clients as well. Everyone who comes here just wants a moment in the boiler room to see the beautiful install job, and see and hear the thing working. On Top of that we also got Our Jutl stove in and working, so it's all about warmth here these days. I have moved back in and can actually get warm without leaving a huge carbon footprint! (If you would like to see the Co-generation unit for yourself, call us:518.945.1253) On other fronts, we just had a great class with Rory Brennan.
It was our best attended class so far, and filled with a lot of knowledgable people.We are getting ready to do all lime wash finish on walls of the first floor. For the first time we will be posting a 10 minute video of the class, so watch for that soon. *(The video is now up in the video section of the blog) Rory will be back for another lime wash class this spring. Lots of paint steaming and stripping happening now:
Our Soffit story and fascia boards continue, as do the pointing and whitewash stories.
We have a few cooking classes in March, which is our deadline for having beehive oven back up and running. The chimney for that side of the house is 4 feet from complete. So soon those fireplaces will also be up and running:Beehive Oven (2),Parlor Fireplace:
NE Bedroom Fireplace:
Our Spring line-up is coming together and we have many exciting classes to green your historic world and rock you preservation boat. Come join us and take in the beauty of the Hudson Valley and it's fantastic Historic fabric, the local foods on our lower loggia, and the good cheer of our crew and staff.All of our other restoration and preservation projects are going full steam ahead. We will post soon on some of these. Our crew and professional base continues to grow with as we introduce other teachers in to the mix.
This season we owe thanks to many people.Bob Godwin for all his time and Architecture expertise, not the mention his sharing Annie Katz, his beautiful partner, with us. We all were so excited that after months of cancer treatment she joined us last Saturday for a moment of cheer here. Go Annie!!!!! We love you.Peter Mattei for housing our office when it was too cold here to work here with no heat.Mike Veeter from Kool Temp for a fantastic co-gen boiler install job. Tom Harkins for his plumbing our cast iron baseboards and his good humor. Gary Dodson for his ongoing electrical install, and his southern charm. Eric Guyer at Climate Energy for creating this great boiler. Rory Brennan and Laurie Klenkel for such a great class on lime wash finishes. Sarah Gonek for her never ending blog and class work, and being in such a state of grace always.Harry Klarr for his wonderful finish carpentry combined with his quiet seriousness.Patrick Pulver, Christoph Vilaghy, Ralph Mauro. Nicky Karas, and Andy Bolevic for their never ending work on the house. Dan Laffin, for his kindness and for being a hero to our distressed electronics.Dennis Heaphy for his tin expertise and oral stories, and last but not least Dan Grabinger for his excellent chimney construction. Love those fires Dan.
*And thanks to Reggie and Nora for their inspiring compassion and productivity in this busy season.-Sarah
Fireless Fireplaces and the Bee that's re-building the Beehive
While they're installing the new environmentally friendly heat system at the Federal manor over at Howard hall Farm, our working environment has become decidedly unfriendly: It's FREEEEEZING there in the very pretty, open-air office on the balcony atop the windy hill. Reggie and I finally caved in and have been going between a toasty (indoor!) impromptu office we set up in our friend Peter's house and HHF (where they're currently digging through a series of awful "restoration" efforts made by previous owners of the house to get to the original fireplaces). Naturally, I was overwhelmed by warm-envy, because I adore the house at HHF, but couldn't handle the temperature.....so I was scrolling through the blog entries about fireplaces that were featured in Houseblogs.net, looking at stunning finished examples, like the white-hot Black Forest fireplace in DOORSIXTEEN's house, and House In Progress's pretty fireplace wish list...........(Their motto:"We call it Home IMPROVEMENT because it can't get any worse").
Needless to say, I'm drooling....metaphorically, at least. At the moment, the boys are uncovering the basement fireplace, and have made one very heartening discovery. Buried deep in the walls of the basement, lurking for all these years, there are remnants of an original Beehive Oven!More on this soon.
Reference: (From Wikipedia)
Beehive oven
A beehive oven was used to turn coal into coke.
Coke (fuel)
Coke is a solid carbonaceous material derived from destructive distillation of low-ash, low-sulfur bituminous coal.
The volatile constituents of the coal including water, coal-gas, and coal-tar are driven off by baking in an airless oven at temperatures as high as 2,000 degrees Celsius. This fuses together the fixed carbon and residual ash. Most coke in modern facilities is produced in "by-product" coke ovens, such as in the upper photograph, and the resultant coke is used as the main fuel in iron-making blast furnaces. Today, the hydrocarbons are considered to be by-products of modern coke-making facilities (though they are usually captured and used to produce valuable products). Non by-product coke ovens, such as in the lower photograph, burn hydrocarbon off-gases on site to provide the heat needed to drive the carbonization process.
Age of restoration Tinsmith Dennis Heaphy is turning a 19th-century house into a workshop
By TOM KEYSER, Staff writer First published: Sunday, November 18, 2007
Dennis Heaphy doesn't require affirmation of what he does as often as most workers do. But every now and then, even for Heaphy, affirmation is nice.
"I was having a glass of wine last night, and the bartender asks, 'How was your day?' " Heaphy says. "I said, 'Well, you know, I'm really enjoying this. I'm laying on the roof, and I'm intent on what I'm doing; I'm scraping off the existing tar on the metal to prep it to be soldered. And then I realize that it's a beautiful day, and I'm looking out on the Hudson from the highest point.' "
From his rooftop perch at Howard Hall Farm, Heaphy can watch the Hudson River hug the bank as it pushes past the village of Athens, near Hudson. A fourth-generation tinsmith, he is restoring the roof of the 1870s house.
A beefy man with flowing hair and a bushy mustache, Heaphy usually divides his time between New York City, where he is resident tinsmith at the Statue of Liberty, and Syracuse, where his great-grandfather opened a metal shop 115 years ago. But for several weeks over the next several months, he will be in the Hudson River Valley helping restore the old Federal-style house and giving lessons in tinsmithing.
Platform for school
Heaphy's participation exemplifies how Howard Hall Farm is a laboratory for "sustainable, environmentally conscious restoration techniques," as its owner Reggie Young puts it. He and his partner, Nora Johnson, bought the house in 2005 as "the platform for a school of restoration that I had fantasized about," Young says.
It was in rough shape -- perfect for what Young had in mind. He's a former restaurateur in New York City and Connecticut who grew up on a farm in eastern Pennsylvania. His parents did restoration work, and he did, too, even while owning restaurants. But he wanted to do more.
At Howard Hall Farm, he and Johnson started by ripping out the electrical system, plumbing, ceilings, floors, walls and siding as well as tearing down all additions.
"We gutted it back to everything that was original," Young says.
That took about six months. Then reconstruction began. Young and his partner are bringing in preservation and restoration experts from around the country to oversee the work and give seminars in, for example, masonry and historic paints and finishes.
The real thing
Young recruited Heaphy this summer after reading about him in an article in a New York newspaper. The article was headlined "The Tin Man."
"He told me the house was built in 1780. That was the hook," Heaphy says. "The opportunities don't come up that often to come in and try to salvage old work.
"This is not theoretical. This is the real thing. You watch some television show, and you can muse about it. But actually to get your hands in it ... "
And Heaphy's hands are full with this project. Standing on the roof, he says: "You're looking at a map of people's mistakes over 200 years."
He has the expertise to correct them. He learned to work with metal from the old men in his family's shop in Syracuse that supported the family's hardware store and heating and roofing companies. What turned out to be a fortunate happenstance started as a nuisance.
"I inadvertently learned a trade that very few people have anymore," says Heaphy, 48. "I really only do work that I find interesting, like this. Having this talent has given me the freedom to do that. But when I was 11 years old I didn't want to be a tinsmith."
He wanted to be with friends. Instead, he worked after school, Saturdays and summers learning to solder, bend metal, corrugate pipe, lay out a job and envision how it would look when finished. By the time he was 15 or 16, he says, he was master of the shop.
"I learned to appreciate the craft," he says, "to love working with metal."
