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			I own an old family farm house in Mississippi: can you help me?
		Hi, Sid! I am Janet and I have inherited my great-grandfather's farmhouse in Mississippi. My grandparents lived in the house until their deaths - since then it has been largely vacant except for one tenant who moved out taking doorknobs, doors, etc. I will be retiring next year and would like to restore the house as my retirement home. The original part of the house is a log pen that my great great grandfather built in 1820. Then after my great-grandfather returned from the Civil War he built a frame farmhouse around the log house in 1876. My grandfather remodeled the house in 1932. I have had historians from the Mississippi Dept of Archives and History visit the homeplace and have their site report. The house is now in poor condition after being empty for almost 10 years. My problem is nowing how to proceed - should I restore it as it stands as a frame farmhouse; remove the farmhouse structure and restore only the log house; or just give up on the whole structure and use the beams, flooring, and beadboard in a "new" home? Can you help me? If so, what assistance can you offer and about how much would the assistance cost? Thanks for listening - I'll look forward to your reply! MY RESPONSE: GO SEE THIS HOUSE No two old houses are the same. This is why a visit to the building is a must first step. I look at the building to assess it’s overall condition. No two client/owners are the same. Some feel the need to save part of their family’s history, others see the opportunity to live in an old house as something they have always wanted to do. Since money is always a consideration, determining the building’s condition is a necessary first step. I look at the building’s structural components from foundation to roof framing. I look for what historic character remains, what periods are represented, is it a good candidate for restoration, etc. I usually prefer to look at a building in this comprehensive way (sort of like a Doctor’s complete physical) then meet with you. As part of this process, I will document the building through photographs (digital) and sketch drawings (I take basic measurements). If, after our meeting, you decide to continue with my involvement, I have the basic components (the sketch drawings and photos) to bring back to my office and produce a set of drawings which I call “existing conditions”. It is a base map from which to proceed to the next step, which is the “plan”. We would then meet again. This plan outlines the steps towards your goals. (We can do this through the mail, or over the internet, depending on your computor skills!) I would certainly have to visit the house once or twice during this step. (Or more depending on the building’s complexity) After the plan is in a stage you feel comfortable with, the next phase is the construction work. The logistics of “getting the work done” is based on your locally available talent. Since I was in the business of restoration/preservation for 20 years as a contractor I am familiar with this process - trust me - its fraught with it’s own set of problems! Returning an old house to it’s “origins” is not always a good idea. I use the expression of “opening a can of worms” to describe what can happen when you start removing later additions and materials to get back to the “original” old house. I prefer old houses as examples of how people lived in them over time, especially if they contain the first bathroom, first kitchen, etc., it makes for a more interesting house and story. You never know though, some houses retain original components almost intact, hidden behind added layers, and its always fun to discover these! I call it “Architectural Archaeology” and it can be the most fun part of a “restoration revival”. (You don’t want untrained workman going in there and ripping stuff off and “throwing the history of the building out the window”). So, to sum it up, yes I can help you in the entire process! How much I cost is a function of what you want me to do. We would begin my involvement with a one day site visit for a minimum of $500.
							GO SEE THIS HOUSE
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