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An Update on the Queen Anne Cottage and Coach Barn Roofing Project

February 13, 2012

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Stripping decayed shingles off the old roof  Shingles being nailed down on new roof

Visitors to the Arboretum will doubtless have noticed that many of their favorite areas are behind construction fences. We have to take advantage of our slowest time of the year to do necessary maintenance and repair work. This includes the Queen Anne Cottage, where work  on the reroofing is progressing rapidly. During our recent rainstorms we had no leaks in the roof thanks to the careful work of our roofing contractor who has taken great care to insure that we stay leak free. 

This work involves quite a few people and I have enjoyed working with our consulting preservation architect, Peyton Hall and Chester Kano, the new Project Manager for Parks & Recreation.  

It is unusual for a project like this to do more than simple replacement in kind, that is to say removing existing material and replacing it with comparable material. In this case we are returning to a Victorian Era roofing scheme that is well documented in historic photographs from the Arboretum’s collection and other sources.

Our roofing contractor is doing an excellent job and it is particularly gratifying to see the neatness and precision of the work, the stepped copper flashing and the resulting closed valleys and tight edges of the new roof. 

New roof and valley

 

 

 

 

Clean edge of new roof

Viewers can already get a good idea of the finished appearance by viewing the Cottage from the Eastern shore of Baldwin Lake. Work will begin on the tower of the Cottage during the last week of January. There will be a break in the work while the shingles for the Barn are being manufactured, stained and shipped which will to some extent depend on the winter weather in the Pacific Northwest.

 Speaking of winter weather, I have been asked several times if it was necessary to remove a great deal of the contents of the Cottage during the reroofing. Several factors were involved in this decision. Angeles construction was seriously concerned about the safety and security of the contents of the Cottage during the roofing work. Delays in the start of the project pushed the beginning to the peak of the Southern California rainy season. Because of this, prudent planning had to assume the possibility of a worst case scenario which could be as much as two weeks of continuous rain, wind and cold weather. The roof structure of the Cottage is a characteristic 19th century roof.

 

View from the attic of the Cottage

When the shingles are removed, the attic is open to the sky. Any rainfall will wet the exposed plaster ceiling of the interior. To accommodate the fire sprinklers which protrude into the rooms, holes are present which can direct water into the interior. If the plaster becomes wet, dry rot can set in destroying the plaster. Clearly security is also compromised.

Accordingly we decided to pack up and remove for safe keeping all the small artifacts, paintings and other moisture sensitive artifacts. What could not be removed with our available staff and time was covered with plastic sheeting.

Volunteers, Steve Seleska, Christine Hsiao, and Linda Moore were of invaluable help in this process.

A painting dolly, a staple of galleries and art museums, was constructed by Steve Seleska and fitted with extra large wheels. It proved to provide a smooth ride over the turf and dirt roads of the historic section for our paintings. 

 

Moving paintings

 

Joe Valenzuela, Glenn Klevdal, David Okihara, volunteer Steve Seleska and Rafael Cano. (left to right) moving two large paintings with the dolly.

 

Red carpet ride for the Cottage's paintings 

Framed works enjoy a red carpet ride secured to the dolly with straps of fabric to prevent accidents.

The project has also had a number of unanticipated benefits which include some unusually delicious honeycomb from the attic which proved to have a truly unusual flavor due to the unique mix of nectar sources the Arboretum provides. As a former beekeeper, I can assure you I have never tasted anything quite like it.

Beehive in East section of roof

 

Close up of honeycomb 

 

 The Arboretum’s raccoons quickly discovered the easy access to the honeycomb, eating it all within a few days. Hopefully, the bees moved elsewhere to begin again.

 

Hole made by raccoons

In the past year, holes had been torn in the deteriorated shingle roof and been repaired by Glenn Klevdal. In this shot, the repair shingles had been moved aside to gain access to the attic. It was something of a mystery as to why the raccoons were so determined to access the attic. It now seems obvious that the reason was honey.

 Other finds included a Pabst Blue Ribbon beer can predating 1965. Dating was made possible by the simple fact that the can is steel and was opened by piercing since it predates the pop top. Presumably workers during the early sixties restoration were refreshing themselves on site.

The Pabst Blue Ribbon Can 

 

 Hand forged nails are present in abundance since the removal of the shingles has exposed the 1880’s roof structure.

 Hand forged nail

Needless to say, working on the roof of a building built in 1885-1886 requires a level head, agility and indifference to heights!

Mitchell Hearns Bishop

Curator, Historic Section

 

 

 

 

Lucky Baldwin’s pocket watch on loan to the Ruth and Charles Gilb Arcadia Historical Museum

September 20, 2011

Historic Collections

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Lucky Baldwin's pocket watch

 

Gold veined quart chain

 

 

Lucky Baldwin's gold pocket watch has gone on loan to the Ruth and Charles Gilb Arcadia Historical Museum for a new display relating to the city's founder, Elias J. Baldwin. The watch is 18k gold with a chain embellished with gold veined quartz, and a carnelian fob engraved with Baldwin's initials. The watch was purchased from Tiffany and made in Geneva, Switzerland. One can't help but wonder about the horses whose performance Baldwin timed with this beauty. 

The gold veined quartz is typical of the 1875 time period and is particularly appropriate for someone who made a good part of his fortune from mining precious metals. 

To see the watch, check with the Gilb Museum for the opening of the exhibition and museum hours. 

 

Mitchell Hearns Bishop

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