The Dilemma

Restoration
Written By Karen Neil

  • The South Front
  • The North Front

A Miniature Replica of Mount Vernon

Little Mount Vernon was built in 1937 by George Wetherford and Emma Cross Wetherford. Their home was a miniature replica of George Washington's historical home on the Potomac river, Mount Vernon. Mount Vernon is a TWO FRONT house--an East front and a West Front. The West front entrance contained the driveway to welcome guests and the East front contained the huge porch with chairs for enjoying the evenings overlooking the Potomac.

The main structure of Little Mount Vernon (LMV) was built with 2 fronts as well, a South front with a u-shaped drive opening to the town sidewalk, and a North front with beautiful columns overlooking a 6 acre yard--originally 8 acres before the highway came through and severed an arm of the property--full of beautiful oaks, pecans, hickory, and walnuts, some still entangled with years of growth of vines. Additionally there is a wing on each side of the structure one containing the master suite and the other the kitchen/carport. Both wings have entrances fashioned after the arched walkways from the wings of Mount Vernon with curved ceilings which were painted a sky blue long ago but are now flaking away. And then there's the basement....

Restoration or Renovation?

When buying an old house, choosing whether to restore it or renovate it can be a difficult decision. It seems that most people today either tear down the old to build the new or rip out all the walls to create an OPEN concept! But I believe you buy a historical home for the history and destroying what was, just to be modern, is a mistake. After all, we all know current trends and styles are subject to constant change.  

However, restoration which requires maintaining the historical character of the home and renovation which implies making it new for current trends will both be necessary to create the additional closets and bathrooms needed to make this a functional home.  The LMV project will be mostly restoration with a little renovation.

Plans for Little Mount Vernon

  • Kitchen Door
  • Old Kitchen

The kitchen wing will be modernized with historical flair for functionality. The kitchen sink and cabinets will be flipped from the North front wall to the South front wall and upgraded with appliances fit for a chef as well as cabinets in keeping with the time period. The old kitchen area will house a large farmhouse table with chairs and new windows overlooking the North front lawn. The original kitchen door and entrance will be preserved with a mud room area created in the old pantry area.

  • Hall Entrance
  • Curved Ceilings in Hall

The old carport will house an outdoor eating area. Both side entrance halls will house half baths--one original in one entrance hall and one constructed in closet space in the other entrance hall. The main North and South entrances will be transformed into grand foyers with period appropriate flooring and furniture. The dining and living rooms will retain their salvaged walnut flooring, beautiful wood trim, restored fireplaces, and plaster walls with little change. The magnificent curved staircase in the North front foyer will be restored to its original grandeur.

The upstairs will be restored by repairing the plaster walls, cleaning the beautiful wooden trim, and stripping and repairing the original oak floors. The upstairs bath will be renovated to make it functional. But determining placement to add an additional upstairs bathroom is challenging.

  • The Skylight Rot
  • The Gutted Bath
  • The Original Master Bedroom
  • Upstairs Bathroom
  • The Original Bath and Closets

The master suite.... YUK!!! It was originally a bedroom with a dressing room, bathroom and 2 small closets, matching the footprint of the kitchen wing. Previous owners enlarged the space to contain a new master bedroom with double glass doors opening to a two foot drop off with no steps or patio, and a huge en suite. This poorly constructed addition had a skylight which leaked and has rotted large sections of the space all the way to the dirt. The en suite was ripped apart by the previous owner and is a partially gutted shell with holes in the rotted away walls. The original bathroom and closets for this suite are minimal but still intact. Because of all the changes over the years in this space, this section is still a vision in progress!!!!

THIS old house was almost condemned.... almost lost forever! But now it still stands as a one-of-a-kind historical masterpiece in small town USA.

Karen Neil
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