Archives for 2009:
Museum interior almost finished; outside work needed for building approval
December 6, 2009
With Karl Hertag’s carpentry skills we reached another major milestone by installing the remaining inside corner trim, window trim and door trim, including the countersinking of almost all of the nail holes.
After Christmas we will need volunteers to putty nails holes, etc to prepare the interior walls for a final coat of paint. Let us know what time is best for you so that keys, materials and assistance can be provided.
Now that the major inside work is done, the remaining outside building tasks need to be completed so we can get our final building approval early next year. They include installing 1/2 inch painted plywood ceiling under the porch roof, installing finished wooden hand rails on the handicap ramps, installing the soffit board under and behind the fascia trim and completing the parking lot area with a heavy layer of 21A stone material.
Also, Sarah Gulick is working on an initial set of Museum Wall history display items and we hope to provide you with a progress report on that after the Holidays.
It will be one year ago on 9 December that we got our Building Permits approved and started planning for putting the roof on our Museum. We want to thank all of you who made this possible and the progress we have achieved thus far.
We wish everyone Merry Christmas, Good Health and a Happy Holiday Season.
Volunteers complete museum wall panels & some trim work
November 15, 2009
Volunteer carpenters, Mark Barber and Karl Hertag have finished installing the remaining 15 T-111 wall panels. The baseboard, ceiling trim and outside corner trim is also completed, leaving the trim around the three windows, door and inside corners to be completed
Volunteers needed to help install wall panels
October 19, 2009
Since our 12 September event, we submitted needed changes to our Electric Plan for the Museum and received approval from the County pending the fixes to be made. We also got approval to install the wall insulation which Becky Garber and I completed last Wednesday.
I will contact the electrician on Monday to see if he can make the fixes this week so I can call for a final electric and close-in Inspection hopefully by this Friday. If this can be accomplished, I will need some volunteers with carpentry skills and tools to assist next Saturday, 24 October from 9am to 3pm, to begin installing the white T-111 wall panels that are in storage at Bylers in Catlett.
Please let me know if you can assist in this next stage of construction so I can plan on moving the T-111 panels to the Museum site. There is not sufficient space in the Museum for storage or cutting, so the panels will have to be measured and cut outside on saw horses before installation.
Since weather will be a factor, I will let everyone know by Friday afternoon if we need to cancel. Refreshments will be provided.
Celebration of History Preservation Effort
September 12, 2009
The highlight for the Elk Run Church Museum this year was its participation in kicking-off southern Fauquier’s “Tour in Time” Celebration. This event initiated a day-long celebration of the settlement of Fauquier County as part of the County’s 250th Anniversary.
It started with a 9:30 am Ribbon Cutting at the Museum and focused on what the Elk Run Church Site Preservation Committee, and the Community at- large, had accomplished thus far in preserving this historical landmark. A re-excavated segment of the 250-year old Church foundation was show-cased within the Museum itself.
The all-day Elk Run celebration included 1700’s Music, Colonial Life Demonstrations, Period Re-enactors, Fauquier Indian Artifacts, Germantown Exhibit, Living Historians, and history Authors.
Morning refreshments were provided by St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church Women, and the local Elk Run Store sold lunch items and drinks. During the day school busses moved visitors from Elk Run to Mary Walters Elementary School where there was 1800’s and 1900’s Exhibits, also connected with Goldvein for their exhibits, and then back to Elk Run.
Guests included Supervisor C. Stribling and descendents of the first minister of the Elk Run Church, Reverend James Keith (1744-1752), and other notables. A financial gift was provided by Supervisor Stribling on behalf of the County Supervisors that will enable the Committee to install the much needed wall insulation and T-111 panels. Future donations will be used to complete the Museum history wall panels which have already been drafted.
The Elk Run Church Site volunteers need your financial support in order to achieve this important Historic Park goal. We appeal to you for help in establishing and preserving this remarkable treasure.
Your gift will help us reach our goal and secure the rightful place of Elk Run Church in the history of Colonial churches in Virginia. Checks may be made payable to “Elk Run Church Site Preservation Fund” and sent in care of St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, 8538 Greenwich Road, Catlett, VA 20119. Donations are tax deductible.
“Finding Our Foundation” Elk Run Museum Exhibit Plans
September 8, 2009
Electric installed and more
September 6, 2009
We got a lot done again this past week. The electric was installed, passed initial inspection, and power turned on for our 12 Sept celebration. Ed will pick up a temporary occupancy permit this coming Tuesday.
Becky Garber, one of our long-time archaeological assistants, got the excavated foundation completed Sunday, including painting the top interior concrete rim of the foundation a brown color that will match the dirt in the lower excavated unit.
The temporary wood rails on the handicap ramps were completed and Karl Hertag rounded and sanded the edges Saturday morning.
A White Primer has been applied to all of the outside trim and Porch area and gives the building a fresh completed look. A finish coat will need to be applied after the 12 Sept event.
Matthew Gulick removed the remainder of the debris but some more stone dust needs to be placed on our entrance path and handicap parking area.
A Handicap Parking Sign has been provided by Home Depot, Manassas and will need to be installed early this week after Handicap Parking area is completed.
