Colonial Williamsburg Digital Library

Gutter

Archaeological excavation at the south side of the house revealed the remains of a brick gutter, so at the North and South sides there are gutters of 6 bricks in width curving down from the wall and up to the grade to receive the drip. These are customarily found under eaves of buildings in Williamsburg.

Wall Surface

This is brick laid in Flemish Bond. At the first floor there is an unmolded beveled ground brick watertable and at the second floor a three brick wide continuous guaged brick belt course, both original, The bottom of the guaged brick belt course is on line with the top of the ground brick arches of the first floor door and the windows.

In the north wall there are four rows of six putlock holes. These are one brick deep and have a mortar filled sloping base to the outer side for drainage. These were found filled in, as they usually were, but in the time of Palmer the holes were not filled in. The putlock holes were stopped up (almost 40 years later) in Feb. 22, 1779 by Humphrey Harwood for William Page. The later mortar used by Harwood in filling in the holes was evident and was removed. Some of the holes had been left with ends of the poles sawed off still in place, but these bits were too fragmentary to retain. The patching of the brick wall was all done with old selected brick and the cleaning of the brick was done with steam and paint remover. The entire surface had been painted in later years.

Stair

There was no evidence of a porch on the north side. However, leading to the door is a flight of stone steps and stoop laid on brick in England bond. These steps are for the most part original. New steps and patches where needed (see drawing No. 104 for details) were furnished by the Cleveland Quarries Co. because the Aquia Sandstone quarry where the original steps presumably came from is now closed. The stones were all originally doweled with wrought iron dowels set in lead and the new inserts of stone are so doweled. The first step is new and is set with its tread flush with the brick sidewalk. Its original existence was revealed by archaeological investigation. The elevation of the finished grade is now about eight inches higher than the original grade, and could not be restored to its 18th century level without loss of old trees and extensive work in the entire area. In the steps are the holes of two railings, the later ones have been filled with lead, and the earlier ones were re-used to take the new square balusters and newels which are similar in design to those at the Draper house. At the entrance doorway the rail juts at right angles for several inches, before entering the brickwork at the sides of the door. If carried in straight it would hit the trim of the door. The remains of a plug in the brickwork to which the original rail probably was secured, were found on one side of the door but were lacking on the other. The rail is supported also by two wrought iron brackets which join the brickwork below the stone. The design of these is like English work of the period. They were especially designed for this house.

Front Door

The double front door is new, yellow pine copied from one in the Tayloe house. The louvered double yellow pine door is a copy of one found on the Kensey-Johns house, Newcastle, Del., but with horizontal two way louvres. For modern protection against insects, a copper fine mesh screening has been placed between the inner and outer louvres, through the center and hence invisible. The two light high transom and transom bar are copied from the Wythe house. The door trim is a reproduction of that found on the rear original door.

Basement Window

The basement window has its original ground brick segmental arch. The opening is filled with a grill flashed with lead with beaded head, jambs, mullion, and sill made of Gulf cypress. This is used because it lasts much longer in case of moisture, although it was originally of yellow pine. It is new and copied from the original one, which was not in sound condition. Three square bars of wood, set diagonally are fitted between the jambs and the mullion. The arch is plastered to the edge of the beaded frame with white plaster. Inside this grille is a sash hinged at the bottom to swing in, glazed with Penn-vernon glass. There was no sash in the original frame but it is scarcely visible from outside the house and is essential to protect the basement.

Windows

There are five windows on the north elevation, two on the first floor and three on the second. The upper half of these windows was a fixed sash. When the house was added to by Vest the sills were lowered and the heads were provided with cast 7 iron pediments, their widths remained the same. The cast iron pediments were removed and discarded and the windows were returned to their original height. The dimensions of unaltered original window openings found on the south and east walls were followed. All window frames and sash are new and were flashed with 2-lb. lead. The size of the opening governed the frame and sash size. In general arrangement the frame is like that of the Wythe house and the size and profile of the sash rails and muntins were taken from Tuckahoe. The original Jack arches were relaid and patched with old brick where necessary. They are now supported by steel angles instead of the wood lintels which were removed. These angles are not visible. The sash, which are counterbalanced with cords and weights are really "double hung," both upper and lower sash operating. The profile of the trim of the frame is like that on the original rear door. The frames, sill, sash, and trim are of white pine. False pegs in the frame and sill are used to simulate 18th century mortise and tenon construction. All glass used is old glass salvaged from derelict houses. As a concession to modern living the windows are equipped with screens.

