We are pleased to announce work is currently underway on the front and north porches.
The north porch will reappear in its original form. Here are some photos of the preliminary work:
The front porch returns in its original form:
Much work remains to be done, depending on the weather. Please stay tuned!!
Restoration of the Parlor
We have exciting news! Actual work on the Victorian mansion is now underway. The parlor on the first floor is the first room to be completely restored in the Marbold Mansion. Look at the story in the Photo Albums tab above and go to Before, During, and After. The restoration is made possible by three sisters, in honor of their mother and other family members. Damon Dennis and Delonte Patterson have raised the floor to match the rest of the house. The following photos below show the starting point:
Success and Progress The work on the Mansion in the last few weeks has been tremendous and unprecedented in the history since the Foundation took over in 2012.
We have completed the tuck pointing and the windows are sealed and updated. This closes off the outside and eliminates drafts. All of the historic window headers are back and restore the Mansion’s 1880 appearance.
Demolition
From left to right, Jeff Augustine, Don Augustine, Delonte Patterson, and Damon Dennis The next major step in the restoration of the Elmwood Mansion is complete. Over three and an half days starting December 6th, the above crew removed all of the plaster on the walls of the building. Their superb effort and hard work endured difficult sections, sudden collapses, endless dust, and very heavy debris. They cleared the walls for repair, and now the work to install electricity, heating, and air conditioning can proceed. The first restored room is one step closer. Please see the results of their work:
Please keep watching this website. More improvements are coming soon. It will be exciting, so your contributions and interest are more important than ever. You will not want to miss i
The Marbold Farmstead restoration ends a new phase!
Tuck pointing on the NW side
Welding the stairs supports
Installing the new gas line
Painting new window headers
Restoring windows and closing gaps
Tuck pointing in the rain
Before cold weather, work proceeds on completely finishing the outside of the Mansion. Tuck pointing the masonry puts the strength back in the walls to handle winter. A new natural gas line provides a source for temporary and later permanent heat. A repair of all the windows will return them to full working order and will close all of the gaps caused by aging and weather. The stairs are now solid and safe and allows access to the upper floors.
With the completion of this work, we will be working on the next phase: heating, air conditioning, and electricity. This will stablize and maintain all of the work on the outside, will allow a more comfortable inside, and will allow the full restoration of the parlor to show what it originally was. Yes, an actual room will now return.
This is only the start. We are planning what it will take to do the rest of the Mansion. The full glory of the Mansion is no longer a hoped for dream for "someday" but is only awaiting a start date.
You can help. Your donation will help transform the plans and hopes into reality. You can donate via the “Donate” button on the home page or by mailing a check to HMFA, P.O. Box 438, Greenview, IL, 62642.
THANK YOU to all of our supporters for making all this restoration possible and keeping the faith to this point. We could not have made it without you. Keep watching this website. Some exciting thing are coming soon!