My architectural salvage find
I got a phone call a couple of weeks ago....on a COLD, snowy Saturday morning...... The caller asked "Was I still interested in the salvage of the UM church in town?" Of course I was! Even though it was raining/snowing and the wind was blowing to beat all heck. I talked Plowboy into watching Plowbaby for a while so I could go in and survey the situation. Upon arrival, I noted that the poor weather conditions were definately to my advantage! There were only a hand full of potential buyers there for me to compete against. Even tho it was COLD, (did i mention how COLD it was?!) I was determined to stick it out and come home with lots of goodies. The "auction" was a silent bid type auction. There were bid sheets (most were soaking wet!) on each of the elements available for sale. You simply walked around, decided what you were willing to give, and wrote your name and bid amount on the sheet. I made a trip around at the very last minute to increase bid amounts on the ones I really wanted.
I came home with a total of 9 doors, and all the trim that went with them. However, the removal was up to me (well, us.....I got a little {alot} of help).
These are doors that lead from the entry way into the sanctuary. I got one set of these. (Was supposed to have both sets, but I let one of them go. Figured Plowboy wasn't going to be too keen on the glass)
This is a pocket door. I got 4 of these. Two on the main floor, and 2 up in the balcony. They are 7 foot tall and 6 foot wide and about 3 inches thick (read that SOLID).
another pic of the same door, just the other side
This is the hole in the wall where one of the doors came out of. It's on the 3rd floor balcony! (Ya know, it never occured to me during the frenzy of bidding that we'd have to get these doors outta here!)
I also got 3 other interior doors. I didn't get pictures of them though and they are in storage now.
What am going to do with all of this? They will become "moveable" walls in the basement. I didn't want to frame in and sheet rock rooms down there, so these will serve as room dividers. The trim from around the doors will (hopefully) become trim around the new windows down there also.
On Sunday (the day after the "auction"), Plowboy and I went in to "get a plan" on how we were going to get these finds out of the church. Soon, pesky brother-in-law Tim showed up, and not too much longer brother-in-law Mike shows up also. Both in their work vehicles. And guess what.....there are just enough pry bars, hammers and tools and now manpower to get the job done. Within a couple of hours, all the doors and trim had been removed and were taken to storage. (This is the part where I mention HOW MUCH I LOVE AND APPRECIATE MY HUSBAND AND BROTHERS-IN-LAW!!!!)
On Monday, I went back in and finished removing the trim and the nails from the trim. I took it all to storage also. Now I just have to get someone who knows something about trim (and woodwork in general) to tell me if my plan will work, and what I need to do to accomplish my goal!
You might be wondering how we got the huge doors out of the balcony. Well, once they were removed from the walls and the tracks, the boys strung a rope through the rails on the top, and lowered them over the balcony wall where (my friend) Barbara and I were waiting to "catch" them. It worked pretty slick, and there were no injuries to either Barbara, myself or the doors!
Something else I acquired from the auction is sections of the tin ceiling from the entry way. Barbara and her husband Randy won the bid on the ceiling, and they were kind enough to let me have what they didn't want.
I've always had a fascination for old architecture and anything antique. Big, old buildings just have me in awe. I took several pictures of the church, many (probably too many!) I will post below. It will be sad to see the old building go. Demolition is set for April 20th.
The church was built in 1914. The last few years have been pretty hard on her. She is suffering from structural damage, and is beyond repair. The ice storm we had here last winter really did a hard number on her. The church members made the decision to have her razed, and rebuild on a new site.
This is the front of the church. It faces the east. Oh how I wish those brick arches could somehow be saved and used.
This is the south side of the building. Notice that all the stained glass windows are gone. They have been removed and put into storage, and will be used in the new church when it is built.
This is the view out the big window in the south side from the balcony.
This is the view out the east window from the balcony.
A view of the alter area from the balcony
The view of the south balcony from the north balcony. Note that the pews are gone also. They are in storage and will be put in the new church when it is built.
A view of the southeast from the alter area
A view of the north balcony. These are the two spots where two of the doors came from. The rail on the left is where the boys lowered the doors over down to the main floor.
