C Section Home Improvements

Inside this section...

Gloucester Housing Partnership builds Home renovation made challenging by A former Texaco station being reimagined New Point Comfort Light renova- a ramp for a resident in need ...page 3C. owner’s pursuit of master’s degree ... 4C. as a vacation rental home ... page 7C. tion nearing completion ... C9.

2021 SUMMER HOME IMPROVEMENTS

Section C Thursday, August 5, 2021 GET Inspired! Historic Mathews County house getting some TLC

BY TYLER BASS Arthur Miller and their friend of experience in renovation Jim Sease, went in on the and has supplied them with Stephanie Miller, Arthur house together. She said the much of the equipment they Miller and Jim Sease have two of them had experience use. been busy restoring a large and connections to help them When work began, Miller house since purchasing it restore the building. Arthur said the house was covered in January of this year. The Miller has a background in building has stood along stained glass. Sease has a lot SEE MAIN STREET RESTORATION, PAGE 2C Mathews Main Street since it was constructed in 1840. The house has held the titles Edwards Hall and Mathews Academy and has served as a home in the past few decades. However, the house has sat empty and in disrepair for some time. Stephanie Miller said she was looking for a property to buy in Mathews with her real estate agent, Maxine Hudgins. She thought she had settled on a property elsewhere in the county but then saw the “For Sale” sign out front of the former Edwards Hall. The TYLER BASS / GAZETTE-JOURNAL choice may have been easy, TYLER BASS / GAZETTE-JOURNAL but the work has not. A photo of the Southern Century Club was found during renovations. The two brick pillars underneath the porch collasped when the southern wall was made flush with the rest of the home. Miller, along with her father

Y M C K 2C GLOUCESTER-MATHEWS GAZETTE-JOURNAL THURSDAY AUGUST 5, 2021

TYLER BASS / GAZETTE-JOURNAL Stephanie Miller along with her father Arthur Miller and friend Jim Sease have been gutting the home for months and are almost ready to start add new materials to the house. Bottom left, Miller stands by one of her favorite features of the house, the accordion doors located on the first floor. Top left, she stands in the hallway of the second floor beside the stairs to top floor. Top right, she stands by a massive door that opens in two sections.

MAIN STREET RESTORATION

(CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1C) sive project. in stapled down plastic, the The second-floor features basement was filled with piles two bedrooms and a bath- of junk and the southern wall room that is being completely bowed. She said the roof also remodeled. The damage in had a grapefruit-sized hole in the bathroom is substantial it that had caused damage to and like the rest of the house the floors below it for perhaps is getting new plumbing. The three decades. top floor Miller said was likely Though the work seemed a child’s room judging from insurmountable, the three the colorful, cowboy-printed happily began. Miller said the wallpaper that was used to southern wall was lifted and adorn the walls. pushed flush with the house, Miller said the newer sec- which in turned caused two tion of the house was rented brick pillars underneath the out and lived in within the porch to collapse. last decade. However, major Miller said the basement repairs are still needed for was cleaned out and the this side of the house. She Mathews Historical Society said they already removed a was allowed to rummage shower that was placed near through the mess to see if any the front door. artifacts could be salvaged. In the back of this section Affordable Maintenance Free Jacks have been placed in the is what used to be a massive English basement and a new door that is now a solid wall. Urbanna, Va. (804) 758-2037 wall is being made to divide She said they might make it the basement and provide ad- a door again but that hasn’t www.rivahrooms.com ditional support. Call for a FREE Estimate! “It’s like opening Pandora’s SEE MAIN STREET RESTORATION, PAGE 3C Serving Tidewater for over years Box,” she said, when describ- ing how each repair leads to another set of issues. Throughout the rest of the house plastic, wallpaper and Dream Floors... rot has been removed. What remains are large hallways, for your Dream Home modest rooms and doors removed from their doorways. You’ll be floored by our wall-to-wall savings on quality name brand carpeting, area rugs, Miller’s father has taken out tile and hardwood flooring. You can’t beat our selection and prices! all of the surviving windows, Great rates on expert installation, satisfaction guaranteed! taking them to his shop to restore. Miller said one of her favorite things that remains is a pair of accordion-style doors that divide the first floor’s main room. She’s also been wowed by the architecture that remains. The pillars inside the house are all made from single-tree logs. Area Rugs On the first and second Hardwood Flooring Ceramic Tile Carpets floors of the home are old fireplaces that have a lot of detail Mon.-Fri. 9-5 that sadly may be lost. Miller 804-776-6611 said they’ll likely have to take Rt. 33 Sat. 9-12 the practical route of repaint- Hartfield ing them instead taking on www.mill-end.com more work in an already mas-

