The kitchen ceiling has been removed in order to prepare for the installation of a new structural support beam. Modification to the second floor joists and structural wall supports were determined necessary due to inadequate spacing. To date, the supports were on the north and south walls. An additional beam will soon be inserted that will run east and west.

The newly inserted steel beam will rest on the steel beams that are pictured here. The west beam directly over the kitchen window was added during Phase I. With the use of the east west running beam the weight of the second floor over the kitchen will now be more effectively distributed. Note: the joists are cut to accommodate the addition of the new steel beam insert. All of these modifications will be in place and covered with a new ceiling, rendering the resulting work unnoticeable and undetected by future visitors.

The team stone mason has identified this stone as argillite. Argillite is a very strong material that was most likely quarried near the home.

The removal of the ceiling and plaster wall board reveals a portion of the stone wall that has been undisturbed since the origins of the 1825 portion of the house. During tour seasons, this portion of the wall is found directly behind a Pennsylvania Dutch armoire which resides in the living room near the piano.

The rough framing for the new wall that is being built to divide the room as it once stood is now in place.

The double sided LVL (laminated veneer lumber) beam is shown with north south surfaces for each side of the new room.

Although the wall support appears to be strengthened by the framework below, the support of the wall itself is mostly carried on the east west beam ends.

In this photo of the corner fireplace in the Pearl S. Buck bedroom, you will see the stone hearth taken apart in puzzle-like pieces. The floor boards were lifted for structural examination. Reinforcement, not replacement, is the goal in successful historical restoration.

A closer view of the area reveals the original floorboard color that has been hidden under the masonry. This corner fireplace was added by Miss Buck during the family occupation of the house.

This fireplace on the west wall of the Pearl S. Buck bedroom was originally the room of Mr. Richard Walsh, Miss Buck’s publisher husband. This fireplace dates to circa 1825. The absent floor board will cover the existing beam after it is reinforced for strength with a steel plate and an epoxy filling. Note that the hearth stone has been lifted and a small area has been recessed into the hearth area awaiting replacement of the treated beam.

A detail of a peg in a hand-hewn beam. Note the chisel marks of the builders from long ago, perhaps from 1825.

The flooring of the balcony room is examined. This room had many uses during the Walsh family occupation.

The balcony room floor reveals itself to be much stronger than believed. Note what appears to be a sub floor evident between the beams. Perhaps this was a sound proofing effort to protect the room occupant from the busy dining room below.

Workers stand atop floorboards of Pearl S. Buck's bedroom before their removal.

The Pearl S. Buck bedroom floor has had several floor planks removed to assess structural integrity. The exposed beams reveal workmanship of wooden pegs; not a single nail. The Pennsylvania Dutch barn and house builders of the area have left exceptional work evident in this 1825 portion of the house. Roman numerals superficially carved into the end of each beam reflect mortise and tenon joinery.

The Roman numerals are in ascending order across the floor. This indicates that the beams were cut and hewn off site and joined together here in the house.

Removal of floorboards revealed planks held together solely by wooden pegs. The roman numerals etched into the wood are visible above.

The restoration teams have built interior scaffolding for support, hung heavy plastic sheeting to control dust and plaster infiltration, wrapped the plaster wall corners and wooden banisters, and built a temporary wooden crate to protect the rare 1936 oak Steinway Piano.

A shot of the fireplace flanked by wooden supports to the second floor.

Before: The piano area during the 2009 Festival of Trees Display. After: The piano area with decorations removed and artifacts packed away to make room for the wooden supports to the Pearl S. Buck bedroom on the second floor.

Before: The kitchen as it normally appears for tours of the Pearl S. Buck House. After: the table, chairs, and artifacts have been packed away in a safe place!

Before: The fireplace was all decked out for the Festival of Trees display, which took place from November 17 to December 31, 2009. After: Decorations and artifacts have been removed, leaving the fireplace decidedly empty looking!

Before: An image of the large library from August 2009, when the original manuscript of The Good Earth was on display on the famed 'Good Earth Desk'. After: All of the furniture has been moved and covered with sheets, blankets, and plastic to keep out the dust and debris that will occur during the restoration.

Before: The Awards Room was full of important artwork, certificates, medals, and other items bestowed upon Pearl S. Buck in honor of her accomplishments. After: Each item has been carefully packed away and archived for the duration of the restoration project.

Today is our last day of our Festival of Trees Holiday Event. Nineteen rooms in the historic house were decorated floor-to-ceiling for the holiday season. We now have five workdays to have the rooms undecorated, packed, stored, and protected.

In our efforts to protect the intact collections and household furnishings of Pearl S. Buck, the contents of entire rooms will be packed in tissue paper, bubble wrap and archival boxes. Each box and its contents will be entered into an inventory system for reinstallation and retrieval. Seven rooms will be packed and two rooms covered for protection through Phase II. This nine-room preparation will take about 167 work hours.

Here at the Pearl S. Buck House, we are proud to announce the commencement of Phase II, the next step in our much anticipated three phase restoration process!

Phase I, which ended in 2007, brought exterior restoration to the roof, shutters, masonry, window and door areas. The goals of Phase II include interior structural assessment and restoration to reinforce the foundations and support systems of the home for years of future historical interpretation and enjoyment.

A highly qualified team of conservators, engineers, architects and researchers are working together to restore the House to the time period of the family occupation of Pearl S. Buck.  Nothing has been overlooked in the process as seen in Phase I; refurbishing existing windows and hardware, to analyzing layers of paint chips and mortar samples for a flawless restored final result.

Visit us every week to follow the process, to share in the discoveries made along the way, and to witness the changes as they occur.  It is our hope that our updates on the progress of this restoration will satisfy our interested followers and help all feel included in the exciting changes happening at the Pearl S. Buck House.

Please return again and again to be part of our virtual exhibit experience!

Donna Carcaci Rhodes

Curator
Pearl S. Buck National Historic Landmark Home