Sugar House Restoration of 2018
Thanks to the generous contributions from the Sugar Orchard’s community and supporters, we were able to address the major issues which the building faced and preserve the sugar house! The scope of the work was admittedly much greater than we anticipated, as we discovered more extensive rot and structural decay while dismantling the original building. However, we are very pleased to have saved as much of the 1937 building as we did and to have remedied the degradation before it became irreversible. With an actual foundation that elevates the frame off of the ground, a strong timber frame to hold up the building, and an extra layer of shiplapped siding outside of the original, the sugar house will continue to stand for another 80 years of sugaring preserving the best of the old structure with new bones and protection.
Dismantling of the Sugar House
Our first step was to carefully dismantle the original building, preserving as much material as we could so that it could be resembled on the new frame. Boards and studs were denailed and sorted under cover so that they would be safe while we continued to prep the site.
Discovering the extent of the Structural Damage
One of the primary concerns with the original structure was the lack of any foundation. Originally the sugar house floor joists had been set on stones sitting on the ground without a full footing. Over the years the stones on the north and uphill side of the building had sunk into the ground and the run-off from the hill completely rotted the bottom couple feet of the north/northwest walls of the building. This resulted in the structure significantly tilting off plumb and becoming very unstable. We found further damage on the Northwest corner of the structure as water run-off was getting under the roofing metal, rotting the northwest-frame and roofing boards. Unfortunately, this also rendered most of the affected wood completely unusable for the recycling into the new structure.
Samson the Evaporator
Samson and his plastic manifestation after their return to the new foundation
The five-by-twelve King evaporator (aka ‘Samson)’ is the heart of the sugar house and beloved custodian of generations of sugaring. It was imperative that we preserve him, but knew he would be a beast to move, being all brick and steel. However, we strapped him up tight with a lot of framework so his trip to the side was relatively smooth. As we were cleaning up the last of the flooring that had been under Samson, we discovered a blue toy figurine — perhaps a token from Arnold Livingston’s childhood and the plastic reflection of Samson’s spirit — who now lives in the sugar house supervising our work.
Digging and Pouring the Foundation
Once the building was down and Samson packed away, we could then break ground for the new foundation. Huge thanks goes out to Chris Griffin for the excavating and John Bertrand for the concrete work executed for the project. When they were done, we had a great slab with full five-foot frost walls and excellent re-grading to keep the water from running against the building. The depression set into the slab preserved the one in the original sugar house, which makes it easier for the boiler to add wood to Samson as well keep the pans at a manageable height.
The Timber-Frame
The foundation was down, Samson back in place, and the fridge stocked for a BBQ… ‘twas time for a good ol’ fashioned barn raising! Our call for keen hands was met by many fine friends from all over the country, who gathered at the sugar orchard to raise the frame Steven Place (of ‘Green Mountain Post and Beam’) cut to the previous building’s dimensions. Under the guidance of Phil Sweet, we had the frame up in a day and ready for burgers with beer by sundown!
Many thanks are due to these stalwart fellows who gave their time and sweat to raise the frame with us: Jonathan Barone, Amrit Singh, Willis Schenk, Bob Stauss, Adam Fuller, Ethan White, Patrick Markley, and Phil Sweet.
New Roofing, Old Siding
Once the frame was up, we could then start reassembling the sugarhouse. Given the rot we discovered in the ceiling boards, we did not have enough old material to cover the roof. Thinking too of making sure the structure was rock-solid, we decided to use new boards for the roof and save the original boards for the interior siding. We charred the ceiling boards so that they would contrast and highlight the new frame as well as original wood. When that was up and providing rain coverage, we could then work on framing out the building for the interior and windows, for which we recycled the original studs and rafters. The siding was reassembled on this frame, with attention given to ensuring any of Ernest Ralph and Melvin Livingston’s carving (the brothers who founded the sugar orchard in 1936) would be prominently visible.
Extra Layers of Protection
One of the perennial issues with the original structure, universally bemoaned by the boilers, was the draft that ran through the between the siding-boards on the old house. We were determined to address this issue while bestowing additional protection to the original wood and new frame. At the same time, it was important that we preserve the look and feel of the original sugar house as much as possible. Our solution was an air-barrier covering wrapping the outside of the building with an additional layer of shiplapped siding reminiscent of the horizontal siding of the 1937. We sourced our wood from Welch Lumber, which mills lumber with a circular saw-blade just as the original boards were milled in the ‘30’s and would further link the new siding to old. These boards were then scorched and brushed to emphasize the grain and provide natural preservation against the elements. After running them through the router and mounting them over the battens, the sugar house was looking itself again.
Matters Above
Once the external siding was on, our focus turned to the cupola, smoke stack, and roof. The original cupola had been one of the victims lost to rot and a fresh cupola was needed to fit onto the new trusses. Phil Sweet designed and cut this timber-framed cap which heralds each boil as steam billows through, welcoming to stop in. As that was heading up, we also set a new stainless steel smoke stack into place. A metal standing seam roof was then installed and we were winter ready.
Woodshed, Windows, and Doorways
We had truly entered the home stretch at this point with the finishing touches left to be installed before sugaring season. We added trimming to the corners, framed and reinstalled the windows, returned the original sliding front door, and built a new door for accessing to the woodshed. The former woodshed door was rather short — and unfondly remembering the frequent lintel-to-head contact — we decided to make this a bit bigger while indulging Glenn’s affinity for archways. Phil recycled the timbers from the old woodshed in building a timber-framed replacement and the building was all set for 2019 season!
The Work Left Ahead
We are proud of the progress we have made in preserving the best of the original building and giving it the bones to stand for another 80 years of sugaring. Yet we recognize there is still work to be done to complete the building and bring the restoration to completion. The remaining works include: completion of doors for the tank house entrance (stay tuned for a special artwork installation in progress!); buckets to support tapping the whole orchard as it had been in the past; and additional improvements each year to our efficiencies while still maintaining our “old school” sustainable approach. If you would like to support the final steps of the restoration, you can donate to the project by adopting a bucket via ‘The Goods’ page or contacting us directly at westhillsugarorchard@gmail.com.
Above all, huge thanks go the fantastic community who made the project possible and continue to support sugaring by bucket on West Hill!