I didn't get pictures of the amazing stairways in the church. And the pictures really don't do that beautiful floor justice. Whoever bid on the staircases has quite a job in front of them in their removal. The floorings and the baseboards weren't bid on, so I'm guessing they will be demolished with the rest of the church.
The nice thing about architectural salvage is you can take a piece of history and breathe new life into it. It has a new life with character and a story.
Stay tuned for "the rest of the story". I might have these elements installed by next Christmas!
Happy trails,
plowgirl
I came home with a total of 9 doors, and all the trim that went with them. However, the removal was up to me (well, us.....I got a little {alot} of help).
These are doors that lead from the entry way into the sanctuary. I got one set of these. (Was supposed to have both sets, but I let one of them go. Figured Plowboy wasn't going to be too keen on the glass)
This is a pocket door. I got 4 of these. Two on the main floor, and 2 up in the balcony. They are 7 foot tall and 6 foot wide and about 3 inches thick (read that SOLID).
another pic of the same door, just the other side
This is the hole in the wall where one of the doors came out of. It's on the 3rd floor balcony! (Ya know, it never occured to me during the frenzy of bidding that we'd have to get these doors outta here!)I also got 3 other interior doors. I didn't get pictures of them though and they are in storage now.
What am going to do with all of this? They will become "moveable" walls in the basement. I didn't want to frame in and sheet rock rooms down there, so these will serve as room dividers. The trim from around the doors will (hopefully) become trim around the new windows down there also.
On Sunday (the day after the "auction"), Plowboy and I went in to "get a plan" on how we were going to get these finds out of the church. Soon, pesky brother-in-law Tim showed up, and not too much longer brother-in-law Mike shows up also. Both in their work vehicles. And guess what.....there are just enough pry bars, hammers and tools and now manpower to get the job done. Within a couple of hours, all the doors and trim had been removed and were taken to storage. (This is the part where I mention HOW MUCH I LOVE AND APPRECIATE MY HUSBAND AND BROTHERS-IN-LAW!!!!)
On Monday, I went back in and finished removing the trim and the nails from the trim. I took it all to storage also. Now I just have to get someone who knows something about trim (and woodwork in general) to tell me if my plan will work, and what I need to do to accomplish my goal!
You might be wondering how we got the huge doors out of the balcony. Well, once they were removed from the walls and the tracks, the boys strung a rope through the rails on the top, and lowered them over the balcony wall where (my friend) Barbara and I were waiting to "catch" them. It worked pretty slick, and there were no injuries to either Barbara, myself or the doors!
Something else I acquired from the auction is sections of the tin ceiling from the entry way. Barbara and her husband Randy won the bid on the ceiling, and they were kind enough to let me have what they didn't want.
I've always had a fascination for old architecture and anything antique. Big, old buildings just have me in awe. I took several pictures of the church, many (probably too many!) I will post below. It will be sad to see the old building go. Demolition is set for April 20th.
The church was built in 1914. The last few years have been pretty hard on her. She is suffering from structural damage, and is beyond repair. The ice storm we had here last winter really did a hard number on her. The church members made the decision to have her razed, and rebuild on a new site.
This is the front of the church. It faces the east. Oh how I wish those brick arches could somehow be saved and used.
This is the south side of the building. Notice that all the stained glass windows are gone. They have been removed and put into storage, and will be used in the new church when it is built.
This is the view out the big window in the south side from the balcony.
This is the view out the east window from the balcony.
A view of the alter area from the balcony
The view of the south balcony from the north balcony. Note that the pews are gone also. They are in storage and will be put in the new church when it is built.
A view of the southeast from the alter area
A view of the north balcony. These are the two spots where two of the doors came from. The rail on the left is where the boys lowered the doors over down to the main floor.I didn't get pictures of the amazing stairways in the church. And the pictures really don't do that beautiful floor justice. Whoever bid on the staircases has quite a job in front of them in their removal. The floorings and the baseboards weren't bid on, so I'm guessing they will be demolished with the rest of the church.
The nice thing about architectural salvage is you can take a piece of history and breathe new life into it. It has a new life with character and a story.
Stay tuned for "the rest of the story". I might have these elements installed by next Christmas!
Happy trails,
plowgirl
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- Daniel