To the statue
He also loves performing, and that led him to the Statue of Liberty. His mother was a singer, and Heaphy, while running the shop, did summer stock and regional theater. Through people he'd met acting, he got a job transforming a room of the Ellis Island museum in New York City into a theater. Then he befriended workers in the Ellis Island maintenance department, the same workers who oversee the Statue of Liberty. He told them about his family business.
"I said, 'So what do I have to do to become the resident tinsmith for the statue?' " Heaphy says. "I'm positive the guy's going to laugh in my face. And instead he goes, 'I don't know. We can probably find you something.' And inside, as a tinsmith, I'm thinking, 'What did he say? Did he really say that?' "
They found him a job repairing the brass windows in the statue's crown. Then he repaired the brass grating in the lobby.
"They kept on giving me different projects," Heaphy says, "and I became the go-to guy."
He also got a job performing, five times a day at the base of the statue, a dramatic re-enactment of how the statue was built. He puts the show aside when there's work to do on the statue.
Bringing it back
He's been the statue tinsmith for eight years, working from April to October and then going home to Syracuse for the winter. Until it snows, he says, he'll continue working on and off on the Howard Hall Farm roof. He's planning on finishing in the spring.
"The tin roof is still intact," Heaphy says. "But over the years people have dropped things on it and punctured it, and they put nails in it to hold it down, or they put tar on it, or they put caulk on it, and when they ripped out fireplaces and chimneys they put aluminum over it."
He is removing as much tar with a chisel as he can, and then he'll have helpers remove the rest with paint thinner. They'll wash it with soap and water, and he'll use a brush to get it as smooth as possible. It will eventually be painted red.
Heaphy will solder the holes and remove any exposed nails. A tin roof like this, he says, should be bent and folded to create waterproof seams. He'll peel the roof back so the soffits can be replaced, and he'll create drains. He'll replace the tin around the new chimneys.
In the process, he'll teach contractors and others about the art of tinsmithing.
"What Reggie's trying to do here is give people a window to the past and the opportunity to get their hands into these processes, to appreciate the original process," Heaphy says. "Happily, these old roofs do exist, and there are people out there trying to keep them."
Tom Keyser can be reached at 454-5448 or by e-mail at tkeyser@timesunion.com.
Classes for restorers
For more information about lessons with Dennis Heaphy or Howard Hall Farm renovation and seminars, call Reggie Young at 945-1945. (or 945-1253)
Upcoming seminars:
Dec. 1-2: Rory Brennan (plasterer from "This Old House"): Lime washes and finishes.
Dec. 2: Brigit Binns, spokesperson for Williams-Sonoma and author of cookbooks: Green-friendly cooking.
Dec. 8 (tentative): Shannon Hayes, author of "The Grassfed Gourmet," "The Farmer and the Grill" and "The Carnivore Chronicles": Cooking class.
Dec. 15: Mercy Ingraham, author of "Open Hearth Cook": Hearth cooking from the Federal era.
Next year's seminars begin in April. Topics include kiln building, Dutch-barn building, historic sash restoration and historic doors.
A green-technology conference, exploring options and costs for restoration, is scheduled May 17-19. Heaphy will give seminars in tinsmithing June 21-22.
All Times Union materials copyright 1996-2007, Capital Newspapers Division of The Hearst Corporation, Albany, N.Y.
As we embark on this chimney building project I found myself compelled to think of the births, deaths, and everything in between that was once shared in front of these fires.
At this point, just having a fire will seem like a dream 2 years in the making. We had so many other things that had to happen before we could do the chimney. But now that we are here it is very exciting.
The photos of the chimneys core with the flue channel gives one a wonderful feeling for how they were built originally. Due to years of water coming both down the chimneys as well as around them,the lime mortar, and many of the bricks finally gave out. In the process of taking the chimney down, we found the remains of the fireplace on the second floor, which we are restoring as art of this process.
Next Spring, we will plaster the chimneys to bring back their 18th century appearance.
The mantles have made it through all these many years, and in almost perfect condition. We do have to replace one hearth, flash into the old terne tin roof, and then line and protect the flues. After the chimneys are up we can plaster the rooms and finally move into them as living space after 2 years of work.
Whew! That was a big one!
-Reggie -----
The 2nd floor fireplace we uncovered and brick coming down on the first floor (showing guts):
Here's the scoop on our new heating system: Mind you, we are not engineers, but have a practical approach to these issues. After much researching of what is available out there(and there are other cogeneration systems that we did not choose),we chose to go with a product from [**Climate Energy**], which will eventually both produce our heat, as well as provide the bulk of our electricity, all in a highly efficient system that has been developed by Honda.
On Saturday we (the heat system installers and myself)went to Climate Energy's training session. We saw units running and working. The only down side is that we have to wait to get the electric side of the system until it gets through UL approval, unless we get a test unit, which we are working on...
For now we have the boiler that will be ready for the final install next year. If we were doing hot air, and not propane, we could be up on line with the whole system right now. But the wait will be worth it. Once we have it, even if the power goes out we will still have electricity, and not from the grid.
It will be **much more efficient** making wattage from our unit than from the fossil fuel plant that feeds the grid as they aren't very efficient at all. We feel that this is the greenest option out there at this time for all kinds of reasons, and one that makes a big difference in terms of pay back in less time than geothermal, which we can hardly afford right now anyway.
We will be discussing the system on the blog as we get it installed and going. We're looking forward to installing the whole deal with the hot air natural gas option (that does make electricity now) for a client soon, so we will have practical experience on that end soon. (We couldn't do that in our own house, since we can't do duct work here without destroying the historic fabric of the building).
Our installer will become the dealer for the Upstate New York area soon and we will posts links as soon as all that is arranged. Very exciting technology that is just out, and we are getting the first Climate Energy system in New York State. **I believe we're number 57 in the chain of installs in this country.**
Keep posted for more info on this topic if you are an energy enthusiast!
The following photo's are our ancient old oil tank coming out (which was once a water tank). We are setting this room up so that it can be a viewing room for the system.
_____________________________________________________________________ THE EXPERIMENT:
This is the front of the Federal Mansion in progress....for those who are not color-blind, I'm sure the oddity of the top level will jump out at you immediately. You might ask, "What the hell were they thinking using two different kinds of wood on the siding up there?" That's understandable. Here's what we were thinking: Rumor has it that cedar doesn't hold paint as well as pine. We wanted to test that. What if people have been cruelly slandering cedar all these years for no reason without even realizing it? Making it go to different drinking fountains and sit at the back of the truck for no reason but prejudice....wouldn't that be atrocious? We can't let the 'alleged' injustice go on! Reggie is doing an experiment on his house to compare the difference between cedar and pine...so, stay tuned and we'll let you know what the outcome is.
After months of searching,WE FINALLY FOUND A SHEEP SHEARER!
They got the **latest** possible hairdos in every sense of the word.
This new sheep shearer we found was truly incredible...
And since it took us MONTHS to even find an available shearer in the area, we decided to bring him in next spring to train people in sheep shearing...more on that to follow. We're just glad our Shetland sheep are finally pampered as they deserve to be.
This morning, I was greeted by an unusual guest. I sat down at my computer at Howard Hall Farm, and perched on top of it was an enormous Praying Mantis. She stared at me calmly and followed me with her eyes. The magnificent creature was inches away from my face, and longer than my hand. She looked around at the scenery. The way she moved was stunning and sinuous. She held her forelegs delicately, and moved them with the grace of a Flamenco dancer. When I sang to her, she moved the top of her body and swayed, arching and lowering her back. Her antennae balanced on a gust of wind. She was very aware of all of my movements, as I was of hers. ... following me with her large amber eyes. She showed me her underside. It was a stunning synchronicity of delicately monochromatic corals and reds, with iridescent copper filaments. We looked at each other. I was awed by the acuity of her awareness. We watched and tilted our heads together. I couldn't help but speak to her. She was like a fairy. When a mantis is threatened, it spreads its forelegs to allow penetration of the victim, fanning its legs and opening its mouth...hissing... This mantis did not do that. She danced: turning, swaying, and writhing. For twenty minutes this went on. Silences and sways. Communication. We shared one last gaze, then she flew over my head and away. Mantis means prophet in Greek.
