Restoration of the smokehouse and stone kitchen is nearing completion. Over the winter, master carpenter Dave Kardok prepared the framing for the new roof. Many of the original rafters were simply split logs with the tree bark still on them. They were not substantial enough to hold the weight of successive roofs and over the years had sagged. They needed to be shored up and, in some cases, replaced. With that complete, the new standing-seam metal roof was installed by Catoctin Valley Roofing. New gutters now protect the buildings from water damage and poor drainage which had caused problems in the past.
New soffit molding for the front of the smokehouse was milled to match exactly the original molding on the rear of the building. The rear molding had been protected over the years because it was enclosed by the privy which was built against the exterior back wall. Matt Webster, the Director of Architectural Restoration at Colonial Williamsburg, advised us on the paint which Colonial Williamsburg developed with Benjamin Moore to simulate the look of 18th Century whitewash, which we believe was originally the color of the trim.
The windows and doors in the stone kitchen have been carefully restored. It appears that the trim was originally painted a dark red. We are using another Benjamin Moore Colonial Williamsburg color to match the original. The final step will be to remove the 20th century floor and replace it with a single course brick floor. When conditions permit, we look forward to holding a ribbon cutting and dedication of these buildings to honor Bob and Tia McMillan, who have made this important restoration project possible.