William Patterson House and Old NPS Visitor Center Updates

National Park Service employees Ray Singley (left) and Ray Miller work on the west foundation of the William Patterson House along the Taneytown Road. This view was taken facing east at approximately 8:45 AM on Monday, April 13, 2009.

Work continued on the William Patterson House foundation this week especially with foundation work on the west side of the building. We stopped by briefly on Monday morning and spoke with National Park Service employees Jeff Miller and Ray Singley.

Ray Miller (left) and Ray Singley hope to have the west foundation completed this week. This view was taken facing southeast at approximately 8:45 AM on Monday, April 13, 2009.

When we stopped by, Ray Singley was placing the rocks in the wall while Jeff Miller was searching for the correct shape of rock for each area. This view was taken facing northeast at approximately 8:45 AM on Monday, April 13, 2009.

They are trying, of course, to get the foundation close to the height of the strings. This view was taken facing north at approximately 8:45 AM on Monday, April 13, 2009.

Video 5879. In this video, you'll see the care that they take to get just one rock in its proper place. As you can tell by the noise, they are doing this work as traffic quickly moves by them just a few feet away on the Taneytown Road. This view was taken facing northeast to north at approximately 8:45 AM on Monday, April 13, 2009.

After they are finished with the wall on which they are working, their work is not completed. A log will be placed on the south wall... This view was taken facing north at approximately 8:00 AM on Monday, April 13, 2009.

... and another on the north wall... This view was taken facing southwest at approximately 8:00 AM on Monday, April 13, 2009.

...then the east wall... This view was taken facing west at approximately 8:45 AM on Monday, April 13, 2009.

... and after a log is secured on the west wall, more masonry work can continue. This view was taken facing west at approximately 8:00 AM on Monday, April 13, 2009.

Mr. Miller explained to us that the kitchen foundation needs to be moved closer to the current foundation and completely rebuilt. There should not be a gap, as there is now, between the house foundtaion on the left and the kitchen foundation on the right. This view was taken facing north at approximately 8:45 AM on Monday, April 13, 2009.

We also questioned Mr. Miller about why the corner closest to the camera is brick instead of stone. The answer has a little to do with the entrance steps that you see on the south wall on the other side of the structure. This view was taken facing southwest at approximately 8:45 AM on Monday, April 13, 2009.

Mr. Miller said that as families grew, their basement area or root cellar, in this case, did also. On the closest (south) wall, was the original entrance. When the family expanded their root cellar, they went through the stone foundation in the area that is now brick. Later, for whatever reason, they closed off the entrance on this south side with a stone wall, and built an entrance on the north side of the foundation where the bricks are now located. They probably decided to use brick, because they were made in town and that they were inexpensive. They also might have been extras from construction occurring elsewhere. It is not known when the south entrance became the primary basement/root cellar entrance again. This view was taken facing northeast at approximately 8:45 AM on Monday, April 13, 2009.

New logs are arriving on the site. This view was taken facing north at approximately 8:45 AM on Monday, April 13, 2009.

Approximately 66% of the original logs were judged to be sturdy enough to be placed in the reconstruction. Some of them are under this tarp. This view was taken facing southeast at approximately 8:45 AM on Monday, April 13, 2009.

So 34% of the logs will be new. The Pennsylvania State Memorial is in the center background. The National Park Service maintenance area is in the right background. The new logs need to be treated... This view was taken facing northwest at approximately 8:45 AM on Monday, April 13, 2009.

...tagged/labeled, have axe marks put on the sides to make them appear as if they are the original logs (they will attempt to match up the locations of the axe marks on the old logs)... This view was taken facing northwest at approximately 8:00 AM on Monday, April 13, 2009.

... and planed/flattened/squared. This view was taken facing west at approximately 8:00 AM on Monday, April 13, 2009.

The goal is to have the Patterson House completed by the end of this summer. This view was taken facing northeast at approximately 8:45 AM on Monday, April 13, 2009.

Related Posts: Taneytown Road Battlefield Rehabilitation on July 18, 2008. William Patterson House Stabilization on August 11, 2008. Cemetery Ridge Rehabilitation Shows Subtleties of Terrain on September 2, 2008. Tree Cutting on East Side of Cemetery Ridge Covers a Large Area on October 15, 2008. William Patterson Tree Cutting Update on October 17, 2008. William Patterson Field Earthworks on October 29, 2008. Confederate Earthworks on Seminary Ridge on October 30, 2008. William Patterson Farm Tree Cutting Update on November 9, 2008. William Patterson Field Earthworks 1890s Photo on November 20, 2008. William Patterson Farm Update and Patterson Field Panorama #4 on December 12, 2008. Licensed Battlefield Guide Rich Bellamy: Colonel Edward Ephraim Cross Part 2 on January 5, 2009. William Patterson House Deconstruction on January 18, 2009. William Patterson House Stabilization: Reconstruction Methods Impressive on January 28, 2009. William Patterson House Stabilization Update: Foundation Enclosed on February 22, 2009.