Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Wren’s Nest Conservation Update — Preparing for Paint
Posted by: lain // Category: 2008 - 2009 Wren's Nest Conservation Project, Failed Attempts at Looking Reputable, Historic Preservation // 1:39 pm
You may or may not have noticed that the Wren’s Nest needs a paint job.
The last time the Wren’s Nest was painted, the year was 1988.
The first President Bush had taken office, perestroika began in the USSR, Rick Astley was #4 on the Top 40 charts, and it would be at least five more months before I learned to tie my shoes.
Painting isn’t as easy as it sounds. First, our professionals needed to remove the old paint as best they could. This takes, scraping, hair dryers, sanding, hammering stuff, and a lot of patience.
On the days when the weather isn’t so warm, the painters will use hair dryers to heat up the old paint.
Then they’ll scrape the paint off, cover the nail holes with putty, and sand everything down until it’s smooth.
It’s painstaking, especially on cold days.
Right around Christmas I was always cranky because the painters were scraping, sanding, and hammering about 18″ away from my head.
Pretty, ain’t it?
At least the Benjamin Moore paint rep was impressed with their work. All of our other visitors are convinced we’re getting ready to tear the place down.
One mystifying side-effect of this construction work is that our visitors no longer ring our doorbell. Folks just call us from the porch to ask if we’re open, even though our doorbell has been successful and functional since the beginning of time.
If you’re feeling limber, compare this picture with picture #2. Not bad!
Comments: 1
Cyclorama Hits Hard Times, Remains Totally Awesome. So Go!
Posted by: Amelia // Category: Atlanta, Birds of a feather, Cyclorama, Historic Preservation, Very Serious Posts With No Funny Business // 2:39 pm
I’ve never made any secret of my overwhelming love of the Cyclorama, the largest painting in the world that’s just down the street from us in Grant Park. It is so awesome, guys.
Unfortunately, it rarely makes it into the news unless there’s trouble afoot, so it’s with a touch of displeasure that I mention yesterday’s article in the AJC. Although, publicity! Good, right?!
The actual news, however, isn’t so heartening. Director Keith Lauer has been let go and his position has been “frozen” after the staff had already been reduced to a skeleton crew. Naturally, visiting hours have been affected. In short, things are rough for one of the country’s most unique attractions.
To put that in perspective, the only other cyclorama painting, the Gettysburg Painting, recently underwent a multi-million dollar restoration and has a brand new museum to house it. Lucky.
A seemingly noteworthy difference between the Gettysburg Painting and Atlanta’s Cyclorama is the fact that the city of Atlanta owns the latter painting and employs its staff, whereas the National Park Service runs the former.
Is being run by a federal agency is the way to go? Or perhaps they should become a 501c3, a la Grady Hospital or countless other nonprofit institutions? What do you think?
No matter what, you should visit the Cyclorama. It really is one-of-a-kind and super neat, and it misses you.
Comments: 0Wren’s Nest Conservation Update — Reinforcing Structural Beams
Posted by: lain // Category: 2008 - 2009 Wren's Nest Conservation Project, Historic Preservation, Kirk, Technological Advances // 9:34 am
One of the scarier sites in the Wren’s Nest basement is that of the wooden beams that seemingly hold the house up on their own. The beams are pressure-treated, but they rest on the ground with nothing underneath.
These in particular were originally installed many years ago to prevent the hallway from bouncing when groups of children rumbled through the Wren’s Nest.
While it’s nice that the children are no longer scared to walk through the house, other beams are more structurally significant, so we gave them a solid footing.
Eh, four out of five ain’t bad.
There are several more, as modeled by our only-sometimes-helpful and occasional part-time urchin, Imani.
She’s, like, 41 inches tall for those of you updating your scaled replicas of the Wren’s Nest at home.
Comments: 6Versace Mansion Open for Tours — Just Like the Wren’s Nest!
Posted by: Amelia // Category: Birds of a feather, Fame and Fortune, Historic Preservation, House Museums // 11:10 am
Yesterday the AJC published an Associated Press article about the Versace Mansion, dubbed Casa Casuarina, in Miami. It has recently opened to the public for tours.
Welcome to the house museum club, Casa Casuarina.
Previously, the home was only open to, well, very very rich people who needed a place to crash for the night. But you know what? The Wren’s Nest isn’t so different.
