Our builders upgraded the foundation
of hand-chiseled sandstone blocks,
replaced rotted beams and leveled the structure, which listed severely to
the rear. Our architect restructured the farmhouse interior, converting nine bedrooms
and a single bathroom to three bedrooms and three-and-a-half baths. An array of
specialists reroofed, rewired, and replumbed the farmhouse.
All the original windows were rebuilt,
reusing the old wavy glass. We added new windows and French doors at the back of the house
to catch light and reveal views. Two walls of bookcases were built into the room that was originally
Major Barron’s office,
now designated as the library. A redesigned kitchen and pantry extended
the useful domestic workspace.
Removing the plaster from the upstairs of
the original Mountain House building exposed the framework of this space
and uncovered beams charred in early roof fires. New stairs replaced
the perilous little flight of steps used to access the second
floor when it contained the servants' quarters. A chimney removed,
walls and windows torn out or replaced: there was history written
on every surface.
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