HGTV opened the doors for public tours of the 2004 Dream Home in St. Marys, Ga., and helped raise more than $180,000 for the restoration efforts of a historic public home. The Orange Hall Foundation sold tickets and handled the tours. The home was open for about three months in early 2004 and proceeds from the $10 admission charge went to preservation efforts for the 19th century building.
Foundation committee member Debbie Britt said they're currently developing a plan and have called in restoration specialists with Lord Aeck Sargent Architecture. Orange Hall is a three-story Greek revival mansion located in the heart of the St. Marys Historic District. Built between 1826 and 1849, Orange Hall was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in the 1970s.
"After much deliberation the Board of Directors realized that the restoration and preservation of Orange Hall was going to be huge project and we were not prepared to move forward without a master plan," Britt says. "The board voted to have a historic structure report done. This will be our master plan for the restoration and preservation of Orange Hall."
Brit says Lord, Aeck & Sargent's Architecture for Historic Preservation Studio focuses on conserving the nation's historic structures through the preservation, restoration and rehabilitation of historic buildings. Work is scheduled to begin on March 22 and last about nine months.
Orange Hall will also host workshops teaching restoration techniques. Britt says the Heritage Conservation Network will host a horsehair plaster restoration workshop where participants will learn about and working with historic plaster. "This will be an excellent opportunity for historic homeowners and building contractors to learn techniques for dealing with deteriorating plaster in historic homes," Britt says. The workshop is scheduled for Oct. 9 through Oct. 22.
Jimmy Price of Virginia Lime Works will also provide a lime burn demonstration to show how oyster shells were prepared historically to serve as a source of lime.
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