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Y M C K THURSDAY AUGUST 5, 2021 GLOUCESTER-MATHEWS GAZETTE-JOURNAL 3C

TYLER BASS / GAZETTE-JOURNAL TYLER BASS / GAZETTE-JOURNAL Horsley Home Improvement and Repair was contracted to build a temporary ramp on July 24 by Gloucester Housing Partner- Eddie Washington of Gloucester Housing Partnership, Peter Horsley, Dustin Horsley and Caleb Bearsall of Horsley Home Im- ship outside of a home in Hayes. provement and Repair, and GHP chairman Bob Tschirhart, from left, stand in front on the day’s construction in Hayes. Providing a safety ramp for a Gloucester family in need

BY TYLER BASS which meets the GHP mission struction is needed. Tschir- roof replacement. However, Tschirhart said GHP is al- about the Gloucester Housing of assisting the low-income hart said some requests may if that’s not what is required, ways looking for volunteers, Partnership or learn how you The Gloucester Housing citizens of Gloucester Coun- be for a leaky roof and the GHP will isolate and repair the partners and more board can apply for their services, Partnership and Horsley ty,” said Tschirhart, “with ba- homeowner may want a total damaged area. members. To find out more visit ghp4u.com. Home Improvement and Re- sic home repair in order to pair spent the morning of Sat- keep them safe, warm, acces- urday, July 24, constructing a sible and dry.” safety ramp onto a home in Hayes. This ramp was made possi- Gloucester Housing Part- ble thanks to donations from CASSENVEY nership, or GHP is a nonprofit Apostles Lutheran Church. organization that focuses on GHP gets jobs through refer- HEATING, A/C & REFRIGERATION LTD. housing repair for Gloucester rals that can come from one residents in need. of several organizations or We Service Most GHP chairman Bob Tsch- services in the area. Some Major Brand Name Model Heat Pumps irhart said ramps are typi- of the organizations GHP fre- cally what his organization quently works with include Free Estimates on New Installations has been building these days. Social Services, the Samaritan DAVID GALLOWAY, OWNER He said GHP has consistently Group, United Way, Bay Aging, 10% l for al had around three projects to Habitat for Humanity, among ount rs Class A Contractor Disc ponde t Res y do each month. others. Firs ilitar and M Mechanical and Electrical Master “The homeowner desper- To make sure it qualifies, ID required ately needs this ramp so he GHP inspects each job to see Bonded and Insured can access his home safely what the issue is and if con- P.O. Box 437 Mathews, VA 23109 804-725-2108 Email: [email protected]

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TYLER BASS / GAZETTE-JOURNAL Tick Control The two massive chimineys on the For details about our in-home services and rates, backside of the house still remain and please call or visit us online. support four fireplaces in the home. Delivering quality flea and tick control in your pet’s comfort zone. Termite and Moisture Control Have unsightly UGLY STUMPS Noble Pest Control Inc. MAIN STREET on your property? Free Inspections Call Scouten’s Stump Grinding P.O. Box 365 804-725-7108/804-695-0456 RESTORATION Grimstead, Virginia 23064 [email protected] (CONTINUED FROM PAGE 2C) TODAY! www.noblepestcontrol.net been decided. The second floor of the newer section is a series of joined See our reviews on Facebook and Google rooms that still show the www.scoutensstumpgrinding.com Keep Your signs of the children that used to live there. There is also a bathroom that overlooks the Dream Home Safe front yard of the property. Outside, a large yard sur- rounds the house that Miller said is fertile. She said she could see planting a garden on the land when the restora- tions are finished. Miller said they are getting close to being done with removing materials from the house and will soon be bring- ing in materials they’ll need. She said they were brain- storming ideas on what to do with the house but agreed to wait until all the work was done to decide. Real Estate Title, Escrow and Settlement Services PROTECT YOUR INVESTMENT The work has been hard and often tedious. Many of WITH STARBRITE SECURITY, INC. the beams in the ceiling were filled with nails that Miller has Your full-service alarm company Since 1991 removed herself, one by one. Offering professional assistance DCJS #11-2456 Despite the labor she said they all eagerly work on the 7307 Martinthroughout Street, Gloucester your real estate transactions 804-210-1354 804-725-3313 Office 804-824-4271 Cell house almost daily. FOSTER FAULKNER BUILDING • 138 Main St., Mathews C.H. We meet you aswww.theclosingshopllc.com customers and close with you as family!