Cornice

The wood cornice with exception of a new crown mold is original and was patched only where necessary to replace rotted portions. It consists of the crown mold over an ogee and a fascia: beneath this a square ended modillion with a molded top surmounting another ogee and a fillet. The cornice covers about one third of the ground brick arches of the second floor 8 windows. See full size details on drawing No. 206.

Shingles

The shingles are cement asbestos which simulate wood, made by Mohawk Asbestos Shingle Co. These are laid on yellow pine roof sheathing most of which is original. Over the whole there is a layer of 30-lb. felt. Two non-ferrous nails daubed in mastic are nailed through each shingle. The shingles are rounded at the ends and cover the entire roof, being combed on the ridge to the south. There is roofing cement under the last course on each side of the ridge. These shingles also are laid on the roof of the bulkhead, and on the porch roof.

Dormers

There are no dormer windows, The nineteenth century dormers were removed because it was apparent that they had been added at that time to the original construction.

Bulkhead

The bulkhead is new but is authenticated by archaeological excavation which revealed fragments of the original brick steps and wood nosings, and the existence of a bricked up opening in the basement wall. There was also a scribe in the outside wall, evidence of a gable roof and the width of the scribe disclosed the size of it. Below grade the bulkhead walls are of concrete but above grade there are two courses of old brick. The sides of the bulkhead are covered with the horizontal beaded sheathing with hand wrought nails showing; an arched head vertical beaded sheathing double door is on the front and the gable roof is covered with cement asbestos shingles. The doors are hinged with pintle W. I. 10" long hinges and has a W. I. latch and handle. This design is similar to that of one at the Carter- 9 Saunders house.

The steps are relaid with 18th century reproduction brick made by Colonial Williamsburg with nosings of red oak laid in mortar. The frame construction is shielded from termites by a copper pan. Five steel angles hold up the wall of the house.

Wall Surface

This wall, largely in its original condition, was revealed by the demolition of the easterly rooms added by W. W. Vest circa 1857. The original window openings though bricked up, retained their ground brick flat arches and ground brick jambs and sill. The fanlight window opening in the attic was also complete. The frames and sash were missing from all original openings. Four openings, made for doorways when the house was added to, were blocked up with old brick and mortar to match original work. The belt course and the water table, both largely original, were patched where necessary. After completing the brick work the whole wall was cleaned and pointed as was the north wall.

Basement Windows

The two basement openings retained their original segmental arches in place, but the sill of the one to the north had been cut down to form a basement door. The arches of both were removed and relaid because their condition was not sound, and the doorway was restored to a window opening. The two windows were then fitted with grilles, frame and sash as described for the north window.

Windows

Four new windows, sill, frame, sash, and trim like the ones in the north elevation were put into the original window openings. A new fanlight sash and frame and trim with muntins like the other windows was installed in the attic. These were flashed and the arches over them relaid and supported by steel angles like the north windows.

Barge Bd.
Cornice Stop

The barge boards are copies of the original one found on the west gable. They have a molded top member. The cornice stops are copies of the original found on the west gable. It takes the form of a very wide ogee with a squared base.

Wall Surface

The wall is similar to the north elevation, with a door and five windows. The belt course and the watertable are original and patched wherever necessary. A new flat ground brick arch for the doorway was installed and the original flat arches of the five windows were taken out and were relaid so as to be supported by steel angles. They were flashed like the windows of the north side.

Doorway

The original door and trim was fitted with a new sill to match the deteriorated original. The glazing in two upper panels of the door which was done in 1857 was removed and replaced by panels to match the original work. Except for the sill and the lintel of steel the doorway is original.