After glimpsing the newly exposed, luscious bare bones of our long-suffering, (and until recently) tastelessly butchered attic, I went to Catskill + Co for lunch. That place has such a wonderful ambiance. There are streaming curtains of cut-paper birds flowing from the archway between the dining area and the chocolate counter, and the staff there is incredibly sweet and intelligent. They chatted with me about static electricity and held the door as I left. It reminded me of a romanticized movie version of life in the silent film era. And the highlight of the scene: Someone had scrawled across a large mirror behind the counter:
A Good Morning from the Post-Eclipse Light to the Place It Eats Its Noon
The stunning Eastern light on this morning after the eclipse saturated the Howard Hall Farm Balcony, and turned everything to gold laced with delicate gray shadows.
I am reminded of an old favorite poem:
"At North Farm
Somewhere someone is traveling furiously toward you,
At incredible speed, traveling day and night,
Through blizzards and desert heat, across torrents, through
A Participant's Review of the Historic Paints and Faux Finishes Workshop
An excerpt about our most recent HISTORIC PAINTS AND FAUX FINISHES WORKSHOP from one of the participants, and a dear friend:
The historic painting workshop was fascinating. I've been enjoying the feeling of being in class, taking notes and looking at slides! **I think I've been craving this kind of focus, this kind of subject matter. I've walked away feeling inspired to start so many projects! ** It's been a few years now since I've had the opportunity to talk exclusively about painting for hours at a time.
Athens is an interesting town. Victorian houses and storefronts in rows, with trailers and little salt box houses between. I've lived in towns like this, but they were too sleepy for me. This one is far more alive. I suppose if I lived in the city and had the means, I'd like a Victorian project home on the riverside too. I can appreciate the need for an escape.
S's friends are great fun. Interested in the sensuality of objects, food, and drink. We and I spent two lovely nights sitting along the porch on rocking chairs admiring the stars. I was impressed by the level of detail they've incorporated into their living spaces. There was a fabulous walnut sofa upholstered in silhouettes of trees. Both her friends and her uncles had collections of old photographs and portraits of mysterious, stern-looking men and women. I understood very well the impulse to populate one's home with faces and personalities. It seems to me unimportant that they be family or known people.
I’ll be damned! I left my camera battery charger at home! I am kicking myself over this… There were some beautiful scenes I should have documented. Hopefully, S. will make a flicker site or pass the images along to me.
We visited Olana, the home of Hudson River School painter Frederic Church. He designed the home with inspiration from his trips to Arabia and the Orient. The mansion is perched at the apex of a mountain, looking over the Hudson River. A breathtaking view can be taken in on the rear porches. One of the presenters at the workshop had recently completed the restoration of the original stencils found throughout the house. It's an opulent space. In some cases, Church imitated the Arabian theme with innovation! Placing a meticulously made paper cut-out, in the style of a Morrocan screen, between two panes of glass, to simulate the effect. All wall colors were original, in palettes of ochre, red, purple. I have returned home with some ideas!
The presenting artists were all lovely people, with great command over their medium. I learned a great deal about paints and varnishes. When I experience something as I did this weekend, I come away with questions about my own path as a painter. The lectures were given in the context of restoration, which is something I was once very interested in pursuing as a career. But I feel fairly certain I will not end up doing this. It is more useful to me as a way of bringing contemporary subject matter into a traditional medium. For instance, I think it would be great to do narrative murals in historic style, or giving the illusion of being old. There are also possibilities for creating objects that simulate aged wood. I shall practice on my apartment!! Perhaps I will begin with a stencil border on my plank living room floor?
I feel relaxed, as if I have been away for a week. It was the best escape I've had all summer!
Talk about a Full Metal Jacket! The doorways of the house are cloaked in layers of lead paint. Today, Lorena's decked out in riot gear with sci-fi mask and all, attacking the toxic cracks an crumbling bits. The picture on the left is the balcony doorway she finished last week during the historic paints and faux finishes workshop. On the right, you can see her working on the front door (today). The wood beneath the deadly veils of lead is beautiful. By the end of the day, all will be revealed!
Some things we've learned about lead (mostly gleaned from Michael Black during the first Historic Paints and Faux Finishes Workshop):
There are two means of ingesting lead: breathing it in, and allowing it to be absorbed into the bloodstream.
It's the lead you can't see that is hazardous. In its particulate and vapor forms (it can be vaporized with a heat gun), it seeps into the membranes of your lungs. ** Do not allow it to become airborne!**
While it is obviously best to prevent contact with lead if at all possible, while working on a historic home, that can be a little tricky. If you think you've been exposed to lead, get tested!
While this is not really an effective preventative measure, we have heard that as a disaster management tactic, the consumption of food containing dark chlorophil (for example, wheat grass, kale, or molasses) is mildly beneficial.
For more information on lead:
The National Lead Information Center (NLIC) provides the general public and professionals with information about lead hazards and their prevention. NLIC operates under a contract with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), with funding from EPA, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Contact the National Lead Information Center to receive a general information packet, to order other documents, or for detailed information or questions.
Too Many Chicks In Paradise! Who Ever Heard of Such A Thing?
Sad but true. We have way too many chicks! The Adams and Eves of foul have been having a ball, and now there are far too many little beaked babes scampering about. Yes, we have heard of gathering the eggs and making them deviled, but you try "happening to notice" that one of the little mamas has a secret nest in the roof. (We eventually did notice, when in the middle of a lightning storm in our windowless office on the balcony, we began chasing wind-blown papers about, and chicks started falling from the sky! Blossom was snapping them up in her jaws as quick as a whip, but many escaped under cover of the howling wind to proliferate, gobble, and peck.) So...
Help us by helping yourself! Free Chickens...take one, get one free! A dozen for the price of zero, et cetera, et cetera...
To get your free chicks, send us an email by clicking the link at the top of this page! Raise them, braise them, do what you will!
The T-shirts and tank tops Reggie and I designed have just arrived, and they look gorgeous! The Front says "Howard Hall Farm". The back is an image of Atlas with our house on his back.
It's too cold today to try on one of the tank tops and take a picture, but I'll put one up as soon as I can feel my fingers again... The t-shirts are $15 each Tank tops are $20 each
To sport one of our shirts:
send me an email: howardhall.farm@gmail.com Tell me what size t-shirt you want, and I'll send you a secure paypal button via email.
Statue of Liberty's Tinsmith To Visit Howard Hall Farm
Lady Liberty's Tin Man 'Ternes' toward Howard Hall Farm
Our House at Howard Hall Farm has a Terne Tin roof, so over the years, Reggie has done a lot of research on it. He's been looking for an expert for quite some time now, so when he read an article in the New York Post about THE TIN MAN who is the fourth generation of a line of tinsmiths (dating back to 1892), and Lady Liberty's personal assistant, he couldn't resist getting in touch with him.
Incredible as it seems, Dennis Heaphy has agreed to come work on Howard Hall Farm's tin roof! He'll be working here for a week in mid-October. During his stay, Dennis will be conducting a presentation for children about the making of the statue of Liberty.
In an interview for "The Tin Man:Metalsmith puts best face on Lady Liberty", by C.J. Sullivan(New York Post), Mr. Heaphy said, "This truly is my dream job. It’s an evolution of everything I’ve ever done. It’s an opportunity to use an esoteric knowledge, combined with an opportunity to display it. And there’s nothing like seeing a child fascinated with something they didn’t know they’d be fascinated with. They love to hear me tell how hard it was for me, at 11, to hold the tools. They grab them and try and keep them steady.
When I leave for the day, it’s a real gift to go home by boat. I always look back at the Statue of Liberty and feel good that I enriched some people’s day there. It makes me giggle when I look back. I feel that good."