Sure, Madonna, Cher, and the Clintons stayed at Casa Casuarina in years past. Did we mention we had James Whitcomb Riley and Teddy Roosevelt?!
So what if their tours cost a wallet-boggling $65. Many adults are stunned by our $8 price tag!
You say you’re impressed by a pool made of more than one million Italian mosaic tiles and 24-karat gold pieces? Have you seen our bird bath out back? It’s cement!
They have one tub? We have one tub!
(We too have tiles in our home!)
Our upstairs is off-limits to tourists, too! But mostly because we don’t want you to trip on something.
The guides at the Versace Mansion don’t like to dwell on their namesake’s death, nor where he died. They will, however, gesture you towards the general area. Here, we threw a centennial celebration and call Joel Chandler Harris’s bedroom a tour highlight. Well, that one wasn’t my best example.
(We... do not have one of these.)
Really, the only difference between us and the Versace Mansion is that we’re a non-profit, while they’re… very much the opposite. But what’s $1,200 a night (base price, peak season) when tourist season historic preservation is at hand?!
In short — how much would you pay to stay here for a night? Contributions are tax-deductible!
Comments: 6Wren’s Nest Conservation Project — Repairing the Porch
Posted by: lain // Category: 2008 - 2009 Wren's Nest Conservation Project, Big Money No Whammies, Gussying up, Historic Preservation // 1:32 pm
You’ll be happy to know that Blalock Construction Co, our contractor, started exterior and foundation work on the Wren’s Nest around Thanksgiving. Workers have been busy banging on the house ever since.
We’ll be spending about $107,000 on this phase of the project. Curious as to what we’re doing? Let me show you!
Our carpenter started on the porch, which had been a victim of wood rot.
See where that subtle green arrow is pointing? That hole is the result of a pinhole leak, clogged leaves, and years of water dripping and dripping and dripping.
We fixed it. And those leaves are coming down soon, promise
Around back, the beam in the southeast corner had suffered from the same problem.
We took it out completely and replaced it in-kind.
Our carpenter took off the rail and replaced the rotted pieces in-kind too.
Many of the pieces, such as the wood that spans the bottom of the porch railings, had identical pieces underneath the house. They were left over from our restoration in the late 1980s.
Luckily, most of the porch was in decent shape, so mostly we repaired spots hither and thither.
Like here.
And here.
Finally, you might have noticed that you can now click on the pictures and scroll through larger versions of them. We aren’t just making changes to the house, folks.
Comments: 5Atlanta’s Top Preservation Official Laid Off
Posted by: Amelia // Category: Atlanta, Historic Preservation, Really?, Very Serious Posts With No Funny Business // 12:14 pm
This stinks.
Today’s AJC reports the dismissal of Karen Huebner, now former executive director of Atlanta’s Urban Design Commission.
The Urban Design Commission’s “mission to preserve and protect the city’s architectural heritage often pits the UDC against developers and sometimes even city government.” Needless to say, we’re fans.
You may also remember the UDC from when they presented Lain an Award of Excellence last summer.
(I’m pretty sure the photographer told Shirley to take a big bite of something at that moment. I was, as usual, instructed to close my eyes.)
More recently, they greenlighted our construction permit. Thank them when you don’t fall through the floor, please.
The Urban Design Commission is a leader in Atlanta’s struggling preservation efforts. Not only do they highlight wee preservation underdogs like us, but they also applaud creative preservation (the recently-closed Spotted Dog springs to mind, among others). The dismissal of their executive director is a major blow, to say the least.
So — where’s the petition?
Comments: 3St. Louis, Missouri — Campbell House Museum
Posted by: lain // Category: Christopher Radko, Historic Preservation, House Museums, Road Trips, St. Louis // 3:42 pm
Tuesday: The Campbell House Museum was closed when we arrived, but we stumbled upon a special tour and got to go inside. Booya.
The Campbell House is one of those enormous and over the top homes that belonged to a wealthy family and blah blah blah.
I mean, the place is super nice, and that’s fun for a while. For example, this fireplace is sweet–
But while luxury and historic preservation are all well and good, it’s the stories that make the museum.
Luckily, the Campbell House recognized this and devoted a significant part of the tour to the lives and memories of the servants.
Even better, they had restored the extensive system of bells the servants used to respond to the whims of the folks who occupied the home. It’s like an old-timey intercom system.