Basement Windows

There were two original window openings in the basement with grilles which were probably original although they were only two bars instead of three bars high. These grilles were rebuilt from new cypress and were fitted with sash to match the window on the north side.

Windows

All of the window openings have their original ground brick flat arches. The window openings were all their original size except the second floor center window, the sill of which had at one time been cut down to take a door. The Jack arches were relaid and the openings were fitted with new sash and frames in the same manner as those on the north elevation.

Cornice Roofs

The cornice was treated to the same kind of repair as the cornice on the north elevation. The roof, minus its 19th century dormer windows was repaired and shingled as the roof on the north side of the house.

Porch

Archaeological excavation revealed the original foundation for steps to the rear door. A reglet in the belt course indicates that a roof once started there to go over a porch, but the original evidence was left unrestored. The present porch is entirely new and unauthentic; it was built for the convenience of tenants and is provided with screening. It has an electric outlet in the ceiling and the steps to the ground are without risers but have a newel and rail on one side only. The railing goes around the porch. The design of the porch is in harmony with 18th century examples. The cut out frieze is adapted from "Fauntleroy."

Wall Surface

The whole wall was patched where necessary and two attic windows of the nineteenth century were blocked up completely with reproduction brick, mortars, and jointing. The window openings were brought back to their original size as were those on the north elevation. Six rows of original putlock holes were left open as in the north elevation. Four new window frames with sash trim and sill matching the north elevation were installed.

Reservoir

Outside of the house but adjoining it on the south corner is a barrel vaulted reservoir which held rain (?) water. This is below the surface and is not visible at all. Research and archaeology have failed to indicate the date of this construction. At one time roof water was conducted to it, but at a time after Vest's occupancy. It was waterproofed towards the house side, and filled with gravel and left.

Chimney

The chimney was rebuilt from the roof to the top because the corbelling at the top was changed under Mr. Vest. The cap is typical of Williamsburg with three corbelled brick courses surmounted by cement and one brick course which is on the same line as the funnel of the chimney. Since the chimney was not to be enlarged it was decided to make the Living Room fireplace smaller than was indicated by the brick work found in place. This made the flue for this fireplace the same size as the other fireplaces. A boiler flue was inserted and was carried up from the basement to the top of the chimneys. This took the place of the flue from the fireplace in Bedroom #2 which was closed up. 15 There is an original iron lightning rod which goes from the top of the chimney to the ground on the west wall, the top part of which is new, copied from one on the Benjamin Waller house.

Barge Bds.

These are original as are also the cornice stops.

Plan of Basement

The original plan of the basement is simple. It consisted of a hall to the east and two rooms to the west with a chimney base between them in the corner.

The hall has a new lavatory built into it for the convenience of the tenant, and at the south end a new flight of stairs replacing the 19th century ones which were unfit for use. Two original doorways lead to the west rooms from the hall. The southern one, D3, is a double door leading into the storage room. The northern door, D4, leads into the boiler room. These rooms are separated by a brick wall which goes from the west wall of the hall, also of brick, to the west wall of the house where it branches out to form a triangular base for the two fireplaces in the first floor rooms. In the basement each of two sides of the triangular chimney foundation has an original high brick arch. In the arch to the north a flue was added and the brick was repaired and repointed in both arches. There is an original double doorway, D2, in the brick wall between the storage and the boiler room.

Concrete underpinning was placed six feet from each corner on both sides of foundation wall and 2" gunite was applied on the west interior wall and on the north, east and south exterior walls from the underpinning to 3 brick courses below finish grade. This was to strengthen the wall and to keep the cellar dry.

Bulkhead

In the Boiler room on the north side were the remains of a doorway. This was unblocked and the remains of brick steps 17 on the outside made it clear that it lead to a bulkhead. See north elevation for description.

Piers

To strengthen the foundation 8" x 12" brick piers were added to the inside walls of the basement. There is in the hall, one in each of the four corners, and one on the east sidewall. In the storage room there are four, two in the south corners and one in between, and one next to the chimney. In the Boiler room there are four, two in the north corners, one in between, and one more in the west beside the chimney.

