Below is an update of the Hamilton Grange by Darren Boch from the National Park Service.
The fine work of restoring the Grange to its former glory continues apace,
and we’re well on our way to a grand opening on September 17. See the
pictures below for some of the recent work and meet just a few of the
people who are lovingly and painstakingly working to ensure that the Grange
meets the high standards of its original owner, Alexander Hamilton.
The first level of shutters can be seen on the eastern piazza (side porch)
of the Grange. The rest of the functional shutters are scheduled to be
installed in the coming weeks.
The historic front door of the Grange, complete with transom and sidelights
was lovingly restored by the National Park Service’s Northeast Regional
Architectural Preservation Engineering and Maintenance office and has been
re-installed at the Grange.
Sean O’Keefe, preservation craftsman with the National Park Service, scores
a fresh layer of stucco on the ground floor of the Grange to create the
illusion of stone blocks. This is the same technique that was used when the
Grange was first constructed.
Greg Law, senior preservation specialist with the National Park Service,
works on the re-constructed banister of the staircase at the Grange. While
much of the staircase is original to the house, the stairs were
reconfigured to a new shape following the Grange’s first move in 1889 and
pieces of it were altered to accommodate the new configuration and other
pieces were lost. In restoring the staircase to its original shape, the
restoration team was able to incorporate some of the original, but altered
pieces back into the finished stairs. Two of those pieces are the
balustrades marked by blue painter’s tape.
A member of the team from the National Park Service’s Northeast Regional
Architectural Preservation Engineering and Maintenance office applies steam
to a piece of trim destined for a curving portion the Grange’s main
staircase. Steaming the piece in combination with other techniques allows
it to bend to fit the place where it will go but still maintain its
structure and strength.
After getting itself “ironed out,” a piece of trim (top) is test fitted
into the well of the staircase at the Grange.
Naomi Kroll Hassebroek, architectural conservator with the National Park
Service, gently sprays primer onto the cornice in the dining room of the
Grange. Kroll Hassebroek’s work began with her and a team of interns
removing 200 years worth of paint from the cornices using modern stripping
agents, steam and dental tools to reveal the intricate details of the
plaster moldings. Once the final coat of paint goes on, the white cornice
moldings will stand out against the dining room’s yellow walls as they did
when Alexander Hamilton lived at the Grange.The fine work of restoring the Grange to its former glory continues apace, and we’re well on our way to a grand opening on September 17. See the
pictures above for some of the recent work and meet just a few of the
people who are lovingly and painstakingly working to ensure that the Grange
meets the high standards of its original owner, Alexander Hamilton.
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