Old and New Building Methods Side by Side
Two Historic Buildings are Rebuilt After Being Destroyed by Fire
Oct 4, 2009
A summer of hard work, and the magic of modern ingenuity, and a village is reborn!
The fire on that January night was so bright, “It was like the sun radiating in the street,” recalled Michael Maloney. Maloney's family had owned the tavern in a small village in upstate New York since the 1960s. It burned to the ground in January, 2009, taking the house next door with it.
Historical Buildings
The tavern was built in 1787, and the house next door was built around the same time and by the same man. The house was the residence for the original family who owned the tavern, though in more recent times the two properties were owned by different families.
Following the fire, both properties waited while their respective owners made plans to rebuild. The town pitched in with fund raisers.
Contrasting Building Methods
An interesting contrast can be seen in the methods used to rebuild the two buildings. This time, each was built by separate companies and will be owned by different, unrelated parties.
New Foundation, Post and Beam Construction
The work on the tavern started first. The entire plot was leveled, except for the old brick fireplace and part of the chimney, which remained a while longer as a lone reminder of the popular tavern. Eventually, it, too, was torn down and forms for a poured concrete foundation were erected.
Once the foundation was complete, a building similar to the original was built using post and beam construction, a method not as commonly used today as when the original building was created.
Old Foundation, Modular Home Construction
During much of the summer following the fire, the sounds of hammering could be heard from the site of the tavern, while the foundation of the house next door sat vacant like a missing tooth. At the end of the summer, the original stone foundation received some reinforcement and modifications in preparation for the new house.
Then, with the speed of modern technology, the modular house arrived and was placed on the foundation in one day. Four parts of a two-storey modular home were pieced together, bay windows were fitted in and the roof was constructed. But the original stone of the foundation can still be seen, keeping the historic look of the original building.
The village was finally starting to look like its old self again.
Siding and Finishing
The original buildings were both sided with wood, and painted. Most recently, prior to the fire, the house was white and the tavern was yellow.
The new tavern is sided with pre-painted fiber cement siding, a modern siding solution that is both "green" and fire-resistant. Local news outlets are reporting that the tavern will re-open soon, though they are keeping details about the new interior secret. Everyone but the owners and builders will have to wait a little while longer to find out if they found a way to rebuild the old fireplace.
The new house sits on its old stone foundation while workers are busy around it, landscaping and getting it ready for siding. Inside, the pieces of the modular construction are being connected together and flooring and walls are being joined. Pipes and wiring are being connected.
New and Old Building Methods
Both buildings have a traditional look and fit with the architecture of this historic village. Soon, a visitor from out of town will have trouble picking out the new buildings from some of the older ones down the street.
The mix of old and new building techniques and materials fits well in this community of historic homes, where people go about their lives and look to the future while respecting and remembering the past. The stone foundation will hold up the house built in a modern factory, while the tavern, built using an old-fashioned building method, stands on a brand new foundation. The contemporary fiber cement siding will protect the tavern from a fire while giving it the traditional look enjoyed by those who dine there.
