Andrew Mann Inn Preservation Project

07/24/2026

This is the hardest architectural element I’ve ever had to remove paint from in my life. 😮

07/21/2026

The tarp we installed on the exterior of the scaffolding was better in theory…. We hoped it would keep the house dry and able to be worked on in all weather. The rain still blows in and soaks everything!! But it still does keep the sun off of us as we work and helps contain lead dust and paint chips.

07/16/2026

As we all are experiencing the wildfire smoke being carried over our regions from Canada, I will point out a historical event. May 19,1780 became known as Dark Day. On this day, Canadian wildfire smoke blanketed much of New England, New York and New Jersey. The sky grew so black at noon that farmers lit candles to see in their homes, chickens went back to their coops early, frogs began their nightly chorus sounds and many people feared the world was coming to an end as a religious punishment from the heavens. Various journals of the time mention a sky that was yellow/orange in color and thick. At the time, the cause of this was unknown. It was not until more recent in time, that through the study of tree ring data in Canada, it was discovered that this day was due to Canadian wildfires.

As we stay in our homes, and peer out out windows, think about how our experience today compares to the experience of those in 1780. Today, we are made aware of what is happening, the causes and the severity by numerous news outlets, radar images, etc. We are cautioned to stay inside our HVAC homes and not to open any windows and to limit our outdoor exposure. All of these were not known at the time of the 1780 Dark Day. You can start to see why, out of confusion, fear of an apocalypse took over their minds. They also, obviously did not have HVAC in their homes, or a way to escape the smoke. Similar to many of us today. As I sit in my office in my home, typing this, my windows are shut and I am hunkered inside attempting to stay safe. But this home, the Andrew Mann Inn, is much as it was when it was built in the 18th century. No HVAC and no insulation in exterior walls. The house is just as drafty as it always was, resulting in the smell of wildfire smoke flooding into the home and into our rooms. There is no escaping it. Those of us who live in real, honest homes, that are not hermitically sealed with HVAC can only do what they did in 1780, wait it out. Wait for the jet stream to change, wait for the wind to blow, and wait for a good, much needed rain storm.

Be safe friends and as always, enjoy history.

07/11/2026

We’ve been having an issue the last couple of months with hawks taking our chickens. We’ve lost a few 😥. We have tried a couple different things with no luck. Today we cobbled together this crow feeding platform. Hopefully this attracts crows which will scare the hawks away! Fingers crossed.

07/03/2026

We milled up the new threshold today for the front door. Cut to size and planed the taper across its width to shed water. Made from white oak. We will end up painting it on all sides with linseed oil paint before it is installed.

07/03/2026

As the nation is celebrating 250 years since the signing of the Declaration of Independence (not 250 years of us being a country which most people don’t realize), be sure to book your stay with us, and experience the house that was built for David Bates, a revolutionary war soldier. Our summer dates are filling up quickly.

1787 Historic Home

06/17/2026

Today’s progress. I only had 15 minutes available to work between the end of my work day with my business and another evening board meeting (story of my life), but I managed to remove one of the old, broken, outdated storm windows from a second story window. It’s not a lot of accomplishment BUT every little bit is progress in the right direction.

06/17/2026

Tonight’s scraping progress after work. After the paint is removed by scraping, everything will receive a light sanding to prepare the surface for its finish.

05/25/2026

In honor of Memorial Day, we visited some of the past owners of the Andrew Mann Inn. In years past I would visit a lot more, but this year we only visited the graves located within 10 miles of the house. Happy Memorial Day! Be sure to pay respect to those people who came before us.

05/18/2026

Scaffolding is going up!! Now that the main structural repairs have been completed on the front of the house, it’s time to tackle the exterior wood repairs in the cornice.