The Wren's Nest Blog | Archive | February, 2009

Archive for February, 2009

Follow The Wren’s Nest On Twitter

Written on February 6, 2009 at 10:23 am, by Amelia

The Wren’s Nest has its very own Twitter account!

No, not Lain, and not me. The house. Really, it types pretty well considering its lack of fingers and all.

If these walls could talk – and, apparently, they can – they would say “Follow me on Twitter! I’m a hoot!” To be fair, the house has been in the tweeting business for over 100 years.

If Shaquille O’Neill can do it, anyone (or thing) can!

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Categories: Failed Attempts at Looking Reputable, Technological Advances |

Song of the South Premiere Photos With Walt Disney

Written on February 5, 2009 at 4:12 pm, by Amelia

Friend of the Wren’s Nest and awesome preservation dude Jonathan was kind enough to send a picture our way of the Atlanta Song of the South premiere.

Above is Walt Disney (far right) and other presumed persons of importance at a Capitol City Club dinner or other table sitting adventure. Neat!

Then we looked into the Georgia State University Photographic Collections, which offered plenty of photos from the premiere. The Fox was (and remains) the place to be, eh?

Song of the South premiered in 1946, when car swarming was clearly just as popular as it is today. Look, Walt Disney (on the right again, in the car) is loving it!

According to Jim Auchmutey, Disney was hounded by autograph seekers at the Wren’s Nest too. They accidentally knocked him over.

Well, hello ladies. Cool portrait you’ve congregated around.

You say that’s Joel Chandler Harris? What a handsome man. I only wish I could see such a fine portrait up close, now 63 years later.

Wait wait wait, that EXACT same portrait is in the east parlor of the Wren’s Nest?! Today? Right now?! And probably tomorrow too?! I should visit the Wren’s Nest immediately!*

*See how I did that? Smooth, I know.

2 Comments

Categories: Atlanta, Events, Joel Chandler Harris, Song of the South |

How To Repoint Masonry In Your Historic Home In 6 Steps

Written on February 4, 2009 at 12:49 pm, by Lain

Now that you’re good and ready, it’s time to repoint your masonry. No, no — get your head out of the gutter.

Now, let the Wren’s Nest show you how through our six step guide, How To Repoint Masonry In Your Historic Home. Ready?

1. Always Listen To Mary Catherine Or Another Architect Who Knows About Preservation

But seriously, we recommend Mary Catherine. She geeks out like whoa when it comes to brick.

Did you know that there are limestone mortars in 15th Century French chateaus that still have not set? I do now.

2. Hammer Out The Old Mortar

You’re bound to have at least some mortar left between the bricks. Hammer it out carefully with a chisel. Watch them fingers.

3. Brush Out Loose Mortar

Leave a clean surface. I don’t want you to have to do this all over again.

4. Soak The Brick With Water

A sponge or a sprayer will do the trick. The older the brick, the more porous it is, so watch the brick soak it all up. You can’t apply too much water. Just let it sit for a while after soaking.

5. Slide The Mortar In

This trowel is slightly too big. It’s not the end of the world.

6. Repeat

Looks like fun, huh?

Make sure you get have the right mortar mix for the right kind of brick. We have two different mortar mixtures — one for the brick and one for the stone. I trust you to know the difference.

8 Comments

Categories: 2008 - 2009 Wren's Nest Conservation Project, Historic Preservation, Kirk |

Preparing to Repoint the Masonry in Your Historic Home in 6 Steps

Written on February 3, 2009 at 11:41 am, by Lain

I know you’re itching to repoint the mortar underneath your house. Let’s face it, your bricks and mortar probably look like this:

See that nothing in between the bricks? You’re gonna have to put some mortar in there.

Luckily for you the Wren’s Nest has compiled a guide to help you out, called Preparing to Repoint the Masonry in Your Historic Home. In just six easy steps, you’ll be ready to repoint your masonry.

1. Admit That You Have A Problem

Did you not see the picture above? Clearly, you have a problem.

2. Enlist The British To Complete A Very Expensive Mortar Test

The harder to understand, the better.

3. Assemble Awesome Masonry Materials

If you have bricks that have been dropped off for unknown reasons and have presumably been forgotten about by a municipal agency, place the awesome masonry materials on top of them. If not, I don’t know what to tell you.

4. Gather Your River Silt

You can buy river silt. You don’t have to dredge it up yourself. Do not let me stop you from doing so, however.

4. Remember: You Need Georgia Red Clay. Make Sure Someone Supervises

The more supervisors, the better. In the city you’ll probably only have to dig four or so inches. At the Wren’s Nest you may have to dig 18 inches for whatever reason.

5. Mix Your Mortar By The Book / With The Bottom Of A Burger King Cup