HISTORIC WOODEN FLOORING

Construction, Repairs, Finishes, and Maintenance
Certificate Program Elective

February 28, 2003 and March 1, 2003

Wooden flooring presents a myriad of challenges for the preservation professional.  Participants will explore historic methods of wooden flooring installation and finishes, contemporary products for floor finishes and when to use them and when not, skills and techniques for finishing and repair, and the process for arriving at appropriate solutions for repairs and maintenance depending on the nature of historic fabric, level of foot traffic and costs.  Demonstrations and the opportunity to examine several flooring systems in the Pierce House for in-class problem solving will complement slide-illustrated lectures and discussion.

The Pierce House is a rare surviving example of a First Period timber-frame house in the Boston area.  Built in 1683, then expanded in 1712 and 1765, the Pierce House was lived in by ten successive generations of the Pierce family until it entered the collection of the SPNEA in 1968.
The house is featured in "The Framed Houses of Massachusetts Bay, 1625-1725" by Abbott Lowell Cummings.

The house contains a variety of surface materials and finishes representing three centuries of occupation, giving students a chance to see and study wood flooring from the 17th century through the 20th century.

Until recently the house has not been open to the general public. This course will give students a chance to see the house during the investigation and restoration phase as SPNEA prepares it for a grand opening in the fall of 2003.  SPNEA staff will give a special behind-the-scenes tour.

Instructor: Andrew Ladygo, Architectural Conservation Services

Dates: Friday and Saturday, February 28 - March 1, 2003
Time: 8:30 AM - 4:30 PM daily
Location: Pierce House, Dorchester, MA
Cost: HWI or SPNEA member/government staff:  $165 Others:  $180

Sponsored in cooperation with the Society for the Preservation of New England Antiquities

The Preservation Education Institute
PO Box 1777
Windsor VT 05089-0021
802-674-6752
www.preservationworks.org