Unrelated, I also love it when house museums leave evidence of their restorations.
It’s so telling of an old house’s craftsmanship, how easily and quickly a house can decay, and how dedicated individuals can perform feats of brilliance provided they have a truckload of funding. The restoration was really, truly remarkable.
Better yet, they have a full-time staff of one (who was not even close to above working the cash register), and we met a board member who was busy vacuuming the floors. Our docents were volunteers and true students of the house and the history. It’s a great house museum, sure, but only because they run what seems like a marvelous organization.
Susie wanted me to mention that they saved the best part for last. In the carriage house, they’ve got the original carriages that belonged to the Campbell Family.
We weren’t allowed to take ‘em for a spin.
Topics Discussed — Helicopter Parents, Clingy Children, How I Forgot My Business Cards, Gentrification, Gift Shops with Unrelated and/or Ridiculous Wares, Christopher Radko
Comments: 1The Pace Publishing Company and the Wren’s Nest Publishing Company
Posted by: lain // Category: Baby Pictures, Birds of a feather, Historic Preservation, Marketing Tricks, Shameless Promotion, Storytelling, Wren's Nest Publishing Co. // 11:49 am
This morning I gave a talk at my high school about the Wren’s Nest Publishing Company.
I was a little nervous. I’ve never spoken in front of that big an audience before. Plus, they were way outside my usual target demographic (namely: Stately Dames, ages 72 - 86).
To make the Wren’s Nest a little more relevant to the students of Pace Academy, I brought out the big guns. My published works from the Pace Publishing Company, circa 1989, were included in the presentation.
I’ve included one of the better works below. Enjoy.
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(The End)
If this does not inspire students to contribute to the Wren’s Nest Publishing Company, I do not know what will.
Comments: 1Wren’s Nest Conservation Update
Posted by: lain // Category: 2008 - 2009 Wren's Nest Conservation Project, Big Money No Whammies, Challenges!, Historic Preservation, Transparency // 11:34 am
Lately I’ve been busy talking with architects and engineers and contractors about fixing up the Wren’s Nest. Sometimes I even know what they’re talking about.
Other times I just kinda nod my head and smile.
To give you an idea of the repairs we’re making, below are the architectural drawings of the basement and main floors complete with instructions.
Here’s the basement–
(Here’s a legible version)
And here’s the main floor–
(Yet another legible version)
These plans don’t include painting, roof repair, or structural repairs. If only it were that simple!
Comments: 7Things We Missed During Our Brief Blogging Hiatus
Posted by: Amelia // Category: Atlanta, Cyclorama, Grant Mansion, Historic Preservation, Kirk // 4:31 pm
Hi folks. Apologies to all one of you who have been waiting with baited breath for our return.
Here are a few items we would have mentioned, in depth, in a timely manner, had we been here. Instead, let’s glance, late!
1. The Grant Mansion in nearby Grant Park is undergoing a much-needed restoration.
The pre-Civil War mansion (where Bobby Jones was born and the home of the Atlanta Preservation Center) is being restored …slowly. Artifacts still need to be identified, and the architects are struggling to be true to original building plans, and on and on. We feel you.
I especially like the note about the craftsmanship evident in these old homes, the levels of which are pretty much unseen today. There’s something to be said for a century old home that suffered years of negligence and is still standing *cough cough*.
2. The Atlanta Cyclorama needs some attention too.
How much, Bo Emerson writes, is up for contention. Ignore me for a few minutes and read the article about a gigantic painting’s upkeep. Somehow, it’s riveting. Go on–I’ll wait.
Now that you’ve read it, you should know this: I love the Cyclorama. Seriously, it is the craziest and most bizarre relic in town, and you should go see it right now. I’ll wait again.
See?! Awesome. If it induces vertigo, it’s a success.
The article also touches on an issue we experience ourselves–what to do about ill-advised additions over the years. When historical accuracy is the goal, there’s no such thing as a good addition, and the best 1980 has to offer is often 2008’s problem. Tricky!
3. Remember the Crum and Forster building?
The Georgia Historic Trust’s “Places in Peril” list did, much like they remembered the Wren’s Nest in 2007. This is good news for historic preservation enthusiasts like us, and for Atlanta overall.
Preserving history > parking lot.
Anything else we missed? Let me know.
Comments: 4