en. I'll strip the inside of the door next, then start on another exterior door. I found a citrus-based stripper that isn't as harsh as the heavy-duty chemical stuff and although it doesn't take as many layers off at once as the harsh stuff it's gentler to the wood. Under many coats of paint I discovered the hinges are very decorative! I've posted a before photo, and I'll add another after I've stripped them of the many coats of paint.
Brian decided it was time to remove the old wood stove insert that sat in the fireplace. When he did we discovered that the birds were using the top of it for a nesting platform! At left is a photo of the stove with the nest on top which included a couple of tiny bird skeletons! We're going through rubber gloves & dust masks at an alarming rate!
Many of you have asked if we've found any cool stuff. I've included a photo of a wooden box with metal straps that we found under the blackberries. The Collections Manager at the
Benton County Historical Museum said it was from a stage coach or covered wagon - the metal hooks on the bottom would have held it in place! We've offered it to them, but haven't heard back yet. If they don't want it we'll store it until we can find a place to display it. The wood is damaged in one corner, and of course the metal is rusty but it's in pretty good shape considering. We've also found lots of square nails, some greeting cards and newspapers from the 1940s, a chamber pot lid, and one mummified mouse - we didn't save that!We're on the agenda for the August 14 meeting of the Historic Resources Commission at 7 pm in the Downtown fire station. We've submitted our proposal for renovation and have our fingers crossed. I'll post more about that at a later date.
