We are completing plans on two important restoration projects. The first is the plan for the restoration of the smokehouse and stone kitchen. The restoration plan is being developed by architect Kevin Lee Sarring, who is working with Matt Webster, Director of Architectural Preservation at Colonial Williamsburg, and others. The restoration of these buildings was identified as a high priority in the Historic Structures Report completed last spring. We hope to get the restoration underway this summer.
The second is the plan to remove the bathroom, added in the first part of the 20th Century, on the second floor of the hyphen between the main section of the house and the west wing. The bathroom is an unsightly protrusion which detracts from the appearance of the rear of the house. Once this is done and once the west wing chimney is rebuilt, we can finish the replacement of the roofs on both wings.
We continue to work toward our “Turn Up the Heat at Happy Retreat” fundraising goal for a geothermal HVAC system. We have applied for a $125,000 Save America’s Treasures grant to cover approximately half the cost.