Y M C K 4C GLOUCESTER-MATHEWS GAZETTE-JOURNAL THURSDAY AUGUST 5, 2021

Home restoration made challenging by pursuit of master’s degree

BY TYLER BASS in Gloucester. He purchased the home in Wicomico in 2006 Chief Warrant Officer 3 Reu- and rented it out while he was ben Vassar is wrapping up often on the move because of a more than a two-year-long his military career. Vassar said project of restoring and reno- he checked in on his property vating his Gloucester County in Gloucester in the fall of home. 2018. He was shocked to find The arduous task of com- his house to be in shambles. pletely restoring his house “I could smell it from the in Wicomico was only made street,” said Vassar. more of a challenge by his On the inside, he said he recently completed master’s found tons of trash, waste, program at Howard Univer- holes in the walls and floors. sity. Outside the yard had become Vassar has served in the overgrown and the front of his Army since 1999 with two de- house was damaged and the ployments to Iraq and two to paint was chipping off. The Afghanistan. His late father, former renters had also left Charles Wesley Vassar Sr., many of the appliances run- also served in the military ning for weeks, racking up a and fought in Vietnam. massive electrical bill in his During his second deploy- name. ment to Afghanistan, Vassar’s For the next two and a half mother was diagnosed with years, Vassar worked on his Alzheimer’s and he quickly home while earning his mas- looked for a way to return to ter’s. He began outside; he Virginia. He said he applied said the growth of weeds was and was selected for the substantial, with trees taking Army Advance Civil Schooling over his yard. He said that Program. This allowed him to removing the mass of poison pursue a master’s degree in oak and ivy ended up putting

Atmospheric Science at How - him in the emergency room at ard University in Washington, one point.

D.C. After Vassar had conquered Being in D.C. meant Vas- the yard, he moved on to the sar could be closer to his Chief Warrant Officer 3 Reuben Vassar spent the last two-and-a-half years restor- mother and to his property SEE VASSAR, PAGE 5C ing his home while also earning his master’s in Atmospheric Science from Howard SEAMLESS GUTTER University. Gutter Guard 5” & 6” Gutters Residential & Commercial Joshua D Junker, Agent Licensed & Insured PO Box 2155 6728 Sutton Road, Gloucester, Virginia 23061-2155 804-725-1812 Rappahannock Restoration & Repair Inc. Bus 804-693-9141 Be Sure To Check Your Foundation for Dampness Fax 804-693-9040 www.seamlessguttersmathews.com www.joshuajunker.net [email protected] 24 Hour Good Neighbor Service® A Local Business You Can Trust Trudy’s 4 Sale on Circuit Boxes 4 Excellent Prices on Water Softeners Portable Toilets, Inc. Special Orders • Professional Service COLE SUPPLY 804-725-7000 Fax 725-7878 Hrs: Mon., Tues Emergency Supplies call 725-7322 Thurs. & Fri. 8-4 Wed. & Sat. 8-12 72 Pine Hall Rd., Mathews O.J. Cole Jr., proprietor

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804-725-1001 Keeping and restoring the hardwood floors of the home was a goal of Vassar’s that he achieved during renovations. www.trudysportabletoilets.com REDUCE, REUSE RECYCLE Eastridge Lawns & Landscapes, LLC Landscape Can It, Sort It, Vassar’s kitchen post renovation. design and install Stack It.... RECYCLE IT! Mulching • Copper • Appliances Please • Brass • Steel Spring Planting • Aluminum • Tin Recycle Drainage Solutions 2095 Old Virginia Street The Sod Installation Urbanna Newspaper. Phone 804-758-2916 Save The Family Owned and Operated over 30 years. Tuesday-Saturday 804-854-1901 8 am - 4 pm State Licensed for Vehicles Environment. [email protected]

