Brantigan Queen Anne
Restore America : Episode RAM-307 -- More Projects »
Denver, Colorado A stone's throw from Denver, the Lafayette Historic District was a prime building site for those who found fortunes in the Gold Rush of 1858. By 1910, however, many of the families who built here began to move away, leaving their mansions behind. One of these was a 4,000-square-foot Queen Anne home once owned by Ernest LeNeve Foster and his wife, Charlotte.
Chuck Brantigan and his wife, Kathy, moved to the neighborhood in 1981 and bought the 1890 house, attracted by its architecture. The house had been cut up into seven apartments but later restored to the original floor plan, wall-boarded and rewired throughout. Chuck spearheaded duplication of much of the ornamental woodwork, which was made from "compo," a combination of animal hide glue and wood fibers. In the dining room, he made molds of the original railing pieces, then reproduced and replaced the missing parts.
Chuck also recreated bits and pieces of missing and damaged ceiling medallions, enlisting help from his son, who poured plaster into the molds. Friends helped to paint these "new" pieces, and other family and friends secured the 50-pound ornaments to the ceiling.
With few clues to go by, the Brantigans decided to paint the wall coverings, including the fleur de lis patterns, which Kathy reproduced on the walls through a stenciling technique known as "pouncing."
Friends helped the Brantigans to restore the wallpaper and the home's original stained glass.
Over 20 years, the Foster home has been completely restored. Although they have full-time careers--Chuck, a surgeon, and Kathy, a musician--the Brantigans have also completed restoration of two other homes.
(Homeowners Charles and Kathleen Brantigan have requested that their contact information remain private.)
Resources Denver Metro Convention & Visitors Bureau
Website:
www.denver.orgThe Colorado History Museum and Historical Society
Visit or contact the main office as a first step in a journey through the history and culture of Denver and Colorado. Discover where to view current exhibits, standing collections, museums and historical sites in the Denver area.
The Colorado History Museum and Historical Society
1300 Broadway
Denver, CO 80203
Phone: 303-866-3682
Website:
www.coloradohistory.org
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