We are open to the idea of offering a workshop for anyone interested in learning at the hands of a true artisan, but we will only do this if enough people are interested. If you would like to take a workshop to learn to work with Terne Tin, contact us at howardhall.farm@gmail.com
For those of you who aren't familiar with Terne Tin, Reggie found a posting about it on the Slate Roof Central Message Board:
"Terne is an alloy coating of lead and tin used to cover steel - the terne coated steel is also known as terne metal and often referred to as "tin" (get the Slate Roof Bible). You can still buy terne-coated steel at any roofing supply place. We do not use it because it's better to use terne coated STAINLESS steel (TCS), or copper, when replacing terne metal roofs. Both TCS and copper will outlast terne metal and don't need painted until they reach about 50 years (if ever).
Terne metal needs painted immediately or it will rust and it has to be painted regularly. If it is kept painted, it will last a long time (90 years).
The latest version of terne is called terne II. It is an alloy of zinc and tin (the lead has been removed for environmental reasons). The terne coated stainless is now called TCSII. It's available from Follansbee in Follansbee, WV.
I should add that when ordering terne coated stainless from a roofing supply company make sure you make it very clear that it's STAINLESS steel you're ordering. Numerous times we have been shipped terne coated steel instead of the terne coated stainless steel that we ordered due to salesmen who weren't too bright and didn't know the difference."
Paint's Dating History, Material Relationships, and Finishes
August 4-5, 2007 workshop fee: $300
This introductory workshop is geared toward home restorers, artists, and curious folk, without expecting participants to have previous knowledge of historic paints and finishes.
The workshops will begin with a presentation by Michael Black of Liberty Paint touching on topics such as: * The Colorful History of Paint: Traditions, Alternative Variations, & Uses * Paint Types: Oil, Whitewash, Egg, Milk, Pigments, Asphaltum, Modern, Glazes, Varnish, & Shellac * Project Reference: Munsell Color Standards & Color Computer * Chromo-chronology: Dating Paint Layers * Surfaces: Wood, Plaster, Ferrous Metal, Aluminum, Brick, Stone * Project Prep: Stripping, Sanding, & Application * Project Tools: Brushes, Spray, Padding, etc. * Project Evaluation: Lead, Plaster, Solvents, Mildew, & Wallpaper
Michael Black's presentation is followed by hands-on workshop demonstrating methods including:
Faux Rosewood Doors
Milk Paint, Stencil, Faux Marble Floors
Moira Kelly and Nora Johnson, whom we're constantly raving about will be leading the rest of the historic paint and interior finishes sessions.
These prestigious New York decorative artists are frequent collaborators with complimentary strengths.
Norah Johnson received a BA in Fine Art from Moore College of Art in Philadelphia, PA, and conducted her post-graduate studies at Les Beaux Arts in Paris and New York University in New York. An exquisitely accomplished and prolific painter and sculptress, her professional life has included more than 85 major commissions for the public, corporate, and private sectors spanning four continents. Among these are works for Bank of America, Sun Oil, E.I. DuPont, AT&T, The Peoria civic Center, and the Hyatt Regency.
Always a pioneer, her practice stretches into the realms of mural painting and decorative finishes as well. In her research and explorations of historic decoration, she has had the opportunity to explore and restore some of the superlative remaining examples of 19th century stencils and folk graining.
Her interest in utilizing green technology in conjunction with historic processes has allowed her to create innovative techniques that integrate traditional methods of working with environmentally friendly materials, preserving the stunning and irreplaceable beauty of the old practices, while enabling them to be practically applied in keeping with the demands of modern times.
Moira Kelly has an Honors degree in Art History and a certificate in conservation from Munich, Germany. She has worked in Italy, Germany, the United Kingdom, and the U.S. She has been involved in many prestigious projects around the globe. Most recently, Moira was retained to do a feasibility study on the future restoration of a Philip Guston mural in Morelia, Mexico.
To learn more about Philip Guston's murals, click here. The link above will send you to a text that I am thrilled is available online. It is probably the most pivotal work on Guston ever published and anyone can read it for free online. The link leads to:
A Critical Study of Philip Guston by Dore Ashton UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA PRESS Berkeley, Los Angeles. Oxford 1990 The Regents of the University of California
Moira Kelly is a technician with a broad knowledge of materials, their history, and application. Nora's expertise and experimentation have led her to create contemporary solutions to conservation issues with new surfaces and materials. Their workshop is a weekend introduction to the character of decorative painting, its uses (commercial and residential), its role in restoration work, ethics, safety, tools and matterials, and some basic techniques and terminology. You will also be advised on some books worth consulting and materials and tools to use in your own projects.
As you can see, we have a killer line-up for this workshop. It's sure to be an incredible and inspiring weekend.
Our workshops will help you achieve success with finishes whether you're a professional painter, decorator, a building owner, or overseeing a preservation project. Certificates of completion will be distributed to attendees at the conclusion of the workshop and lunches are provided.
JOIN US FOR AN COCKTAILS AND AN EVENING PRESENTATION WITH MARGARET SALISKE!
Margaret's talk coincides nicely with the Historic Paints and Finishes workshop, but is a separate event. Her presentation and cocktails will begin at 6:30 at Howard Hall Farm (84 Howard Hall Road, Athens, NY). Anyone (whether part of the workshop or not) is welcome to attend this talk. Admittance to our Evening Talk With Margaret Saliske is $15. RSVP or just drop in.
Historic Lime Mortar
Summer - TBA
Repointing & Rebuilding Stone is a workshop taught by John Speweik of U.S. Heritage Group of Chicago. The workshop is formatted as an on-site consultation of the 220-year-old Federal style home in Athens NY, which serves as our classroom and laboratory. The site offers a unique environment for hands-on learning and offers specific restoration challenges that are distinctive to this region. These classes are geared toward the restoration practitioner as well as the layman and are sure to be valuable resource in this restoration-heavy area of the country.
John will offer a presentation on the History of Mortar as well as technical information regarding the analysis and evaluation of historic mortars. Following the presentation, participants will engage in hands-on repointing and stone rebuilding work using the specified methods of approach for masonry restoration.
Historic Lime Plaster Training: A Forensic Investigation and Resolution of the Travesties of Time
WITH RORY BRENNAN
THE NEW DATES ARE IN! THE LIME PLASTER WORKSHOP WILL BE HELD FROM JULY 24-26. EARLY REGISTRATION IS RECOMMENDED.
3-day Workshop fee: $450
REGISTRATION CLOSED.To read about upcoming workshops, click the Classes tab at the top of the page.
For more information & registration details: howardhall.farm@gmail.com
The Historic Lime Plaster Workshop will be given by Plaster Preservationist and Conservator Rory Brennan of Preservation Plastering . His projects have included some of the finest government buildings, churches, and Historic House Museums in the Country.Click here to read his article for "This Old House"
Rory will present a lecture and workshop on the chemistry, analysis, evalauation, and application of Historic Plaster including plaster mixing to match original, ornamental design and layouts, finishing techniques, and tools of the trade. He will guide participants through the process of investigating the clues of time's crime against exquisite architectural elements, and using highly specialized techniques to bring the victims back to their former glory.
**This class has passed. To read about upcoming workshops, CLICK HERE ** For more information & registration details: howardhall.farm@gmail.com
Tentative Lime Plaster Training Curriculum from Rory Brennan:
Three day workshop: This program is conducted on-site in an actual historic setting. The class will investigate and evaluate the conditions found and discuss the various options available for repair and implement a chosen path. The attendees will learn how to match an historic plaster and build the patching plaster from the components. We will start out the first day making plaster and then analyzing the existing plaster and replacement sand. I will take your attendees down the same path I take on every project. We will learn by doing everyday. There will be a minor power point show to reinforce the lessons learned developed from photos taken at the workshop. The last hour of every day will be involved with a question and answer period concerning that days and any previous day's program. I will develop a power point show which you can forward to attendees (on CD) with printable images of the repair techniques specific to HHF. I will print and send to you a completion certificate to be signed by you and forwarded to each attendee. This skill set also adapts well and fits in with painting preparation. Attendees will learn how to make judgments about plaster repair from existing conditions to choosing repair options and implementing them for the longest lasting results in the shortest amount of time. This training will be of interest to architects, property management, maintence crews, contractors, homeowners, DIYers, painters, plasterers, specifiers and estimators.
