Jean over at I Love Upstate hooked me up with Howard Hall Farm. I had never heard of them, but what a great find!
My husband doesn’t realize how easy he has it with our tiny home renovations! In 2005, Nora and Reggie purchased the 1780’s stone house overlooking the Hudson in Athens, NY on a whim. The home was in terrible disrepair due to years of neglect.
Howard Hall Farm is not just a restoration project. The Federal style home has become a vehicle for educating people on sustainable restoration techniques. Classes and workshops are taught on site (Really….are they just trying to get people to help work on their house?) and a TV may be in the works.
And for anyone doubting living through their own renovations, here’s a positive take on things from Reggie… “We sometimes struggle with the amount of work, living among the dirt and workers, chaos and squalor, but imagine someday we will too be past this phase with a beautiful restoration to show for it, and another slice of important Hudson river history preserved for posterity.”
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I just saw your great post. I’m glad someone took a bit of encouragement from our historic restoration madness. It would be nice if the classes actually moved our project along, but usually we end up having to rip out a lot of what
the students do on their first day, so it sort of sets us back a bit each time…
(I confess: at first we thought classes might be a good way to get some help on this monster of a place, but it hasn’t turned out that way.)
They are a great way to lure the experts in to teach us, though. We’re just glad that people are learning the techniques along with us and sharing our passion….too many historic homes are being restored badly due to lack of information, or being turned into hideous McMansions. Even if we encourage a tiny number of people to hold on, and save their homes instead of destroying them or starting over, it will all have been worth it.
Thanks for the great advice you’ve been passing along, by the way. I’m glad Jean told me about your blog! Reggie, Nora and I will continue to follow your writing now that we know you’re out there.
Best wishes,
S
Comment by Sarah — November 1, 2007 @ 12:32 pm
Thanks, Sarah! I looked at your classes and I just missed the one on faux stone, but I may be able to get up there for the lime finishes. Gotta sort out the schedule.
Comment by RH — November 1, 2007 @ 1:15 pm
[…] Hall Farm: Ok, I just did a love fest write up on them the other day. Let’s not get nuts […]
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[…] Past Post on Howard Hall Farm […]
Pingback by Reclaimed Home: Green Low Impact Housing Renovation of New York, Brooklyn, New Jersey — February 6, 2008 @ 6:34 am
[…] Howard Hall Farm has their class schedule all worked out for the season. Among “must knows” for any period homeowner….paint stripping and reading your period home. Full schedule at Howard Hall Farm. […]
Pingback by Reclaimed Home: Green Low Impact Housing Renovation of New York, Brooklyn, New Jersey — May 6, 2008 @ 7:04 am