|
Nathan Tanner Porter Home
Update received June 23rd 2009
Home before Renovation
(Click Image for more photos of restoration.)
As you may already be aware, our renovation of the Porter farmstead was recognized by the Utah Heritage Foundation last year (along with the Utah State Capitol and the Tabernacle) as award-worthy renovations. We are very proud of that award, because it reassures us that the effort we have expended has improved the property, not just changed it.
We have completed the renovation of both homes. The original home at 376 West Porter Lane has been totally restructured on the interior, from dirt to chimney top. We were required to pour concrete footings adjacent to the rock foundation, adding steel reinforcing rods, and building a wooden support structure on the inside of the existing brick walls. The original plank floors were removed, painfully reworked to remove more than a century of old nails and tacks, dirt and paint and glues, and relaid on top of the new subfloor. The interior walls were tied into the existing brick outer walls with stainless steel bolts on 30 inch centers, epoxied into place, and tied back into the new wooden inner walls for support. The roof was reinforced, rebuilt where necessary, and reshingled with individually selected cedar shingles. Our roofer (a graduate student with more talent than business sense) offered to do the wooden roof for the same labor cost as an asphalt roof. When I challenged him, he said he knew the wood would take more time and effort, but "the house deserves a wood roof."
The interior walls have been insulated, drywalled, painted, and finished. The ceiling is at the original height. The windows have been replaced with authentic reproductions, and appropriate storm sashes. The original doors were found and reinstalled. We had the chimneys rebuilt to match the original styles, and 'discovered' the old fireplace on the south end of the main floor when removing the damaged plaster behind the old water heater installation. It has been repaired, and is usable.
On the main floor, there are now only two rooms, rather than the original three. The north room remains bedroom size, with a partial bath. The south two rooms are now one, with bookcases and comfortable reading chairs.
1892 Home before Renovation
The 1892 house at 370 West Porter has also been totally restored, and that work is complete as well. The three bedrooms, bath, and eleven skylights in the attic have all be removed, and the original ceiling heights restored for the rooms on the main floor. The large stairway added to the front parlor has been removed, and a pull down ladder access to the attic substituted near the back entry.
As we removed the lowered ceilings, we found remnants of early (we think original) wallpapers and paint colors. We have tried to either copy, or simulate these decorations. Antique lighting fixtures have replaced those installed later in the house's history, and the dining room fireplace has been returned to its original size and shape. The wooden floors have been revealed, restored, and repainted to match the original colors, as have the other wood trim elements throughout the house. The kitchen has been returned to the original layout, with a slight upgrade in appliance. The pantry is a pantry again, with much of the original cabinetry in place. The original bath is now a guest bath and laundry. The master bedroom (a 'den' by property tax standards since it still has no closet) is a bedroom, and the smaller bedroom has been converted into a period appropriate full bath.
We have tried to decorate the house consistent with about 1910-20. Our efforts to correctly identify colors, papers, furnishings, etc. has been guided by Alicia Revell of Farmington. She is a specialist in Utah pioneer homes, and is wonderful to work with.
Grainary
The rock granary has been reroofed with wood shingles, and the under roof structure reinforced. We are doing nothing else at the moment. We hope it will keep standing until we get to it.
The barn, which we never owned, was demolished a year or more ago by the owner. In its place he has constructed a large steel building. We have planted more trees to screen the view.
We have tried to make the yard consistent with both Brigham Young's instruction to plant trees and gardens, and plants of the era. We relied heavily on Susan Crook, a landscape architect noted for her work with pioneer properties, in designing the plants. We have planted more than 50 new trees, a couple of them more than once. We have a small orchard developing on the south west corner, and a garden in the back. Grapes are trying to grow in the torrential rains we have experienced this year, and the grass is looking more and more like a lawn as time passes.
Important Notice
The Owners do not plan to open the property for tours or 'private viewing' at any time.
They don't mind people looking from the street.
Please, family, respect their right to privacy and do not invade their property.
They hope family and friends will enjoy their efforts from a slight distance.
See Past information on N.T. Porter Homes.
|