PRESERVATION PLASTERING, LTD™ Three Day Plaster Repair Training
DAY ONE:
Acid test Analyze existing plaster/sand Sand to use, field test to find correct ratio Volumetric test Make plaster AFTER LUNCH Data from Volumetric test Example: 33 ml liquid in 100ml sand = 1 lime putty: 3 sand Lime putty into mixer 1/3 sand into bucket, one at a time Talk about fiber Hemp vs. hair vs. synthetic Add fiber to plaster Off load plaster into trash cans to store until day two Go over site and lay out scope and schedule of work NOTES: Add 40% to plaster volumes to compensate for keys and wall cavity drops. PRESERVATION PLASTERING, LTD™
DAY TWO: Analyze existing conditions Loose areas Look for bulges Feel for loose plaster Finger test for stability Replacement areas Determine mix Value of conditioning lath Holes and cracks Determine mixture White coat Joint compound Stabilize plaster BEFORE LUNCH Drill Condition Adhere Clamp Prepare surfaces for plaster Conditioner to lath Plaster Scratch coat on large area voids NOTES: PRESERVATION PLASTERING, LTD™
DAY THREE: Remove clamps Reusable washers Plaster Large areas Finish layer Small areas Only layer—add gypsum, 1:3 Joint compound Surface divots"
Scroll down to see what's been going on around here. Everyone's been working hard!
Our friend Dan just sent us some discouraging news. We were all whipped into a frenzy of excitement and hope when we learned about William McDonough, the revolutionary Architect who planned (among other things) to build an ecologically balanced, energy-efficient village in China. Unfortunately, the project doesn't seem to be going too well (read:disaster)...
Yesterday, we received a call telling us that our moldings were ready to be picked up. I had spoken to the man making them on the phone before, and even as no more than a voice, his Scottish accent and incredible kindness struck me. He had a familial quality to him that I think would touch anyone who read fairy tales as a child. His voice was woodsy and ancient but posessed a timeless jovial quality. Reggie had been telling me how amazing Ron is in person, but I couldn't have understood it without seeing him in real life.
I got in the truck with Reggie and Blossom (Reggie's little Jack Russel), and we drove for a long time, going deep into the forest to find Ron's workshop and pick up the beautiful moldings he made with his hands. The woods were straight out of a Celtic fairy tale, with a carving of the Greenman gaurding it, and a foreboding sign hung along the winding path:
"ANYONE FOUND HERE AT NIGHT WILL BE FOUND HERE IN THE MORNING"
The road wound and dipped and threw its pools of rainwater against the truck, licking at the cavities of the rolled down windows.
When we arrived at his clearing, Reggie introduced me to Ron, who is truly a man straight out of a legend and charming as hell. He grew up in Aberdeen, and his father was a game-keeper, and somehow, he ended up here, protecting this little patch of forest.
He let us into his workshop, all filled up with sawdust from making Celtic knot staircases and wooden puzzles (he designed one for every day of the year, and as little girls, his daughters used to miraculously solve them all), and our new moldings.
The workshop was filled with all sorts of curious things... cupric tints covered the tools, and there were sharp objects at every turn and lathe...devices that nick and sand....
He loaded the moldings onto our truck, and called me Lass, while refusing to make me help with the lifting, and was very kind to us all...I saw an antler hiding under the wood-scraps at the top of a shelf. They peeked out like an omen. Clean materials were all mixed in with the ancient looking tools and their teeth, and the smell of sawdust was so pervasive and refreshing that it became a personality of its own...
Ron's blades looked like a brainwave map, all in flux and tidy rows... Everywhere, were lurking teeth. Old world meets new, legend and life snuggling comfortably in their little patch of forest. The dust from all his projects created a fine film on the windows, and the way it filtered light and murk gave you the feeling you were looking through portals to a magical forest you couldn't enter.The forest in his window seemed older than the one outside his door. It was an altered place.
Ron showed Reggie pictures of the most beautiful Celtic stairwell....he built the thing with his mythic hands. It was a masterpiece. I don't care what logic says. In my memory, Ron was eight feet tall and lives in a magical forest where strange things happen, and animals seem to take on new power....
When we left, Blossom sat on Reggie's lap, and became fascinated with the road. She seemed particularly affected by the woods and the whimsical realm we were leaving behind. And then something strange came over her... she put her front paws on the wheel of the truck and began to 'drive'... It wore off as we left the woods... but for a while Blossom got to feel like a person.
We passed many old roads with names like "Gypsy Point" for a mile or so before returning home with our amazing new moldings, visions of Rob's world, and the scent of the forest in our clothes....
**Not that kind of hunt...we don't want to shoot them, just invite them over for a nice cup of tea, and a week of restoration.
INTERNSHIP OPPORTUNITIES We're inviting anyone interested in a week-long restoration or research internship to click on this article's title and read on! We're offering a number of different internships between now and November. We have positions ideal for students (of restoration, historic structures, writing, history, library studies, construction, architecture, antiquarian processes, artisans, etc.) as well as places for people who have their own historic home (or someone else's to work on), and would like a chance to get a feel for our environmentally friendly restoration techniques, and apply them to their own structures! Glean some of the benefits of taking our workshops at off-peak times working as an intern, and have a chance to meet all the interesting characters lurking about this old pile of beams.
Nicky applied lime plaster to the basement wall below the stairs. Of course lime plaster is much better for your walls than regular plaster, and allows them to breathe and drink when thirsty, but who knew it could look so luscious! The texture of it is eyeball heaven. It has a lively color and richness to it that is unsurpassed by any other plaster. It's so beautiful you have to restrain yourself from licking the walls!
At the beginning of the week, the room that is now a fully functional bathroom looked like this: A misty realm devoid of life, fit only for mists and invented creatures...
Until Nora saved it: she plastered the floors, scored them to look like large tiles, and applied a gorgeous treatment to them that made them look old and time-worn. Nora is the artist who did the stunning interiors of The River Tavern, and as always, she worked her magic well. She's one of our instructors for the Historic Paint and Interior Finishes Workshop. So for those of you who come to the workshop, maybe she'll teach you how she did this incredible face-lift in our basement. Check back tomorrow for photos of the bathroom as it is now. You won't believe your eyes. I don't.
Descendants at our Door! And I don't mean the stairs.
We have just been contacted by a descendant of William Brandow and Joseph Groom (born in 1748, before the Declaration of Independence!), previous occupants of this very house!. She and her grandmother (also a descendant) are going to come visit us, and let us interview them. Hopefully, they will be able to help us fill in some of the gaps in the history of this place. I'll put everything up once I have their permission in early July.
The Athens Cultural Center will be celebrating the Evarts Library's Centennial by hosting a walking tour of the stunning historic homes in our piece of the Hudson River Valley. Some of these homes (including ours) have not been open to the public since the library was a mere 50 years old. Join us in the festivities on Saturday, June 30th. In addition to gaining entrance and stories inside these gorgeous historic sites, there will also be a lunchtime concert in the park, a photography sale, and a parade (complete with horse-drawn carriage, 19th century fire wagon, and a procession of antique automobiles carrying our public figures to the reviewing stand)!