Lally Column

In the boiler room close to the chimney is installed a 4" lally column, to support the beam of the first floor. In the hall near the basement stairs is a 3-½" Lally column to support the main stairway above. There is bridging in all rooms stiffening the original joists of the first floor.

Floor Drains

The 4" concrete floor throughout the basement is laid on a 4" gravel bed. It is drained to the northeast corner of the hall, to the center of the storage room and to a point just north of the chimney in the boiler room.

Ceiling and Walls

In the whole basement, the ceiling is rough plastered over Clinton wire cloth and metal furring and both walls and ceiling are white washed.

Windows

The windows (see north elevation) are equipped with sash which are hinged at the bottom inside to swing in. The brick is stepped down and inward as a sill in the storage room while the other windows have level brick sills.

Doors

There are 3 sets of double doors, a double screen door mounted on rebates at the entrance to the bulkhead, for modern convenience, one in the brick wall between the storage and the boiler room, and one in the brick wall between the storage room and the hall. There is a single lavatory door, and a single door leading into the boiler room from the hall. All of these doors are new with vertical beaded sheathing on the others, similar to the original doors in the Tayloe house. They have plain trim and are painted white as is the trim. The hardware for all is Colonial Williamsburg wrought iron pintle strap hinges and thumb latch except the lavatory door which has a Corbin door pull and bolt. On the screen doors are 3 pair of stock narrow butt hinges, 2 stock surface bolts for inactive leaf, a Corbin screen door closer cabin hook and a stock chrome pull.

Lighting

For the convenience of the tenant and modern living there are porcelain keyless outlets in the ceilings of the four rooms and switches and convenience outlets to accommodate other fixtures. Wire is run concealed in rigid Everdur conduit.

Heating

In the north archway of the chimney is a 1'-0" T.C. circular thimble installed for the boiler flue and below that is an 8" x 12" cast iron clean out door. The heating is by hot water convectors and grilles above stairs with 2 radiators in the basement, one on the South wall raised up above the floor on a row of bricks, and one on the west side of the hall between the doors which is at the floor.

Stairway

To replace the 19th century staircase which had replaced the 19 original one, a stairway was built of stringers and treads, newel and rail. There are no risers. The rail is composed of two boards run between a square newel and a post and on up to the old doorway. At the east wall at the head of the stairs there is a hook strip with pegs, like those of the Brush-Everard house; the hook strip may have been original because it is of typical 18th century form and it was found in place.

Lavatory

In the northeast corner of the basement is built a new partition of terra cotta blocks with a door on the west side. Inside for the convenience of the tenant there is installed a new lavatory and a toilet.

HALL AND STAIR

The hall is largely original but to accommodate modern needs two coat closets on either side of the front door have been built in. These form a floor to ceiling panelled recess for the front door between panelled side walls. The original door to the basement has been brought out to the stair jib and to its original position under the landing of the main stair. See photograph of stair hall.

LIVING ROOM

This is the large room to the west of the hall and faces north and west. It has the original yellow pine floor, face nailed. The original ceiling framing was stiffened by a steel eight inch 11.5#C beam bolted to the original beam which crosses north and south in front of the corner fireplace. This is in the 2nd floor framing and is not visible. It was laid alongside the beam which was somewhat deflected. Three rows of two by eight inch bridging between the ceiling joist were added for stiffening of the original construction. The outside walls of the room are of brick furred with three by four inch studs, while the inside brick walls were furred with 1" x 3" furring. The ceiling has metal furring and both walls and ceiling are plastered on Clinton wire cloth.

DINING ROOM

The floor is original, and runs east and west with the nailheads exposed as in the Hall. It was cleaned and waxed.

KITCHEN

This is arranged for the convenience of the tenant and is the eastern part of the former dining room. Since it is for modern living, it is equipped in a modern way.

General

The original house had a hall and three bedrooms and an open passage. The making of the original plan into one convenient for living of a modern family was accomplished on the second floor by turning the passage into a bath #1 and closet space and by shortening the hall for another bath #2 and for closets. There is no cornice and no wainscot on the second floor. The chair board, which was found in its original form in the south bedroom is copied and used throughout this second floor. The whole outside wall, furred with three by fours, was lined with aluminum foil vapor barrier paper (as made by the Reynolds Metal Company) locked two inches at all joints and the seams stapled. The ceilings and walls were plastered on two and one half inch mesh Clinton wire cloth.

