News & Events
Buckland House Restoration Underway
Major transformations abound at the Buckland House as we complete much-needed foundation work on the almost 100-year-old structure. There were bumps along the way, as many homeowners experience when doing work in a historic district, but all helped make for a better project.
In just 30 days, the cracked front porch steps were removed, A/C units stored offsite, water supply and sanitary waste disconnected, and the porch columns removed. The house was lifted two feet off of its foundation and the completely deteriorated original foundation was removed, salvaging historic stone and brick for reuse. Floors have been leveled throughout the building and the many rotten sill beams replaced with new wood. The historic home is now sitting comfortably on its new foundation.
Sound like a monumental task? Maybe for some, but when your family has been doing this kind of work since the 1930s, like Hygema House Movers, it is just another day at the office. They are the pros and we look on in awe at their expert craftsmanship and attention to detail. Watching the progress on this project has been very interesting and educational, so much so that our Executive Director, Carmen Godwin, actually crawled up under the house to take a look at the progress a few weeks ago! (You can find some very cool photos of other Hygema houses “on the move” here.)
The benefits of having an experienced contractor like Hygema on this project have been many. When we discovered that some of the original rusticated blocks from the skirt wall were deteriorated beyond repair, they were easily able to locate and obtain enough salvaged blocks to replace them. Other completed renovations include the skirt wall, the front porch steps, the re-setting of the front porch columns, and the installation of a ramp to provide greater accessibility.
Next phase includes restoring the windows and roof. Then we will take on the rest of the house with repairing the plaster walls and other interior upgrades.
This project could not be completed without the generous donations of services from the following businesses. Please check out their website or look them up on Facebook.
Hygema House Movers, Inc.
(904) 282-4212
http://www.hygemahousemovers.com
Leprechaun Plumbing
(904) 838-0890
http://leprechaunplumbing.com
Air Pro Mechanical of North Florida, LLC (HVAC Contractor)
(904) 289-9994
This project has been financed in part with historic preservation grant assistance provided by the National Parks Service, U.S. Department of the Interior, administered through the Bureau of Historic Preservation, Division of Historical Resources, Florida Department of State, assisted by the Florida Historical Commission.