THREE RARE, EARLY HOUSES OPEN TO THE PUBLIC FOR THE FIRST TIME IN YEARS Celebrate Old Home Week with a tour of homes in Athens, a lunchtime concert in the park and a photography sale. Fete the Evarts Library on its centennial and watch as the Athens Cultural Center helps recreates the Old Home Week parade up Main Street. Saturday, June 30th
To help the Evarts Library celebrate its centennial, the Athens Cultural Center has joined forces to stage a celebration replete with house tours, parades, exhibits, old time music and old-fashioned children's games. This revives the first Old Home Week celebration which was started 100 years ago, in conjunction with the laying of the cornerstone of the Evarts Library. In the way that only the village of Athens can do, we're recreating this slice of Americana on Saturday, June 30th. The centerpiece of our celebration is a tour of homes in the village including three major, early houses that have not been open to the public in at least 50 years and an exhibition at the Cultural Center highlighting the library centennial and the celebration of Old Home Week in Athens. The Greene County Camera Club will host a photography sale at the Cultural Center. The Evarts Library will host a centennial celebration on its lawn. Babe Ruth Little League and APAC will help host a lunchtime concert in the Riverfront Park. We'll all parade up Main Street together. So come out to Athens and help us fete the library as it turns 100.
Tour of homes: 10 AM- 4 PM
Photo: Howard Hall Farm, the earliest Federal House on the Hudson River
Tour times: Guided tours of village homes will be held on the hour at 10, 11, noon, 1, 2 and 3 PM. Meet at the Athens Cultural Center at least 15 minutes prior to the tour start.
Tickets: Tours cost $15 per person with advance reservation, $20 at the door. To reserve tickets in advance, email your name, number of tickets and requested tour time to info@athensculturalcenter.org. Please put "House Tour Tickets" in your email subject line.
Parking: Parking is available on North Franklin Street, just north of the intersection of Second and Franklin Street. The Athens Cultural Center is located one block away, at 24 Second Street, between Franklin and Washington Streets.
Haight-Gantley House
Featured properties: The tour will feature the Haight-Gantley House, a significant work by Barnabus Waterman, the House of History architect, built during the War of 1812. This house has not been open in decades and the last recorded house tour was for the Athens sesquicentennial in 1955. The house is surprisingly in tact and features an impressive and rare oval ballroom and striking views over the Hudson River. Also featured is Howard Hall Farm, constructed circa 1780 and considered by some to be the earliest Federal house in left the Hudson Valley. This house, which has been in private hands since the 1970's, is virtually unknown to Federal architecture
aficionados although in retains much of its early fabric including such rarities as cylinder glass windows and perfectly preserved period European marble fireplace surrounds. An impressive Civil War era house, retaining its elegant period detail and impeccably decorated with a mix of American and European antiques, will be shown on a house tour for the first time ever. This house was probably the last in-village farm in Athens and only left the hands of the original farming family a few years ago. The Evarts Library, other village gems and a stroll up Second Street and down South Franklin Street, which contain some of the most impressive houses in the village, round out the tour.
Old Home Week Parade: 12:45 PM The parade route runs up Second Street from the Riverfront Park to the Evarts Library. The Athens Fire Department will pull their 19th century fire wagon, library trustees will ride in a horse-drawn carriage and classic cars will carry local dignitaries to the reviewing stand. Not since Norman Rockwell have you seen anything this quaint.
Lunchtime Concert in the Park: 12-1 PM The Saints of Swing brass band and the Dented Fenders barbershop quartet give a lunchtime concert in the gazebo in the Athens Riverfront Park. Have some lunch while you listen to old time music and watch the Hudson River meander by.
Evarts Library Centennial Celebration: 1-3 PM
Photo: the Evarts Library
Especially for kids or the kid in you, the Evarts Library will host its centennial celebration on its front lawn. Following the serving of the centennial birthday cake and lemonade, enjoy free horse and buggy rides, Professor Marvel's Old Tyme Magic Show, Uncle Sam the Stilt Waker and many turn-of-the century games. The Post Office will hold a special centennial stamp cancellation for those secret philatelists in the crowd.
The Evarts Library will also be one of the stops on our tour of historic village homes. An exhibition highlighting the history of the library centennial and the Old Home Week celebration is on view concurrently at the Athens Cultural Center.
We are pleased announce our 2007 Series of Workshops here at Howard Hall Farm. The series begins on July 24th with a Historic Lime Plaster Workshop taught by the infamous Rory Brennan (of Preservation Plastering and This Old House).. This on-site consultation will include hands-on lime plaster training, commencing with a certificate of completion for workshop participants.
Our classroom is a 220 year old Federal style home in Athens, NY, which offers a unique environment for hands-on learning and offers specific restoration challenges that are distinctive to this region. These classes are geared toward the restoration practitioner as well as the layman and are a sure to be valuable this restoration-heavy area of the country.
This was the view from where I'm sitting as I watched the storm approach. Reggie (he took this picture) told me that this is the first time he's seen a storm come through here from the North-East in the entire time he's lived here. I'm sitting in the beautiful new open-air office we just moved into on the balcony of Howard Hall Farm.
Crackling in the far-off skies. I suddenly remember that we never finished fixing the lightning rod. I was indirectly struck by lightning in my car a couple weeks ago, but even that did not remind me. This old place is set in a dangerous, electric, storm-prone land. We haven't even put all the windows in yet so it's all fluttering plastic and pounding rains, and this clutching wind...It's only 7mph, but the old documents on the tables of the porch don't understand math and they fling themselves over the railings, past the melted candles and into the pooling waters below. The smell of wet antique woods wafts up from the floor.
It's a very strange storm. I'm listening to a Coil c.d. (the one with a magic mirror on the cover) very quietly beneath the rains, and it sounds like ghostly footsteps behind me as I sit alone in this old room between the deep cracking groans of thunder outside my window. The house suddenly feels as old as it is, and the creatures are crying out in the fields. A brief lull in the rains. ..[I ran out in the storm to feed Lucifer, the horned Shetland lamb. In his terror he lunged at the bottle frantically long after it was empty]....The storm reconvenes...thunder gathers in the distance on the southwest side of the house. It has wraithed around this place and it will pass. The house will survive another storm, and the sounds of the footsteps will fade away. We are lucky to have a chance to restore this place. That it's survived this long without being swallowed by the sky.
Where else would you find the elusive remains of marble from the same quarry that was initially commissioned to supply the materials for the Lincoln Memorial but in the middle of a junkyard? Reggie (for those new to the blog, he and Norah are the visionaries that dreamed up our project here at Howard Hall Farm) was telling me about a project he worked on that included redoing a stoop for a gorgeous Victorian home here in the Hudson River Valley. Apparently, to be historically accurate, he wanted to find the marble that would have been used around that time, which came from a local place called The Sheffield Quarry in Sheffield, Mass.
The catch: The Sheffield Quarry was commissioned to provide the marble for the Lincoln Memorial. Their marble was used for the base, but they couldn't keep up with the demand, and another quarry took over. (That's why anyone who's seen it will notice that the base of the statue is white marble, but the rest has grey veins.) The loss of that job drove them to ruin and put them out of business in the 1850's....So how in the world was he supposed to find some of this special marble?
A rumor reached him that SOMEWHERE there were some small chunks remaining from the quarry that hadn't been used. So he and a friend got into the car, and drove through the torrential absurdity of a hideous sleet storm to the area near the quarry. They passed a junkyard on the way, and knowing that junkyard guys are some of the greatest holders of secret local lore and clues, they decided to see if they could help. So they took the car along the windy road, passed through the graveyard of rusting car carcasses, and found the two proprietors sitting beside a fire.
(Now here's where serendipity comes in from the rain to play.) It turned out that the remaining pieces of this Sheffield marble were closer than they suspected. Two 10x10 foot pieces remained and were hiding out (where else?) right there in the center of the junkyard!
So they were able to redo the stoop as history dictated.
And now the exciting new addition to our home at Howard Hall Farm: (can you guess?)
We got a piece of Sheffield marble for our entryway! The boys installed it yesterday, and it's stunning!
Pat spent the morning scraping the old paint off some seriously decaying windows, so he can remove the surviving beautiful panes that were origional to the house and reuse them in a sturdier window frame (being built right now by Harry Klahr).
This mysterious red-taloned bird of elusive origin has been hanging around the farm. We think it might be endangered. I snuck up close to it and saw a red tag on its little leg. If anyone has any ideas what it is, let me know! We've never seen anything like it!
