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Mansion Work to Continue this FallYaddo's 109-year-old Mansion is getting a facelift
Saratoga Springs, NY (September 14, 2002) - Work will continue this fall on projects began last winter to restore the stone terrace that spans the length of the house and to repair the building's weather-worn wood and stucco façade. In January, while artists toiled elsewhere on the grounds, the Mansion - normally dormant for the winter months - was abuzz with activity as workers moved in to begin demolition of the terrace and the task of scraping decades of paint from the building's outside wood paneling. At the same time, plumbing and electrical repairs were going on inside the house.
The work on the Mansion is part of a comprehensive plan developed as a result of an architectural survey begun in 1991 to help Yaddo evaluate its buildings and grounds. According to Claudia Olsen of Olsen Associates Architects in Saratoga Springs which prepared the report, the study was intended to help Yaddo set maintenance priorities and to budget for preventative maintenance.
Erosion under the massive terrace had caused the walls of the structure to bow, which pushed that project to the top of the priority list. A specially-created device - akin to a giant ice tong - was constructed to carefully lift and remove the terrace stones. But, since the object was to reconstruct the terrace rather than replace it, each of the stones had to be numbered as the walls came apart, then set aside so that they could later be reassembled in the same order as they had stood for over 100 years.
By February, a gaping mudhole flanked the Mansion where the terrace had been, and workers from Bast Hatfield - the Halfmoon-based company in charge of restoring the porch - began building a retaining wall designed to stem underground drainage problems and shore up the "new" structure. Incredibly, it was discovered during demolition that the terrace had survived all those years without any retaining wall. The interior of the structure was simply "junk filled" with remnants of the first house (the Childs Mansion) which burned down in 1891.
Although the weather was for the most part cooperative during the process, working throughout the winter months did pose some problems. Parts of the building were at times "tented" with plastic sheeting and high-powered lights were brought in to assist workmen. Still, there were a few days when weather conditions totally shut down operations. Samples taken to determine original paint colors were inconclusive. The paint was too thin to provide an adequate sample, Ms. Olsen explained. But historical photographs indicate the house's trim was originally brown. So, after the woodwork was scraped down and damaged wood was repaired or replaced, a coat of base paint was applied and was followed by a fresh cover of brown paint in two tones. The gradation in color highlights the architectural detail in the wood, giving it a fresh look. The stucco, too, has been formed, benefiting from a cleaning that has returned it to its original, much lighter, shade of yellow. Masons were able to partially complete the terrace in time for it to be used during Yaddo's large season - which began in mid-May. They will be back on the job in September to rebuild the steps and to do finishing work on the terrace floor and ledge. The painting crew also will return this fall so they can complete work on the terrace side of the house. Ms. Olsen labeled the Mansion work an "upgrade," not remodeling, emphasizing the goal of keeping everything within the historical integrity of the building and its era. The Yaddo Mansion, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, was designed by William Halsey Wood, in collaboration with Yaddo's founders, Spencer and Katrina Trask. It is rare for work of such magnitude to be done at Yaddo when artist guests are in residence. However, the scope of the Mansion project required more than the three weeks generally allotted for major repairs each September when there are no artists at Yaddo. Other recent maintenance work completed at Yaddo includes:
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