I wanted to provide you an update on progress at the Homestead and some news about the upcoming reunion.

Front Door:

Hugh has informed me that the door we are calling the front door is in fact the back door to the house. But given the placement to the road, we will continue to call the street side door the front door as it is now the natural front door. We have discarded the idea of the transom window over the front door and will instead keep the door as it exists at this time. However, as the white color is proving too stark of a contrast we have all agreed to paint the door with a historically reproduced paint so that it blends more naturally with the remainder of the building. The side and back doors will be painted to match. Earl has graciously offered to pay for the paint.

Given the available colors, only one seems appropriate to blend with our place, so Mulberry Red has been selected (see Image below). The paint is a reproduction of the paint used in this timeframe and is done as a “Simulated Milk Paint.”

Outstanding Tasks:

1. Order Paint

2. Coordinate a day to complete our work in early January.

a. Complete Interior Wall

b. Install Hinges

c. Paint Doors/Frames

d. Complete Chinking

e. Build permanent front steps for the home, with a railing if possible.

We are going to miss having this done by Christmas, but I’m asking everyone to come together by Saturday January 5th to complete their work. That is my birthday and I can think of no better present. 🙂

Fund Raising:

We have received $2050 in donations leaving us $1790 left to raise to retire the debt.

Reunion:

I’m sad to say, but I need to push the reunion back a year to 2014. The constant work on the Homestead has left me depleted of energy and I’ve not even started to plan the reunion. I don’t have the energy within me right now to negotiate the locations and transportation for the event, so I’m pushing the whole thing back 1 year to 2014 to give adequate recovery time. Plan on joining us in June of 2014 in Philadelphia (I hear it is always sunny there).

Newsletter:

I’ll be preparing the newsletter shortly and will be sending it as soon as we conclude the work ont he homestead and I can get pictures to include in it. I hope everyone has a Merry Christmas (or insert your favorite winter holiday here) and I look forward to my post in the new year telling you that we have completed the reconstruction (Chimney not withstanding).

Dan

Repost: Originally posted on Dec 18, 12