~THIS MYSTERY WAS SOLVED BY: OUR FRIEND LESLEY~
The bird is the KURDISH NATIONAL BIRD For The Chukar Information...Our Thanks Go Out To:
Everyone's working in the rain and we recently discovered our lightning rod is only grounded in one place! Right in the thick of storm-season! We need an expert. If we're not struck, we'll let you know how that goes.
Historic side-note:
Apparently, in days of yore, people used to plant a black locust slightly away from their home. It was believed to attract lightning, so its presence was supposed to divert the strikes from the house.
The crumbling details at the top of this window below the porch were rotted out, and the frame was so bad it went from being a frame to being a crime itself. Luckily, Harry removed it with delicacy, and is beginning to make it a useful member of our society again. He has a great track record, so if there is any recitivism, it won't be for many many years. Check back to see pictures of the progress of our 'healthy citizen: basement window #00000001' soon!
Here it is, Framed, but free of pane! Even the chicks are admiring the transformation.
Sean and Dennis pull up the upstairs floorboards to reveal the tell-tale heart of this old house: Gorgeous old boards, much trodden....using our favorite soy gel (environmentally friendly), they get to work on the floors. Stay tuned for more photos.
So much better after a little soy gel and a lot of hard work...
The other sheep must sense that we are trying to find a new home for one of the gorgeous Shetland Lamb twins.
Since they lost their mother, she has been needing more care and attention than we can give her. (We have to spend some of our time restoring this gorgeous old house, or there will be nowhere comfortable to live come winter.) So, if anyone knows of a good home for her, there's no adoption fee. We just need to know that you'll have time to give her that extra attention. If you would like to give our girl a home, send us an email! Let's talk...we just want her to be happy.
This is the Shetland lamb that needs a loving home. (She's a lamb, but she's also a dear):
Here she is with her brother Lucifer. (I guess that makes her 'god'...I wonder which one she'd like to be...):
Nikki has been experimenting to find the most environmentally friendly and cost-effective way to strip the incredibly thick lead paint off these great old doors. There were so many epic layers of paint on them that they looked more like a geological survey of some untouched rock shelf than something that spends its days swinging back and forth in someone's home. First, she applied soy gel, and waited. A lot of paint came up then, but not all of it...
Then she reapplied the soy gel, covered it with plastic, and let it sit. That seems to be working very quickly!
You can already see those layers of paint bubbling up under the plastic....
We have been working on the second story floors for the past week... what a disaster the old linoleum was! The pitch is nasty business, but we discovered that soy gel works well if left on over night under plastic.
We wouldn't wish this project on anyone, the process is slow and painful... but we are slowly getting down to the good stuff and will soon have our lovely old wood floors back!
Stay tuned for more pictures as we make progress.
As promised... The newly exposed floor sultrily peeks out from beneath its veil, whispering, "I was buried alive! What took you so long?"
_____________________________________________________________________ THE EXPERIMENT:
This is the front of the Federal Mansion in progress....for those who are not color-blind, I'm sure the oddity of the top level will jump out at you immediately. You might ask, "What the hell were they thinking using two different kinds of wood on the siding up there?" That's understandable. Here's what we were thinking: Rumor has it that cedar doesn't hold paint as well as pine. We wanted to test that. What if people have been cruelly slandering cedar all these years for no reason without even realizing it? Making it go to different drinking fountains and sit at the back of the truck for no reason but prejudice....wouldn't that be atrocious? We can't let the 'alleged' injustice go on! Reggie is doing an experiment on his house to compare the difference between cedar and pine...so, stay tuned and we'll let you know what the outcome is.
_____________________________________________________________________ THE EXPERIMENT:
This is the front of the Federal Mansion in progress....for those who are not color-blind, I'm sure the oddity of the top level will jump out at you immediately. You might ask, "What the hell were they thinking using two different kinds of wood on the siding up there?" That's understandable. Here's what we were thinking: Rumor has it that cedar doesn't hold paint as well as pine. We wanted to test that. What if people have been cruelly slandering cedar all these years for no reason without even realizing it? Making it go to different drinking fountains and sit at the back of the truck for no reason but prejudice....wouldn't that be atrocious? We can't let the 'alleged' injustice go on! Reggie is doing an experiment on his house to compare the difference between cedar and pine...so, stay tuned and we'll let you know what the outcome is.
We recently had a very special visitor appear in the Athens Waterfront, an 85-foot replica of the ship Henry Hudson sailed while exploring the Hudson River in 1609.
We are quickly approaching the 400th Anniversary of Henry Hudson's Voyage along the river. From the Canadian border to New York harbor, a wealth of events and activities are being planned in commemoration of the Quadricentennial. The celebration is expected to draw people from all over the world.
The original ship, called the Halve Maen, was commissioned on March 25, 1609 for the Dutch East India Company. The company hired Hudson, an Englishman, to search for a passageway between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. He thought he had found that passageway when he sailed up the river that was later named for him.
In making his trip up the river, Hudson claimed the area for the Dutch and opened the land for settlers who followed. His voyage came 10 years before the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock.
The replica of the Half Moone was built in Albany, N.Y. in 1989 to commemorate the Dutch role in exploring and colonizing America. Plans are being developed to make the Half Moon the first exhibit of the proposed New Netherlands Museum, which would tell the story of Dutch colonization of North America and the founding of the states of Connecticut, Delaware, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania.
We will be looking out for the arrival of one of the Half Moon's sister ships to be stationed at the Athens Waterfront this Summer, stay tuned for details.
Click here for more on Henry Hudson & the Half Moon.
Also see the Explore NY 400 site for more on the upcomining Quadricentennial Events.
Howard Hall Farm is pleased to bring you our Green Technology Conference 2007. This is an AIA Certified Course, which gives a detailed overview of the considerations of planning and using alternative energy in the historic home or building. Our mission is to educate practitioners so that we may both honor the past and protect the future.
The conference will be headed up by a panel of experts including Randolph Horner, who has recently been featured in newspapers around the world for his groundbreaking plan to take Woodstock, NY to zero carbon.
Two different segments are offered, the first being geared toward the Historic Site Manager, Architect, Engineer, and Design Professional, which takes place over three days. The second segment is a weekend-long abbreviated version tailored towards the homeowner.
This promises to be a dynamic discussion and one that will allow for audience participation, as well as address the goals of attendees.
AIA Certificates of Completion will be distributed to attendees at the conclusion of the workshop.
Course Outline
Part I. Finance
I. Policy Trends
Congress, New York Sate, & Public Sector
II. National & New York State Incentives
NYSERDA & Green Lending
III. Community Engagement/Financing
Capitol Campaigns, donations, & banks
Part II. Technology
I. Ground Exchange Heating or Ground Coupled/Source Heating & Cooling
Energy Costs: Fuel & Electric
How they are derived?
What to do about it?
Why it is cost effective?
II. RE + EE or Renewable Energy plus Energy Efficiency
Reggie's been telling me for weeks of a sneaking suspicion that baby lambs would be arriving any day. Indeed, I had noted the fluffiness of certain ewe's, but wasn't sure it was anything but winter wool in need of good sheering. Though a few of them did seem to be swaggering around a little more slowly as of late.
Well, I've definitely learned my lesson... always trust the instincts of a Pennsylvania farmboy when it comes to these things! There was (for now) at least one ready to bring us some springtime joy in the form of twins! These photos were taken when they were just 1 hour old . . .
The Fenner Renewable Energy Center, Inc. is a grass-roots organization that was formed to educate the public on the benefits of renewable energy and other sustainable practices. They are located on-site at the Fenner Wind Farm in the heart of Central New York. Since late 2001, they have lived and worked amongst the 20 turbines that make up this 30 MW wind project. They organized the project to share their unique experience and to encourage others to embrace a clean energy future.
Reggie and resident Architect Bob Godwin recently paid a visit to the farm to discover more about their phenomenal efforts in wind technology.
