Summer Update: The Renovation is Heating Up at the Schoolhouse

Our Top Five Renovations Are Almost Complete
It getting hot in here! We can feel the heat as we close in on completing the top five rehab projects at the schoolhouse. We’re still finishing up some brick work, but it feels good to be about done with these projects:

• Roof patch and snow slides
• Well
• Basic Electricity
• Septic
• Masonry The top 28 rows of bricks were removed and then put back up

What’s Up Next
Friends of our facebook page know we’ve started a lot of the interior work as well. The addition is framed, rough in plumbing is in progress and our panel box is installed inside. Now we’ll be concentrating on:

• Frame main room
• Rough in Electric
• Insulation and Sheetrock
• Driveway
• AND MUCH MORE!I painted our original wooden sign, luckily it was in great condition, although we have no idea of the actual age. Was it made and hung in 1850, or during the 1929 renovations or sometime in between? We’ll probably never know.Gramp is doing all the framing himself, we’ve made some great progress!

We’re Eating Drinking and Sleeping Bricks (well I’m wasn’t getting much sleep for fear that the whole wall was going to fall down..)
Brick work is complicated!!! It’s one of the things the National Register of Historic Places cares about THE MOST!!! They care about the mortar even more. We had to get approval from out technical advisor at the State Historic Preservation Office on the color and mix of the mortar. Luckily it all worked out!Earlier this year, notice the crack and tipping in at the topIn progress, our mason had his work cut out for him for sure!Almost there, a little more work to do and some trim to reinstall

Another Sign from the Original Gramp?
Avid blog readers know that my grandfather attended the schoolhouse in the 1940’s. When we cleaned out the schoolhouse we found some artwork and worksheets signed “Richard Tefft.” The other day my dad (who we also call “Gramp”) was taking down the trim and found this little piece of graffiti signed “Richard.” Could it also be from my grandfather? Is he sending us a sign that he approves of the project? We love it and will re-install this piece of trim just as it is for all our visitors to enjoy!Another piece of artwork from my grandfather?!

Starting a New Chapter
If you’ve been following us from way back you also know that about two years ago my husband Ben had brain surgery to removed a very large but benign (not cancer) brain tumor. I left my job working at a non-profit to focus on my family. I’m happy to report that Ben’s most recent MRI looks great and we don’t have to do follow up for another two years! Our best attempt at a family photo: Pup Stella, myself, Ben, and Philip!

I’m also excited to announce that I’m headed back to work part-time. Our wonderful realtor Abbey McCormick (who we purchased the schoolhouse and our current home from) has taken me on as her Team Assistant. I can’t wait to learn more about the real estate industry!

I’m starting a new job!

We Have Summer-itis
There are exciting things happening at the schoolhouse for sure…but it’s also summer. Which means we have to fit in a few fun activities! A few weekends ago when it was too hot to be outside we took a trip to the Bennington Museum in Vermont. Grandma Moses grew up in nearby Eagle Bridge and at some point the museum moved the one room schoolhouse she attended to their museum. Here’s the little guy checking it all out.To be fair I also wore the “dunce” cap…I’m just not sharing that photo!