A Little piece of Paradise… College Hill, Ohio - SELFCRAFT

Chapter 35 An On-Going Project: Restoring the OaksBy Douglas TrimmelThe first thing you learn about restoring a pre-Civil war home is that you never finish. Once you’veaccepted that fact, the rest is all hard labor, time, and a whole lot of luck. By luck I mean, you’ve foundthe right person to do the work, someone who won’t make what’s wrong, worse. Thinking back, I’ve hadmy share of bad luck.Looking back to January 1977 and the first time I saw the huge grey mass (the mansion was paintedbattle ship grey), which, at the time, I did not know it was called “the Oaks,” named that because of thegiant primeval oaks in the yard; I wondered if I was out on my mind for even considering a second look.There was lots of snow that year and the only drive open was the one at the rear on Glenview, so wedrove in. I remembering saying, It looks so spooky, I wonder what it’s like inside. Maybe that was theincentive to call the Realtor for the second look.After setting up the appointment for the ‘second look’ and having a little time to think it over, itseemed such a waste of time to keep the appointment because I knew it was just really a little more housethan was needed, but what’s to lose by just looking. So, toward the end of January 1977 after work, wemet the Realtor at the rear of the house and he showed us to the rear door on the servants’ wing. The firstthing we were greeted with was this incredibly ugly tile floor - black and green squares and all worn out.But that was really just the beginning of ugly sites. That first room turned out to be the original kitchen(pre-1932) and it is now the billiard room with its original oak paneling, cherry wood windows, andbeautiful oak flooring. But that first day it was covered with layers of peeling paint, cracked plaster, andthat ugly tile.Next on the tour was the back hall and stairs, which were all painted an institutional green with whitetrim. The stairwell, which opened three full stories, looked grand enough, solid cherry and oak, and with alittle time and paint stripper it could be beautiful again. That little time turned out to be the entire summerof 1978 and gallons of paint stripper. The back hall opened into the main hall and again more green paint.There must have been a sale on green paint because, as it turned out, the entire first floor was green. Theceiling had water damage along with the Greek key cornice, but it all looked repairable. The next room onthe left was the library which had space for thousands of books and had fluted woodwork with Corinthiancapitals, a ceiling with large holes, and the same water damaged Greek key cornice as in the main hall.The plaster would be no problem, we’ll just hire a plasterer to redo it. Except there are very few plasterersand almost none that do Greek keys.Across the hall was the music room which was a large room 35 feet long with red chenille carpetingthat hid the rotted hard wood flooring of oak and mahogany. Where do you buy mahogany flooring?Through a pair of missing French doors was the breakfast room, all glass with the east wall bayedand a beautiful red tile floor. A great room to enjoy breakfast. It even had a hidden button on the floor toring for the maid. Then through more missing French doors we entered into what is probably the bestroom in the Oaks; a huge dining room with a bayed east wall, solid cherry paneling with raised panels ofoak, fluted woodwork, a solid cherry buffet, mahogany birch and oak inlaid flooring and, to top it off, asolid cherry fireplace with brown and beige marble. Though the room was all under six to seven layers ofpaint and with 6 months of almost daily work it would be beautiful again.I think it was at about this point that the Realtor said, The kitchen and butler’s pantry need to beredone - they’re both outdated! He swung open the pantry door and there it was again - that awful greenand black tile and even more of it in the kitchen. The floors were rotted clear through to the basement andin the butler’s pantry I could see part of the servant’s wing on the second floor, what a view! In thebutler’s pantry was the call box which is connected to push buttons throughout the home. Just press abutton, it rings the box and a small shield with the room name drops. The maid would then know wherehe or she was wanted. I thought that was really novel.The kitchen had an old Miller gas range with six burners and five ovens which work and was inreasonable condition considering it was 50 years old.216