Reggie's report from the field:
The wind farm was truly amazing. I, with everything going on, forgot to take a coat and hat. One thing you want to remember always on visits to a wind farm is to over-dress! I suffered a little bit due to this mistake. However, even freezing beyond belief, it is a shocking experience to take this place in... towers 330 feet tall and 100 foot blades!
What makes this wind farm unique is the sheer vision in putting it all together. The turbines are scattered among the entire mountain range, sort of willy nilly -- some tucked in to slight recesses in the hilltop. They have an average wind of 18 miles per hour. The turbines are programed to shut down when wind reaches 63 mph, as the blades are designed to turn and deflect the wind when stronger (this is called feathering), otherwise the entire structure is always turning to face the wind. Yesterday the wind was pretty much coming from the same direction so they where all facing the same direction, apparently this can change quite a bit depending on the nature of the wind.
It is a very distorting optical effect looking at these giants. Its hard to really get a sense of the size when looking at the landscape, only when you get up close does it impact your brain how enormous they are. This farm also unique in that they are never designed quite like this, but rather they typically fall in lines, and there are more of them. Here there 20 turbines. This design was an experiment, one that Joan assured us won't happen again. The design has to be more cost effective. Of course the government subsidizes power of all other sorts, but not wind power (!!!!), so its difficult to finance a truly well thought out and effective wind farm. This one is a bit of an anomaly.
It is encouraging that this group endeavored to try something new with the idea that innovation is a worthy cause for greater understanding of alternative energy. This project is also spotlighting the need for greater assistance for alternative energy projects within New York State and beyond. Very cool thing... kudos!
Reggie, Nora, & crew have been working-away for the past few months on a very exciting project here in Athens! The River Tavern at the Stewart House Hotel is a rich part of the community's history dating back to 1883. Reggie & Nora have re-conceptualized & redesigned the waterfront bar & restaurant integrating the historic features which make it so beloved.
Please take a look at their blog to catch a glimpse of Nora's magnificent murals and the new menu!
Chimneys cleared, stairs scraped, floors found, and alliteration abounds!
So even though I posted that Ralph was about to begin demo in the blue room, now, just a couple hours later it's finished and he's in the attic tearing up the nasty floor of the bathroom to reveal large old boards beneath. I've never seen anyone work so fast. **The room went from this:** **To this:** **To these:**
**Can you believe this guy?** It's insane...you can look at the blue album below to see the before and after pictures of the demo. You won't believe this all happened in the small part of the afternoon in one day! And he didn't just do the demo and clean up in that time. He also neatly stacked hundreds of old bricks...crazy.
Blossom is lonely today. Reggie's not in the office, and I don't have time to play with her. I tried to have her sit quietly in my lap but she kept eating my sleeve.
Ralph found an old photo album in the attic wall. If you recognize any of these people, send an email to howardhall.farm@gmail.com to claim it.
Meanwhile, out in the yard, Harry's preparing the gigantic beams to be hoisted into the attic.
And Lorena is scraping years of accumulated lead paint from the Victorian staircase:
**Look at the lovely rose-colored wood under there! I can't believe people painted over it!**
The hero of the day is Ralph, who is now officially dubbed Speedy Gonzales:
-------------------
On his way out today, I was telling Ralph that it's scary how much work he got done, and his reply was, "Well don't go into the attic then, because I also ripped out the bathroom floor..."
Although we aren't seeing buds on the trees out on the property, we can feel it... Springtime is just around the corner! Nobody is happier about this than Reggie, who braved 99% of the season here at the farm with the wind howling all around.
Through the last bit of Winter we have plenty of indoor projects keeping us busy. This week we are in the process of getting some fresh plaster up on the hallway walls: We are finally making progress on some 2nd floor rooms so Reggie and Nora can finally get off the 3rd floor. Also, finishing up some scheduling for our Spring and Summer Series of Classes! Stay tuned, as things are about to start bloomin'!
It has been a challenging week here at the farm, though I must say we've been incredibly fortunate that that the house, property, crew and animals have endured as well as they have... no major disasters.
We've managed to stay pretty cozy with our new woodburning stove and with more masonry, windows and doors sured up every week.
Speaking of... we've got some nice before and after images of our 19th Century doors which recently had 100+ years of paint carefully stripped away.
This weekend, Reggie was away, and I got to watch Blossom figure out what was different about the house. With all the sudden spare time she had that normally would have been filled with blindly following and adoring her loving master, some strange things came to her attention: Our Little Blossom about to Discover the Minimalist Horror of An Empty Room. This is the price puppies pay for living in a restoration project.
Blossom in Ye Olde Offyce
...wondering where all the familiar smells have gone...
What's going on here? Lambchop, one of the two Great Pyrenees who guard the sheep from coyotes. Good thing they have nice warm coats, huh? Lamb baby!
Dennis Heaphy, the tin man behind the restoration of statue of liberty and Ellis Island, coming to Howard Hall, a center for Historic Restoration and Green Technology in Athens.
The History of Mortar may sound like a heavy subject for a workshop, but Reggie Young at Howard Hall Farm finds the topic enlightening. For years Reggie and his partner Nora Johnson had been dreaming of finding a stone house that they could afford to buy and restore. Young, previously a New York City restaurateur, had been doing restoration in the Hudson Valley for six years. “I had thought about offering training on the lime/mortar issue,” he says.”I had seen too many buildings screwed up by using the wrong mortar.” Young had gone out of state, to Chicago, for his training, but it wasn’t until he looked at a dilapidated house perched on a bluff overlooking the Hudson River that the idea of creating a training center crystallized in his mind. “It took five seconds,” he says. “The building lent itself perfectly to the idea.” Young and Johnson bought the house and have dedicated themselves not only to its restoration but to its development as a hands-on learning laboratory.
Young sees the Federal-style home’s potential to be transformed into a modern, functioning dwelling that preserves the home’s historic integrity and has a minimal impact on the natural environment. Three years after purchasing the property, Young and his team are deep into the renovation of the structure and are still tinkering with the training center’s mission statement. Currently, the center’s main purpose is to “investigate, restore, and revive every facet of the structure in a green manner, and provide a forum for other interested homeowners and craftspeople to learn to do the same.” Part of this process of educating themselves and others involves bringing in preservation and restoration experts from all over the country. “With the help of these incredible individuals,” says Young “we can all learn to bring an old home out of the cobwebs and into the green. We are in a global crisis, and conservation and restoration can be very green.”
Young sees his responsible approach to renovation as one facet of solving many environmental problems. He advocates fixing up existing structures rather than building new, reusing as much as possible, locating local materials, and incorporating alternative energy practices into historic renovations. In at least one instance, Young found that being green and historically accurate go hand in hand. He located and used a type of sand from Saugerties for his mortar mix which brought him closer to replicating the mix originally used on the home.
Mortar is not the only mixing happening on the hill. Young’s use of the Howard Hall website and blogs reflects his pride in working collaboratively. One site, howardhallfarm.wordpress.com is called the Faces of Howard Hall Farm. Its pages are an enthusiastic and affectionate introduction to the core group and their contributions to the project. The home site howardhallfarm.com is overflowing with before and after photos, short videos, archives, history, introductions to visiting experts, and an impressive list of workshops past and present.
The fall series of offerings ranges from the practical to the esoteric. Young’s partner, Nora Johnson, will bring New York City artist Toby Nutall and collaborator Moira Kelley to teach a workshop entitled “Historic Paints and Finishes: Faux Wood Graining: Creating Fantasy Wood Finishes”; it takes place October 13th and 14th. For those in historic homes, there is the quintessential lime plaster workshop with famed plaster professional Roy Brennen. On the fascinatingly obscure end of the Howard Hall workshop spectrum is Lady Liberty’s personal face lift professional (and fourth generation tinsmith) Dennis Heaphy—also known as the Tin Man. He will offer a lesson on working with Terne Tin, the material that keeps the Statue of Liberty clothed and smiling. In addition to the workshop, Heaphy will also be wor
Click here to view our house in 3-D
The exposed flue.
pre-chimney showing cracks
