Virginia Beach Maintenance Plan, Virginia Beach, VA

Adam Thoroughgood House, Virginia Beach, VA

Recognizing the need for a comprehensive maintenance and restoration strategy for their historic house museums, the City of Virginia Beach, VA hired CPG to participate in development of a five-year capital improvement program for the buildings which include the Adam Thoroughgood House, Francis Land House, Lynnhaven House, Ferry Plantation and Whitehurst-Buffington House.

Buffington-Whitehurst House, Virginia Beach, VA

The purpose of the project was to develop a strategy and budget for maintenance and cleaning needs as well as restoration and repair needs. The final report was presented in three sections addressing each type of work: cyclical maintenance, exterior maintenance and rehabilitation, and interior maintenance and rehabilitation.

In order to collect the necessary baseline information for further work, an environmental monitoring plan was instituted in 2006; it recorded a running event log helps keep track of the impact of changes within the interior of the house. Pest Management and cyclical cleaning are cost-effective tools in maintaining the historic fabric in each dwelling. Both practices help reduce and deter pests in historic buildings. Each element of the property requires its own set of maintenance and repair tasks.

Exterior maintenance and rehabilitation tasks to the site, masonry, doors and woodwork, windows, and the roof and gutters is an integral part of maintaining the historic integrity of the property. Maintenance to the interior of the dwellings was is equally important and will include maintenance and rehabilitation of plaster, paint, flooring, fireplaces, the crawlspace and attic, and maintenance/rehabilitation to the mechanical, electrical, lighting, and safety/security systems.

The needs of the outbuildings located on the properties are also addressed in this report. The appendix of the report included a spread sheet containing maintenance activities and rehabilitation tasks for each phase of the project which has helped the City in budgeting and scheduling repairs.

Hewick House, Urbanna, VA

Hewick House, Urbanna, VA

Hewick was listed on the National Register of Historic Places and the Virginia Historic Landmarks Register in 1978. The building was listed for its social and architectural significance achieved during the period between 1700 and 1899. The original style of the house was Georgian. Later additions inside of the period of significance reflect Federal and Greek Revival style. In addition, at least 13 outbuildings were thought to have existed on the site indicating a likelihood for archaeological resources.

Hewick Site and Drive, Urbanna, VA

The property was recently acquired for use as a special events facility. Though the building had been continuously occupied, deferred maintenance led to deterioration. In order to attract bookings, the building required complete rehabilitation. Prior to undertaking rehabilitation of the building, the owner contracted with CPG to analyze the remaining fabric and provide a report outlining recommended rehabilitation strategies.

In general, the dwelling retained much of its historic and character defining features; as additions have been constructed, they have been designed to be compatible with the dwelling resulting in a harmonious compilation of multiple eras of construction. Major alterations were minimal outside of the period of significance of the dwelling, with the primary change being the construction of a contemporary compatible kitchen addition. The final report recommended retention and restoration of remaining historic features, outlined proposed strategies to improve the dwelling without detracting from its historic significance, and recommended Phase I archaeological testing. The rehabilitation is currently ongoing with events occurring regularly at the property.