Y M C K THURSDAY AUGUST 5, 2021 GLOUCESTER-MATHEWS GAZETTE-JOURNAL 5C

Damage to Vassar’s home was widespread, from the front yard all the way back to the detached building. The front yard and porch were the first major projects Vassar tackled.

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We are pledged to the letter and spirit of Virginia’s and HUD’s equal opportunity housing policies. Virginia’s fair housing law makes it illegal to advertise any preference, lim- itation or discrimination based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex, elderliness, familial status or handicap. This newspaper will not knowingly accept advertising for real estate that violates the fair housing law. Our readers are Locally Owned & Operated Since 1996 hereby informed that all dwellings advertised in this newspaper are available on an equal opportunity basis. For more information about Virginia’s Fair Housing Law or to file a fair housing complaint, call the Virginia Fair Housing Office at 804-367-8530. Toll free call 888-551-3247. For the hear- ing impaired, call 804-527-4290. Build Your Extreme Dream Home C.W. Davis After more than two years, Vassar has been working on the aesthetics of his home WITH C D Paving, Inc. Let us Build now with the major repairs being completed. you a Modular or Your hometown contractor with over 40 Custom Stick yeWars of experience in both commercial Frame Home! & residential work VASSAR We specialize in commercial entrances, site work, water & sewer, tar and gravel and (CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4C) week when his classes first manufacture the only virgin mix asphalt. Suzanne Cook porch. The work was exten- began. When the pandemic sive and so were his com- began, his time on the road mutes. He said he traveled decreased when all his class- Class A Contractor Licensed & Insured from Gloucester to D.C. and es began meeting virtually. For a free estimate call [email protected] return roughly three times a Vassar said he kept his www.southernstarters.com computer’s camera off while 804-642-5562 or 804-758-5755 his listened to lectures while continually working on his home. When he finished a PROFESSIONAL day’s work, he said he would go to his mother’s home in Newport News because he PLUMBING couldn’t stay in his own home Discounts as yet. Herbert Clements & Sons, Inc. Vassar said he knew that big as a house. he would only be able to do so much on his own without Or condo. Plumbing • Heating • A/C professional help. He reached Frankie Clements, President, J.D. Clements, Vice-President out to local businesses and Or apartment. • Drain Clogs organizations hoping for • Water Heater Repair leads, explaining the situa- • Toilet Repair tion he was in. Though some • Pipe & Slab Leaks came through, others left him Give us a call • Tub & Shower Repair with more problems and more Tomom WilkeWilkT InsuranceInsur AgencyAance y IncIncencge See just how big your bills. Tom Wilke,WT AgentAeilkom entg, for all • Faucet Repair 2904 GeorgeG WashingtonWgeor2904 on Mem HwyHwtgshinae y savings could be. • Garbage Disposals Eventually, Vassar found Hayes, VAVseyaH A 2307223072, Your savings could add up to Bus:Bus: 804-642-6495 your plumbing, • Bathroom Remodels businesses and individu- hundreds of dollars when you als that were able to come heating and • Water Filtration & Softeners through for him. Businesses put all your policies together air conditioning like Bush Electric Company, under our State Farm® roof. needs. Hodges and Bryant, JnJ Paint- GET TO A BETTER STATE.TM 804-693-3617| www.herbertclements.com ing LLC and Alvarez Painting CALL ME TODAY. 6558 Belroi Road| Gloucester, VA 23061 Company ended up being ex- actly who Vassar needed to restore his house. Work was almost nonstop for Vassar who was determined to make his house a home again. At one point, he

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Y M C K 6C GLOUCESTER-MATHEWS GAZETTE-JOURNAL THURSDAY AUGUST 5, 2021

Clockwise starting from top left: Reuben Vassar and his mother Anita Vassar plant new vegetation around his fence line in the backyard; The backyard has come a long way since undertaking the massive project of restoring his home. One of the bathrooms Vassar had to completely repair all the way down to the plumbing; The front porch steps before he had begun restoring them. The hardwood floors were damaged, but Vassar was determined to keep them.

