Wednesday, May 5, 2011 • Lancaster, PA Breathing life into home were died

Chuck Groshong, left, and Jonathan Keperling look over a door made for the Petersen House, below. County shop key player in Petersen House renovation

Restorations at 341 E. Liberty St., said. Indicating a couple of black locust He estimated that about 75 percent of “There had been some repairs down beams in his Liberty Street workshop, the company’s work time has been spent over the years that were shortsighted. Groshong said, “These all came out of in D.C. Work there is challenging, There were a lot of Band-Aid solutions. the old porch. And they’ll go back in. Groshong said, because “there’s very Now they have a plan.” We had to make extensions because the limited space down there.” For instance, The Petersen House, built in 1849 wood was rotted.” he said, “we had to get 20-foot-long by a German tailor, is owned by the Nearby, porch doors were being built ceiling joists into the attic. There were federal Department of the Interior of mahogany to match the original tons of mechanicals in the way, plus a and is maintained as part of the Ford’s specifications, using highly detailed sprinkler system and the like to deal Theatre National Historic Site. The mortise-and-tenon joinery. with. ... It took awhile to figure out how house has been closed for repairs since Most of the windows in the structure to get a 20-foot piece into a 16-foot September and is scheduled to reopen were restored and reinstalled, except for space. this summer. some in the rear that had to be resized “Some of what they’re asking for — “These days, a lot of money is being to accommodate new Americans with well, it borders on the impossible,” he spent on restoring old buildings,” Disabilities Act access regulations. said. “We just work and work on it until Groshong said. “We’re specialists, and Original pine flooring was taken up, it becomes possible.” we fit into that niche.” restored and replaced. Also challenging, Groshong said, is The family owned Lancaster “It was a major concern of the parks the “government structure” of the work business, which was contacted by the department that we save as much of the site. People know of Ford’s Theatre, where federal government’s project overseers original wood as possible,” Groshong- “There’s a lot of insulated management. on April 14, 1865, because of its reputation for restoration Keperling said. “So, we’ve had to come A lot of redundancy. And government shot . workmanship, began shifting beams and up with a lot of custom solutions.” inspectors are in there every day,” he Fewer people know of the Petersen prying up floorboards Feb. 7. Groshong Nearly 4,000 board feet of original said. “It slows the work down when House, where the stricken president was said he expects they’ll wrap up their wood has been restored, she said, and you’re dealing with so many processes carried and treated, and where he died portion of the project by late May. about 1,000 board feet of new wood and working through so many layers.” the next day. In addition to Groshong, the team has been customized to replace wood On the plus side, he said, the parks Now, a team of Lancaster County consists of: son-in-law Jonathan “that had deteriorated to the point that department spent the past decade woodworkers is toiling to restore the Keperling; wife Lois Groshong; restoration wasn’t possible.” preparing for the job, including having federal-style rowhouse in Washington, daughter Danielle Groshong-Keperling; The job also included removal of a lot a thorough set of new blueprints drawn D.C., which has fallen into decline. and employees Jonathan Yuninger and of lead paint, Groshong said. up for the house. “The ... wants Joseph Wagner. Additional help was “A lot of the work is being done “That’s rare,” he said. “And it’s allowed to save it from falling apart,” Chuck subcontracted locally through Highline on-site,” Keperling said. “A lot of the us to do a lot of work in the shop and be Groshong, co-owner of Historic Construction of Christiana. new wood is being milled there, too.” confident that the numbers are right.”