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Old Stone School History (page 2 of
4)
Restoration
When the current owner, John
McGough, purchased the Old Stone School in 1980, the
building had suffered nearly ten years of neglect. Weather,
vandalism and local wildlife had taken their toll. Many
local residents advised that the building was a lost
cause, but John was undeterred.
The
restoration and preservation efforts have been extensive,
and the major projects are roughly outlined below:
Most
of the initial work was just “getting it to feel
solid.” First, the contractors had to reinforce
the building. They found that it had no foundation –
the 18 – 20” thick stone walls were sitting
on dirt – and the building’s front wall
had shifted and pulled away. That wall was fitted back
to the building, and pointing work replaced powder-dry
mortar throughout the structure. Footings were then
poured to support the structure.
The
roof was reinforced and re-shingled, carefully following
the same roofing pattern used by the school’s
original builders. The fact that the building was constructed
in 1903 came to light when contractors removed siding
under the eaves of the roof and uncovered the original
date-stone. The stone has since been relocated to the
front of the building, above the entrance doors. The
bell tower and chimney were then repaired
Inside, a false ceiling
was removed to uncover the original 11’ ceiling,
which was also restored, as was the original fir flooring.
Windows were replaced using the same window pattern
and old wainscoting was restored where possible, and
missing pieces were matched and replaced.
By early 1984, Mr.
McGough had completed the major restoration of the Old
Stone School.
Please continue
for National
Register of Historic Places details.
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