A Preservationist's Technical Notebook

Introducing Historic Home Surveys Online

John Poole — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 20:26:59 +0000

Today, I’m pleased to announce my first installment of what I hope is a long-term project of some significance: An online archive of surveys of historic Connecticut homes — mostly 18th century, and mainly of my particular region of the … Continue reading →

Volunteers Sought To Save Peter Tufts House (c. 1680)

John Poole — Sun, 09 Jun 2013 18:41:18 +0000

The Medford Historical Society, of Medford, Massachusetts, is looking to quickly assemble a team of volunteers to manage the stabilization of the Peter Tufts House (c. 1677-1680), one of the oldest brick homes in the United States. Built around 1680, … Continue reading →

JLC Archive on USB Flash Drive

John Poole — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 05:02:50 +0000

Bet you never thought of a USB flash drive as a construction tool. Or better yet, as a knowledgeable journeyman. I never would’ve either, until my copy of the JLC Archive on USB Flash Drive arrived a few days ago. … Continue reading →

Feed Me Some Feedly

John Poole — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 03:59:43 +0000

Many of you are probably aware of Google’s recent announcement to decommission their Google Reader product on July 1st, 2013. I’m first to admit there’s something a bit dated and clunky about RSS readers (or news aggregators, as they’re sometimes … Continue reading →

Capturing Historic Architectural Detail in SketchUp

John Poole — Mon, 11 Mar 2013 02:20:55 +0000

In the very first Connecticut houses, architectural detail was minimalistic and strictly utilitarian. But even the earliest colonists wanted their homes to look good, so in time, both interior and exterior detailing began to take hold. Much of this elaboration … Continue reading →

Blizzard Of 2013: Part II

John Poole — Mon, 11 Feb 2013 00:48:17 +0000

Today was the second day following the Blizzard of 2013, and despite the valiant efforts of many homeowners in our neighborhood at cleaning up pathways, it’s now starting to feel like we’re quite trapped in this predicament. While I’m confident … Continue reading →

Blizzard Of 2013: Part I

John Poole — Sun, 10 Feb 2013 04:30:33 +0000

Some called it Winter Storm Nemo. Others called it the Blizzard of 2013, the Nor’easter of 2013, or Storm Charlotte. Call it what you will…but this February snowstorm is bound to be included in the record books as one of the … Continue reading →

Historic Cut and Drop

John Poole — Wed, 16 Jan 2013 17:38:45 +0000

Yesterday, I had seamless gutters made for the Mansfield House. Ray from Advanced Seamless Gutters of Milford, Connecticut, stopped by and cut me two 42′ lengths of K-style extrusion, and also dropped off the leader sections and other accessories I’d spec’d … Continue reading →

Vintage Wooden Drawer Repair

John Poole — Mon, 14 Jan 2013 19:20:01 +0000

This week, several of my favorite designer-blogger friends are on Modenus’ Blog Tour Cologne 2013, taking in the culture and Gothic architecture of Cologne, Germany, while learning more about their sponsors’ latest home design products, and busily blogging and tweeting … Continue reading →

Snow Screeding Fluffy Slabs

John Poole — Tue, 04 Dec 2012 05:19:51 +0000

Today (Tuesday, December 4th, 2012) marks the 226th anniversary (1786) of one of the worst New England snowstorms of recorded history. Snow began falling heavily around midday, and was driven by a fierce nor’easter, which rapidly piled snowdrifts and caused … Continue reading →