The trim of the cased doorway (206) in the north wall to the passage has a simpler trim than the downstairs _________. Inside this doorway there is a small square hall with doors leading to a passage west (D207) and one leading to a passage north (204). In the east side of the hall there is a linen closet door. The trim of the door is like the cased opening as is the trim to the other two doors. An outlet in the ceiling will light this dark hall. The original wall of the stairhall was removed to accommodate the bath and the closet but where the doorway D204 is, the original wall stood.

Hardware

All of the doors are equipped with Col. Repro. H and L hinges and with WI rim locks, except for the closets which have WI hinges and thumb latches. The hardware in the bathrooms has 31 chromium instead of brass knobs and there is a night latch also in chromium.

STAIR HALL

The original stair hall has been reduced in size to provide space for closets and a bath. There is a bevel at the second floor level from the thicker first floor to the thinner second floor wall.

BATHROOM #1 AND PASSAGE

The east end of the original south bedroom was changed to take a doorway into the passage, where two closets and a bathroom were built in. The side of the passage to the north is an original wall and has a chair board and base. It is plastered wall and ceiling. The opposite wall of the passage is sheathed to the ceiling with beaded vertical random width sheathing which form two closets equipped with hanging poles and shelves. The closet doors are vertical board and batten doors like those found in the Tayloe Smokehouse.

BEDROOM #1

The room had two changes made in the restoration. 1. The door in the east wall was blocked up as it had originally been. 33 2. The closet was rebuilt on the west wall in the recess formed by the chimney, where it had originally been, containing the window there.

The floor, walls and ceiling, chair board and base are like those elsewhere on the second floor.

The windows are likewise the same, each having convector grilles in the window seat and the baseboard cut out for the circulation of heat.

A mantel, the design of which is based with some minor alterations from a mantel at "Wales" Dinwiddie County was built around the fireplace. The fireplace opening is arched segmentally and the bolection moulding and the wood around it are also segmental but turn down after a short horizontal stretch at the corners. The mantel with a curved frieze has one full size panel on the left of the fireplace because the opening is not in the center of the diagonal wall space. The hearth is brick like the one in the living room and the facing is plastered in white oyster shell lime plaster.

The room is lighted by a pair of sconces on either side of the over-mantel, and there are switches and convenience outlets in the proper places.

CLOSET #1 BEDROOM

The closet has a typical window with plastered and beaded jambs and head and has an original door, (D334). This is six panel and is the model of all the second floor doors. On the north 34 wall are five shelves, a hook strip (like the Brush House) below the top shelf on east and west walls. On the south wall is a shelf over a pole with a hook strip on the east. The trim on inside of the closet door is like the trim in Bathroom #1 and the new baseboard like the others upstairs.

BEDROOM #2

Except for the mantel and fireplace this is exactly like the other second floor rooms in every detail.

On the west side next to the fireplace a closet was built in for the convenience of the tenant. Its door faces south and in it is a shelf and a pole. Inside on the west wall was found a piece of the original chair board of the second floor. A corner board like the ones already mentioned is used on the external corner of the closet.

The fireplace has a hearth of brick and a hearth strip like the living room and a fireplace opening of segmental type which is closed up about a half inch back of the facing and plastered. The brick facing is plastered with oyster shell lime plaster. Over this is a wood mantel with bolection molding and a shelf similar to one in the John Carter house but simplified.

PASSAGE AND BATHROOM #2

BEDROOM #3

The bedroom is like the other rooms on this floor. It has the chair board and base like the others and trim on the windows and doors and the profile of the door panels is the same. The walls and ceilings are plastered and the two windows are plastered in the reveals with corner boards.

EXTERIOR PAINT COLORS

INTERIOR PAINT COLORS

All floors are left natural but cleaned and waxed.

All baseboards are painted black. All plaster on first floor and on second is painted white with a touch of umber.

