Troy

DIY volunteers needed to restore historic home

By Terry Oparka
C & G Staff Writer

» click to enlarge « Photo by David Schreiber Matt Hackett, Troy Historic Village educator, leads the Junior Naturalist Club on a walking tour at the village July 20. The Troy Historical Society took over operations of the village last summer. Photo by David Schreiber Matt Hackett, Troy Historic Village educator, leads the Junior Naturalist Club on a walking tour at the village July 20. The Troy Historical Society took over operations of the village last summer.

Ever wonder how to restore old wood windows, but don’t have a clue how to start? A local expert will lead a hands-on workshop at the historic Niles-Barnard home on the grounds of the Troy Historic Village next month.

Johnson Niles built the home in 1837 at the corner of Square Lake and Livernois. City founders Norman and Harriet Barnard lived there with their family for many years. Upon her death, Harriet left the home to the city, with the wish that the home be part of the Troy Historic Village. The house was moved to the village in fall 2010, a move funded by the Troy Historical Society.

Jim Turner, a member of the Michigan Historic Preservation Network and a professional window restorer, will show volunteers how to evaluate a window, remove paint, and repair and replace wood, along with glazing techniques, under a huge tent set up on site. Each participant in the two-day workshop will receive a kit that includes tools, a mask and handouts. Participants will then work on a window of the historic home.

“It’s a valuable skill you could use in your own home,” Loraine Campbell, director of the historic village, said. Old windows can be energy efficient if properly cared for, she explained.

If the workshop is successful, workshops for plastering and refinishing floors on the historic home may be offered in the future, said Cheryl Barnard, daughter-in-law of Norman and Harriet and president of the Troy Historical Society.

“We hope this is the first step in a many-step process,” Barnard said. The Troy Historical Society took over operation of the Troy Historic Village in spring 2011.

Men and women older than 18 are welcome to participate. No prior woodworking experience is needed. The cost to participate in the workshop 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Aug. 24-25 at the Troy Historic Village, 60. W. Wattles, is $20 per person. Registration is required. Call (248) 524-3301 or email lm.campbell@troymi.gov.

You can reach C & G Staff Writer Terry Oparka at toparka@candgnews.com or at (586)498-1054.