Weir Farm National Historical Park

The employees of Heritage Restoration, Inc., while with the former Institute for Preservation Training, had the fortunate opportunity to restore several buildings and outbuildings at Weir Farm National Historic Site(WEFA) since 1995. This unique collaboration was designed to provide education and training to person’s pursuing careers in the historic preservation crafts, while completing a project necessary for the park’s historical interpretation and presentation.

First, in 1995, the entire English style timber frame barn complex that serves as the focal point for the Park's exhibits was restored. The scope for the main barn, two ells, a lean-to and a tack house included: foundation restoration; timber frame fabrication(hewn) and replacement, wood shingle reapplication on sidewalls and roofs; photographic and field sketch documentation; window reglazing and refinishing; miscellaneous carpentry.

With the cost savings from the first project, WEFA added the restoration of the J. Alden Weir Studio. The work included: replacement and restoration of vertical siding; timber frame replacement; window reglazing; painting.

In February of 1998, the Corn Crib restoration project lasted six weeks and encompassed skills such as: detailed documentation; dismantling and reutilization of original fabric; timber frame hewing; vertical slat siding application; cedar roofing. The building was reset in its original position, on locust posts approximately one foot of the ground, and re-erected based on photographs and sketches of the original structure. A Record of Treatment was drafted for the project.

The September of 1999 Outbuildings Restoration project restored three vital landscape features of the Weir landscape, including the Pump House, Potting Shed and Chicken Coop. Each building required extensive documentation prior to their restoration, using field sketches, photographs and written descriptions methods. Deteriorated building elements were carefully tagged, removed and reproduced, using the same specie and style as the originals. Also, historical images were employed to ensure proper restoration methods. The skills included: masonry and foundation, vertical tongue and groove siding, wood shingle walls and roofs, framing and finishing. A Record of Treatment was drafted for the project.

In March of 2003, HRI was contracted to again complete a project at Weir Farm. This project's intent was to reconstruct a Rustic Fence, using the same construction techniques from the previous 1938 fence. Pickets were split from white cedar logs, and set onto white oaks sawn rails and red cedar posts. Today the fence stands as it once was, with visitors to the park claiming "I love that old fence!".

Potting Shed and Weir Studio

Corn Crib