Before and after of the John Crump House in Williamsburg, VA
The before photo (courtesy of the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation) was taken c. 1895. It shows the 18th-century John Crump House in Williamsburg, VA, in an advanced state of disrepair. In the early 20th century, the building collapsed or was torn down. As part of the Colonial Williamsburg restoration (which started in 1928), it was reconstructed in 1941-42. The reconstruction was based on physical evidence recovered through archaeology and documentary evidence, including this before photo. The archaeology also uncovered a portion of an earlier foundation, likely dating to 1719, which nearly led to the house being reconstructed in the wrong location. Plans were corrected when this photo was located and showed the location clearly not on the earlier foundation.
Few of us will ever reconstruct an entire historic building, but sometimes, reconstructing missing portions of a historic house is part of a restoration project. The research and planning for reconstructing the long-demolished woodshed and carriage house at Whitten House in Maine are an example project in Chapter 3 of “Restoring Your Historic House, The Comprehensive Guide for Homeowners.”
Signed and personalized copies of the award-winning and bestselling 720-page hardcover book are available from the author at YourHistoricHouse.com and through the shop on this page.
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© Scott T. Hanson 2024.