Windows inside and outside still need to be cleaned, screens installed, and some touch up painting to be done inside before Wednesday.
Sarah Gulick is completing the cover for the 12 Sept Program and it will be filled with a lot of good information on Elk Run.
Donations are still greatly needed and my thanks to those who have been able to contribute and/or assist us with this effort thus far. Every little bit helps.
Our largest remaining expenditures continue to be the bricklayer’s final payment, including additional cost for installing the brick columns. The next and largest cost remaining is that of completing the preparation of the framing and display of our history items estimated at $3,000 to $3,500. The last item will be the purchase of an exterior Interpretative Sign frame ($410) for Archaeological work done there between1999-2006 and preparation of the material for the sign display (about $900).
Those of you who are able to attend this Saturday’s function please let Ed Dandar know. We look forward to seeing you!
Elk Run Church Museum Celebrates Its History Preservation Effort
August 31, 2009
The highlight for Elk Run Church Museum is on 12 September when it will kick-off southern Fauquier’s Tour in Time Celebration with a 9:30 am Ribbon Cutting on what we have accomplished to date in preserving this historical landmark.
The all-day Elk Run celebration will include 1700’s Music, Colonial Life Demonstrations, Period Re-enactors, Fauquier Indian Artifacts, Germantown Exhibit, Living Historians, and Authors. Morning refreshments will be provided by the ECW and the Elk Run Store will be selling lunch items and drinks.
School busses will move folks from Elk Run to Mary Walters Elem. School where there will be 1800’s and 1900’s Exhibits. Bus transportation will also connect with Goldvein for their exhibits and then back to Elk Run.
Guests include Senator R. Stuart, Supervisor C. Stribling, School Board members, the Keith Family and other notables.
Come out and support our Elk Run Church Museum colonial displays and enjoy all the other Tour in Time history exhibits. More information on “Tour N Time” events can be viewed at www.fauquierhistorylive.org
Museum work continues thanks to volunteers
August 29, 2009
We got a lot done this past week. The metal railing for the interior Excavation Unit came in this past Monday. Chris Wilson of Elk Run and Bryan Whitt of Sumerduck helped to install it on Tuesday and Wednesday evening. It really looks good.
We removed the protective covering material of the old church foundation within our 6ft x 6ft display area within the Museum. We will finish the remaining work on that in the week ahead.
We started installing temporary wood rails on the handicap ramps with the help of Norman Williams and hope to finish the wood rail work this coming week.
We finished placing river rock around the handicap ramps on Friday with the help of Matthew Gulick and Basil Coale and also removed the remaining soil.
The 4ft x 10ft pre-finished white T-111 panels were ordered this past week from Bylers based on a funding pledge by Fauquier County’s Supervisors. The panels are not expected to arrive until after 12 September.
Our largest remaining expenditures continue to be the bricklayer’s final payment, including additional cost for installing the brick columns. The next and largest cost remaining is that of completing the preparation of the framing and display of our history items estimated at $3,000 to $3,500. The last item will be the purchase of an exterior Interpretative Sign frame ($410) for Archaeological work done there between1999-2006 and preparation of the material for the sign display (about $900).
Donations are still greatly needed and my thanks to those who have been able to contribute and/or assist us with this effort thus far. Every little bit helps.
Progress made at Work Day
August 22, 2009
We had good support for our 15 August Elk Run work day.
We finished the rework of the framing for the privacy fence around the portable handicap toilet and are now awaiting the delivery of the fence boards from the saw mill. The door to the Museum was installed Friday night by an Elk Run resident and carpenter, Chris Wilson. He also volunteered to install the soffit board with vents.
We placed about ¾ of the 3-5 inch River Rock around the base of the Museum and placed stone dust down at the end of the ramps.
Following that we moved the remaining #57 stone to the parking lot.
The interior cement floor also was sealed.
Some debris was removed but we still have an old wheel barrow, old metal ladder, and some wood materials no longer needed to be hauled to the landfill. We need someone with a pickup truck to haul the remaining debris to the landfill.
A few donations came in this past week to cover work already completed. The ECW donated funds for installing a metal railing around the interior excavation unit. We are still short funding for the bricklayer, who has started the porch brick columns, insulation, T-111 paneling for the interior walls and framing of historical items.
I will be meeting with Kevin Sanford of KC Electric this Tuesday morning to scope out the electric work.
My focus this coming week will be on purchasing and installing a 3 foot high metal railing around our 6ft x 6ft Excavation Unit in the Museum.
A temporary wooden railing will have to be installed on the handicap ramps until sufficient funding is available. Anyone with experience in this area, please call me so I can purchase the required materials for our 22 August work day.
The lumber for the privacy fence for the portable toilet may also be ready for installation next Saturday.
During the week an experienced painter is needed to paint the fascia board white, and the windows need a good cleaning to include vacuuming the sawdust etc from around them. Let me know if anyone can help with this and I will get paint and equipment to you and a key to someone who can do the windows inside and out. I will furnish the ladders.
Thanks again to those who came out on 15 August. Any help parishioners can provide in getting donations will be greatly appreciated.
Concrete poured for new access ramp
August 9, 2009
