Columbia Preservation Fair

On Saturday, September 20, 2008 we presented "How to Approach Work on Your Older Home" to a group of interested homeowners in Columbia, Pennsylvania. We discussed avoiding common mistakes, how to make an older home more energy efficient, and how to plan for the work. After we finished the question and answer segment Chuck offered to take anyone who was interested to go outside to look at some of the mistakes made (previously, such as, sandblasting and using Portland Cement based mortar) on the Columbia Market House and the maintenance tasks that can be completed to help preserve the building. The preservation fair was sponsored by The Borough of Columbia and the Historic Architectural Review Board through the support of The Richard C. von Hess Foundation.

Ephrata Cloister

On Sunday, September 14, 2008, we went to the Ephrata Cloister's tour of the second and third floors (areas not usually open to the public). The third floor is mostly intact from the 18th century (used to recreate the rooms on the first floor for the museum tour) and the second floor was "remodeled" in the 19th century with some walls being taken out and staircases moved. The most interesting features were the wooden thumb latches and wooden hinges on the cabinets.

Some of the buildings on the Cloister site are unique because they are half-timber (frame buildings with the inside of the frame filled with masonry and then covered by wooden siding). This is the largest collection of buildings constructed in this manner in Pennsylvania.

Labor Day Weekend

We spent Labor Day Weekend at the Oregon Coast at the Groshong family reunion. The picture shows Chuck with his siblings in descending order. Almost the entire family gathered to reconnect and reminisce about times spent at the beach. With walks on the beach, rowing in the lake, and a bonfire with singing a good time was had by all.