The actual 2016 restorations accomplishments alligned themselves with the goals we had set for ourselves at the beginning of the year.
1) We were able to "side" the original home (two sides) with new cedar clapboard siding taking care to paint it, its original color "... at the top of the hill set a little grey clapboard sided house ... "
2) In the process of demolishing the mid 19th century front porch addition and 1960's vinyl siding we discovered a transom window above the front door. We temporarily glazed it with safety glass, but will replace with a period window in 2017.
3) We replaced the metal roofing placed over the original home. Several layers of asphalt shingles as well as the roofing deck were replaced with 1/2" sheets of treated plywood, then shingled with a composition 30 year simulated shake shingle.
4) The front porch was replaced with 5'X6' Pennsylvania Bluestone stoope with a single front step ----- looks fantastic, authentic and original.
5) What we did not anticipate was a repair that was categorized as maintenance. When we returned in September of 2016, the front door was wedged shut due to sagging in the S.E. corner of the house. Caused, we suspect, by water leaching behind the original foundation wall and causing excessive hydrostatic pressure to bulge the interior of the original hand laid basement wall bulging it inward about 8 inches --------- very scary! With help from one of the docent brothers, Larry Clark from the Lakeshore ward in Tempe, AZ, we installed a 6"X6"X8' beam supported by 3 pole jacks under corresponding floor joists/logs and cranked them up until the floor was level. Immediately cured the wedged door issue. The next step was the securing of the bulging wall. We layed a 18"X 10"X8' concrete footer with two courses of 1/2" rebar, then laid 7 courses of concrete block with verticle rebar every other void and two courses of horizontal 1/2" rebar securing the top course to the floor joists/logs. The whole thing was backfilled with concrete thus assuring that neither the new wall nor the original wall would be going anywhere. In short; 62 blocks, 150' of rebar, 55, 80# sacks of concrete mix (hand mixed in a wheel barrow) and 7, 80# sacks of mortar mix later, the problem was solved.
6) Considerable time and energy was also spent on "critter proofing" the Stowell home, our home away from home. Built and installed a "no sag" period looking carriage shed door to 3/16" specs around its perimeter (9'X8'), her-to-fore the open front door to "critter hotel". Installed interior of room with treated 1/2" plywood --- rodants won't knaw through the chemical composition of the treated wood. Covered the ceiling in a back hallway with roofing tin, and, in effect, closed the here-to-fore rodant winter sanctuary for a long, long time ------ we hope.
Since this photo was taken in September, the split rail fence was continued across the front of the property replacing the rock wall which, though beautiful, was leaning at a precarious angle and had to be taken out.
A view of the home from the adjoining seven acre field belonging to the property.
The original kitchen. Note the chairs around the table were donated to the restoration effort and are authenticated as once belonging to Orson Hyde.
The mantle was added to the parlor room fireplace giving the room a more finished and authentic appearance.
The desk in the parlor room. On its top is the sign in log, six-fold brochures of the Knight and Stowell homes and copies of Newell Knight's 1831 testimony as a memorial to their leaving their homes in route to "The Ohio".
Never ending yard work and landscaping featuring newly planted grass between parking pad and house.
Original upstairs "boys bedroom". This is believed to be the room shared by Joseph Smith Jr. and Joseph knight Jr.
The "Girls bedroom" featuring the smaller of the two rope beds in the room. The room is opposite the "boys bedroom" across from each other on the upstairs landing.
Fire place in the original kitchen. On the fireplace mantle is a painting of Joseph Knight Jr. and a bust of Joseph Knight Sr. The bust, sculpted by Matt Glenn, is a composite of dozens of Knight descendants photographs and the painting of Joseph Knight Jr.