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Project for Dr. and Mrs. Robert S. Brown, Sr.

North Garden, Virginia

1983-1989

General view 3.JPG (43193 bytes)

Dr. Brown purchased about 800 self enclosed acres within a punchbowl like valley at the end of a long private road. His dream was to gradually create a village of moved 18th-century buildings as an extended family compound. He eventually purchased several old buildings, including a 1795 two story log building from the vicinity of Louisburg, West Virginia; a small, story and a half late 18th-century timberframe building from Petersburg, Virginia, and an unusual ca. 1800 post and beam Tavern from Rustburg, Virginia. The log building was reconstructed first, and the timberframe building was later added for older relatives. I was retained to install all the rock work in the buildings and surrounding landscape program. We later also built a small cottage for his son, Clinton, along 18th-century lines. In 1989 I located the tavern for Dr. Brown and was retained to dismantle and move it to his property. We successfully accomplished the move and stacked the materials in a barn on his property, including approximately 100 tons of stone and two tractor and trailer loads of hand fired brick. Dr. Brown was never able to resolve a zoning issue to his satisfaction, and the building has remained in inventory. The entire property has recently been sold to a young couple.

Entrance, Back.JPG (50069 bytes)    Entrance, Left Column.JPG (54523 bytes)Entrance, Right Column.JPG (50358 bytes)    

Right Column, Back.JPG (50312 bytes)    Left Column, Back.JPG (50386 bytes)    

Log Building.JPG (45165 bytes)    Dr. Brown's 1st Chimney.JPG (41115 bytes)    Dr. Brown's Living Room.JPG (37863 bytes)    

General view 1.JPG (44213 bytes)        General view 2.JPG (54177 bytes)    Addition chimney construction.JPG (37496 bytes)

Clinton's house.JPG (42553 bytes)    Clinton's house 1.JPG (50905 bytes)    Clinton's House detail.JPG (43375 bytes)    Clinton's house 2.JPG (43668 bytes)

 

The Rustburg Tavern Takedown

December 1988-March 1989

Tavern before clearing site.JPG (105000 bytes)    Chris Kepler clearing site.JPG (54505 bytes)    During clearing.JPG (65948 bytes)

Endview before takedown 2.JPG (62630 bytes)    Chimney detail 2.JPG (64882 bytes)    Chimney detail.JPG (69211 bytes)

General view after clearing.JPG (64082 bytes)    Begining the takedown.JPG (63194 bytes)    End view after chimney takedown.JPG (63133 bytes)

Frame exposed.JPG (63754 bytes)    Down to Framing 2.JPG (48699 bytes)    Roof system numbered for takedown.JPG (67617 bytes)

Chris Kepler rigging the Top Plate for takedown.JPG (57801 bytes)    Top Plate coming down.JPG (66252 bytes)    Detail of Top Plate Mortise and Tenon.JPG (32157 bytes)

The Browns with Chris Kepler.JPG (32634 bytes)    Paul Grady examining trim details.JPG (43798 bytes)    Original brick nogging in frame.JPG (41313 bytes)

Detail of original oyster shell mortar.JPG (51491 bytes)    Loading the stone for transport.JPG (43846 bytes)

 

Project for Mr. C. Wilson McNeely, III

White Hall, Virginia

1985

McN1.JPG (29195 bytes) McN1a.JPG (54257 bytes) McN2.JPG (46158 bytes) McN3.JPG (41798 bytes)

McN5.JPG (39009 bytes) McN6.JPG (45552 bytes)

 

Project for Mr. and Mrs. Robert Strini

North Garden, Virginia

1991

General view before rehab.JPG (65408 bytes)                    Linden Farm view from hillside.JPG (66735 bytes)

When the Strinis purchased Linden Farm they contacted me because I had done some work for the previous owners, and before the property changed hands, there had been some discussion about rehabilitating a small house on the property for use as a guest house. The building appears to date from the early 19th century, although physical evidence suggests that it was moved or remodeled sometime after 1860, and certainly was electrified and modernized in the 1940s. The granite in the chimneys was quarried locally, and is said to have been laid by an itinerant Valley German stonemason. At my suggestion the Strinis contacted Bill Jobes, of Ivy Woodworks, Ltd., to undertake the general contract. I invited Ken Martin, one of my students from Virginia Tech College of Architecture,  to prepare measured drawings and a proposal for the adaptive re-use.  My role was limited to the rebuilding of two chimneys and some minor structural elements including piers for a porch. Bill and I had collaborated elsewhere, and as the photographs demonstrate, our work here was quite complimentary. I attribute the wonderfully successful results of the project to Bill's vigilant attention to detail, discerning eye, and delightful sense of humor.

Living room chimney before rehab.JPG (52484 bytes) Living Room Chimney footer excavation.JPG (77851 bytes) Living room chimney excavation close.JPG (76232 bytes)

Livingroom Chimney stabilized.JPG (68037 bytes)  Close up of exterior granite and mortar before.JPG (87024 bytes)  Looking down living room chimney before.JPG (72942 bytes) Living room chimney, finished.JPG (43625 bytes)

 Downstairs small room before rehab.JPG (26324 bytes) Downstairs before rehab.JPG (49498 bytes) Livingr oom before rehab.JPG (38633 bytes)

upstairs befoer rehab 2.JPG (53781 bytes) Upstairs before rehab 2.JPG (49648 bytes)

Livingroom Fireplace rehab 1.JPG (58437 bytes) Livingroom Fireplace rehab 2.JPG (57610 bytes) Living room fireplace  after smokebox insert.JPG (44387 bytes) Livingroom fireplace after re-work.JPG (38797 bytes)

Porch end before rehab.JPG (66526 bytes) View of Porch before rehab.JPG (71096 bytes) Ken Martin and Bill Jobes confer on site.JPG (46778 bytes)

View from Porch side.JPG (69643 bytes) View from back.JPG (76021 bytes) View from front.JPG (60853 bytes)

Living room 1.JPG (47095 bytes) Living room 2.JPG (60037 bytes) living room 3.JPG (47821 bytes)

Bedroom 1.JPG (52859 bytes) Bedroom 2.JPG (38371 bytes) Bill Jobes.JPG (27366 bytes)