Our renovation of a family farmhouse in Freeburg, Illinois continues, with each new milestone adding to the excitement. Here is back story on the house and its first surprise.
Above are two different types of nails pulled from the original framing. They closely match the info here, so our client’s farmhouse may be closer to 150-years. We’ve kept as much of the original framing as possible, because it is still dry, sturdy and straight, cut from original-growth trees. We have designed a story addition to the home, and when the new timber is attached to the original, it’s a breathtaking site of old and new, tradition and innovation.
Another original feature that stays are the mortise and tenon joints that create the floor of the upper story. Shown above is the huge joist above the stairwell, and it is so solid and anchored that we probably couldn’t remove it if we wanted to! The solid “skeleton” of the building is taking to its new muscles with grace and ease, which is what makes this renovation project such a joy.
A lot of the original wood flooring was left in place, or removed and saved to be used elsewhere. For instance, above we are looking at the bathroom on the 2nd floor, comprised of new wood planks filled in with original planks. Because it’s the same wood type, when all the floors are sanded and finished, the old and new will blend into a seamless whole. The concept of old and new “stepping stones” throughout the home is what makes historic renovation so intriguing and comforting at the same time.
Shown above is July 2007 photo of the framing of the new 2nd floor addition. Rick Henson is the project manager of the farmhouse, and we love to get shots of his framing because they look like fine art. Other Mosby carpenters who have seen his work say that Rick’s joints are so tight that you can’t even insert a dollar bill into a seam. Basically, Rick and his crew are carrying on the standards set by the great-grandfather who originally built the place.
Here’s a personalized feature: the part of the addition that will be the new kitchen (above) was purposely laid out so that each window frames a tree.
And here’s where we are as of November 5th, 2007, with the original house and the addition all under roof and sealed tight. We’re well over half way done, but still plenty of milestones to anticipate. We’ll share those with you as they happen.