INTERIOR SECOND FLOOR

Insulation

Insulation, composed of rigid board, and vapor barrier paper was applied between the studs and rafters and over the ceiling of the second floor and on the west wall. Rigid board is asphalt impregnated, similar to Celotex. Vapor barrier paper is similar to that made by Reynolds Metals Co. Richmond, Va.

Caulking

The weather boards were applied to three outer walls. At the meeting of the brick west wall, they were caulked with Kuhls Caulking Compound for one eighth inch.

Stoop

The six treads and closed stringer with no risers are carried up to a brick platform. The rails are a single board beaded at the four corners, and the newels are copied from a house called Mulberry Grove in Dorchester Co. Maryland. There are two newels on each side and another pair at the foot of the steps.

Door

The door of white pine is very simple, consisting of stiles and rails with a long central panel with horizontal beaded sheathing in it like a door at Habre de Venture, Charles Co. Maryland. Besides this there is a louvered white pine double door with screening cunningly concealed in the middle of the louvres. This door resembles the louvered door of the Palmer house. The doorway has trim copied from the Palmer house.

Bulkhead

The bulkhead is very much like the one at the Carter-Saunders house. On a concrete foundation there are two rows of old brick. It is built almost exactly as the Palmer house bulkhead of horizontal beaded sheathing ^{with the nailheads exposed} and it is shingled with Cement Asbestos shingles. It has a double arched door of beaded sheathing with battens inside, under a simple gable. It is equipped with copper termite shields.

Windows

The white pine windows of the first floor are alike, and are copie[s] of the "Tuckahoe" windows but are somewhat smaller. They are 6 over 9 lights of 8 x 10 glass. They are double hung with a 4 Unique sash balance, as manufactured by Unique Sash Balance Co., 25 Bruckner Boulevard, New York, N.Y. The trim copies the Palmer house.

Shutters

The batten shutters are like the Draper house. Shutters are of Northern white pine as per detail. They have one eighth inch sheet lead caps.

Dormer Windows

The dormer window sash are also copied from "Tuckahoe" with 6 over 9 lights of 6 x 7 glass. They have slanted beaded sheathing on the sides. All glass is antique salvaged glass.

Weatherboards

The cypress weatherboarding which covers the three wood sides is stopped at the corner by double corner boards like those at "Hillsborough." King and Queen Co. The cornice is like that of the Kings Arms Laundry.

BASEMENT

The basement on the inside is concrete with concrete floor, drained at the center, and brick bases for the chimney. The west wall is waterproofed with one heavy coat of Elaterite. At the east end a narrow stair leads up to the kitchen. Two cypress sashes, hinged at the bottom, are hung behind the wooden grilles and open into the basement. There is an oil tank which feeds the Winkler furnace, and a Westinghouse hot water tank. The heating is hot air with ducts in the walls. There is for the tenants comfort a double screen door to the bulkhead where a flight of steps without risers go up to the batten doors of the bulkhead at the ground level.

FIRST FLOOR

The first and second floor plans are arranged for a tenant and have all modern conveniences. The first floor consists of one room with a kitchen unit in the east. Beside that is a door which opens to the basement stair; next to that an open stair to the second floor. On the south side are two windows. On the west side there is a duct space alcove, a fireplace and a coat closet In the north wall is the entrance door and another window.

SECOND FLOOR

BEDROOM #1

The batten sheathed door to the west of the stair landing leads into the bedroom. The yellow pine floor is like the hall and the baseboard is the same. The walls and ceiling are plastered and the dormer windows to the north and south are the same as the bath. In the west wall closets are two batten doors of vertical sheathing. These are angle cut to fit the shape of the roof over them. They have plain beaded trim, HL hinges and a thumb latch. Inside they are lined with plywood like the closets in the kitchen. They have poles and shelf.

CLOSET IN HALL

The batten sheathed door to the north of the hall opens on a large closet fitted with shelves from floor to ceiling on the west side. To the north occurs the window trimmed as the other dormers on this floor. There is a pole across the closet which cuts off the window. The walls and ceiling and window reveal are covered with plywood like those in the bedroom.