With our Save America’s Treasures match money in hand, we went right to work in January to complete work on three large projects.
The first project was to install steel reinforcing beams in the basement under the floors of each of the two parlors. This was recommended by a structural engineer to provide additional structural support to accommodate gatherings in those rooms. These beams had to be installed before the new HVAC system was put in so that duct work could be routed through the basement.
The second major project was to upgrade the electrical system throughout the entire house and to provide the necessary electrical service for the new HVAC system. This meant testing all of the electrical circuits in the house, removing old wiring and replacing all of the wall switches and outlets in the house.
The third major project was installing a new HVAC system in the house to replace the aging hot water radiators and to provide air conditioning for the first time at Happy Retreat. The new system is a forced air system using heat pumps with a propane furnace back-up, augmented by mini-split systems in the offices housed on the second floors of the two wings — the Jefferson County Historical Society offices on the second floor of the east wing and our offices on the second floor of the west wing.
The successful bidders for this work were Jefferson Construction for the structural beams; KM Electrical Service for the electrical upgrade; and Charles Town Heating and Air Conditioning for the HVAC system. Plasterer Kevin Wetzel was brought in to make spot repairs to plaster walls affected by the HVAC installation and electrical upgrade. Wayne Bishop, owner of Between the Rivers Construction, was the project manager. Thanks to their hard work, all three projects were completed in less than 60 days.
All of this work was made possible by the Save America’s Treasures grant we received in 2019. We are grateful to the National Park Service and the West Virginia State Historic Preservation Office for their guidance in making this work possible.
Octagon Building Update
Restoration of the octagon house is nearing completion. The tin roof has been scraped and painted. The hole chewed in the floorboards by a groundhog has been patched. The windows have been re-glazed. The exterior siding has been repaired. Cornice work to match the lost cornice work shown in the earliest pictures of the building has been replicated. The interior plaster walls have been patched. Painting will soon be underway.
Dr. Susan Buck, of Williamsburg, performed a microscopic analysis of the exterior paint on the door and windows and the interior woodwork. The door and windows were originally painted a dark brownish red, which Benjamin Moore paints has replicated. The interior trim was a cream white.
We are deeply grateful to Tia and Bob McMillan for their continued generosity in making the restoration of this unique building possible. Thank you also to Joe Wiggington at Panhandle Paints and Benjamin Moore paints for their advice and assistance.
Columns
Two of the fluted wooden Doric style columns on the front portico have been fully restored. Over the years, the bases of all four of the columns had developed rot. In the 1970s, the bases of all of the columns were encased in concrete to provide support and prevent further deterioration. In 2022, we were awarded a grant by the West Virginia State Historic Preservation Office to restore the columns. Last year, two of the columns were removed. First, the layers of old paint were stripped. Then, master carpenter Dave Kardok worked his magic to restore the column bases.
He first cut away all of the rotted wood. Then, using a chisel, he fashioned pieces to align with the shape of the fluted original. These pieces were then glued in place. They have been painted to match the original cream color of the columns identified by Dr. Susan Buck in the paint analysis she did in 2021.
The two remaining columns will be restored over the next several months