Replicating history, one detail at a time

By Roger Gavan
WARWICK — The attention to detail and historic accuracy has been extraordinary.

The Shingle House, the oldest house in the Village of Warwick, located diagonally across from the original Wisner Library, now the Buckbee Center, was the first building acquired by the Historical Society of the Town of Warwick.

With its shingled sides and saltbox outline, the Shingle House is typical of New England homes built at that time.

It was built in 1764 by Daniel Burt for his son Daniel Jr. on a site close to The King's Highway, a major colonial route from Pennsylvania and New Jersey up to the Hudson River and New England.

Matching state grantIn 2011, the Warwick Historical Society, which has owned the building since 1916, was selected to receive a matching grant of $250,000 from the State of New York's Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation for the restoration of the historic building.

The cost of the work at that time was estimated at $500,000.

Every step of the way, work had to be submitted and approved by the Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation and matching funds raised as the project goes along.

Funding came after each phase was complete and "matching" could be in the form of money, volunteer work or a donation of materials. There were several significant individual cash donations.

The society was fortunate in its selection of Rob Garbutt as its construction manager.

Garbutt, who supervises the entire restoration project, has 35 years experience as a general contractor and his resume includes the construction of the former Warner Brothers Jungle Habitat in West Milford, N.J.

The architectural firm of Stephen Tilly did the original planning.

Skilled volunteersAccording to Mark Kurtz, president of the Historical Society, much of the work has been performed by volunteers, many of whom taught their skills to others with different talents that they, in turn, were able to learn and employ.

The house was physically raised and floor supports that had rested on the ground and were infested with termites have been replaced on a new foundation.

Some of the hand-hewn beams had to be replaces, but to insure the historical integrity of the project, they were cost effectively milled by Bruce Ludovicy at Ludo's Thick and Thin Lumber in Warwick, and then hand-hewn by Amish carpenters exactly as they would have been crafted in the eighteenth century.

Copies and originals"But we will identify them as copies," said Kurtz, "to let visitors know that all the others are original."

Garbutt believes the remainder of the project can be completed in six months and will include a park-like setting, a theatrical stage and proximity to the adjacent old AME Church building restoration, which should be completed this October.

When completed and open to visitors, the 1764 Shingle House will be furnished with antique items from that era.