The exterior restoration of the Eugenia Williams House is underway! The Aslan Foundation has partnered with Hickory Construction and a group of skilled subcontractors to repair and restore major exterior elements as closely as possible to their original conditions.
Areas of focus include:
- The terracotta roof of the main house.
- The slate roof of the stable.
- The masonry and brickwork.
- The metalwork.
- The windows and doors.
Years of exposure to the elements have damaged the roofs, windows, and doors, worn the masonry down, and tarnished the once-bright ornate metalwork. The first signs of progress are already visible—giving us an exciting look into the future of the house.
The local company Roofing Specialist, who recently restored the roof of the Cherokee Country Club, has undertaken the arduous task of removing and cleaning each of the original terracotta and slate roof tiles.
Contractors at Wasco, who recently partnered with the Aslan Foundation to restore the Candoro Marble Building’s exterior, are working to restore the masonry. This project consists of salvaging existing materials, carefully mapping original details, cleaning and tuckpointing the bricks, and matching the original mortar and bricks for reproduction where necessary.
The house’s exterior metalwork, which includes a balcony, a staircase, and a set of two-story wrought-iron columns over the south veranda, will be restored by Allen Architectural Metals. Cleaning debris and repainting the metalwork will reveal its original detail and luster.
Conservators researched historic paint colors to source an exact match for the wrought iron currently obscured by rust and peeling layers of paint.
All contractors are using National Park Service Historic Preservation Standards to restore the exterior of this significant example of Regency architecture.
Loch & Key Productions recently conducted interviews with each contractor about their processes and filmed them working on the project. After the exterior restoration (Phase II) is complete, Loch & Key will produce a video documenting the resulting transformation. Click here to watch their Phase One restoration video.