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"3&.0%&-%*7*4*0/0'-&%0.&3" '0/0*4*7*%- (CONTINUED FROM PAGE 5C) Vassar Sr., my mother, Anita said, one of his professors ap- Vassar, and my brothers, sis- proached him with concern. ters and friends that picked The professor knew that along up a hammer or a paint brush with his course work, he was and stood beside me through (FPSHF8BTIJOHUPO.FNPSJBM)JHIXBZ 4VJUF$ OPUHOJITB8FHSPF( $FUJV4 ZBXIHJ)MBJSPNF. also working on his home and this tough time,” he said. “And :PSLUPXO 7"OXPULSP: O 7" caring for his mother. The the friends I’ve made at Home UFM tGBY MFU t YBG professor told him that he Depot of Gloucester for point- JOGP!IBSCJOCVJMEFSDPNtXXXIBSCJOCVJMEFSDPNNPDSFEMJVCOJCSBI!PGOJ NPDSFEMJVCOJCSBIXXXt needed to figure out how to ing me in the right direction manage his workload or he was going to burn out. Vassar knew his professor was right. He said that he Whether you’re starting a new build or had been running on fumes renovating an old one, we have what and anger while restoring the you need to get the job DONE! house. He said he wanted the BRITT’S INC. people who trashed his home to see the success and progress he was making. However, he said he had to slow down and put more focus on his degree. Vassar said he started to Hartfield Mathews see the light at the end of (804) 776-7777 (804) 725-7647 the tunnel in May of this year while preparing to defend his Port Haywood thesis for his degree. About (804) 725-7156 then, his repairs had shifted from needs to aesthetics. Visit us online! mandm.doitbest.com Garage Door facebook.com/mandmbuildingsupply He said neighbors and other wt. fary windows_wt. fary windows.qxd 7/22/2021 8:36 AM Page 1 Sales & Service Gloucester residents have approached him, telling him TUNE UP SPECIAL ONLY how happy they are to see him restore the home. DON’T JUST REPLACE WINDOWS, “So much has been done $ and there is so much to be ex- UPGRADE YOUR HOME cited about,” said Vassar. CALL TODAY129 TO SCHEDULE Some of the renovations include a porch with ceiling fans, brand-new bathrooms FREE 804-843-2853 (M) and refinished floors. The extra remote control hardwood floors were some- 757-897-2130 (M) thing Vassar wanted to keep with purchase of a new 18503 Eltham Rd. so he focused on restoring West Point, VA 23181 rather than replacing them. garage door opener He said he also repaired and Expires 12/31/2021 repainted the detached unit of his home. Repairing the shutters was a particularly tricky job because of the many wasp nests he encountered. Vassar said Adams Flooring LLC even after spraying and pow- er washing the shutters, he The Name You Can Stand On still found a few stragglers behind the shutters. • Hardwood Around the house, Vassar Reﬁnishing said he’s installed marble • Preﬁnished chips for mulch to improve Wide Plank the visual appeal of the home. Also adding to the aesthet- Andersen® 400 Series replacement windows are available in a range of styles and options to • Ivt. ics are the 21 rose bushes complement any home. Plus, they offer low-maintenance exteriors, energy savings and long-lasting * he’s planted. Vassar said all ** that was left was to finish the beauty. It’s no wonder Andersen is the most trusted and recommended brand in the industry. driveway and install central heating and air. On May 5 this year, Vassar graduated from Howard Uni- • Sales LOVE THE LIFE YOU SEE. • Installation versity with a master’s in At- mospheric Science. He uses -FBSONPSFBUBOEFSTFOXJOEPXTDPNTFSJFT • Free 7JTJUBOEFSTFOXJOEPXTDPNXBSSBOUZGPSEFUBJMT #SBOE4VSWFZPG643FTJEFOUJBM$POUSBDUPSTBOE#VJMEFST his degree to work in Geo- ȅ"OEFSTFOȆBOEBMMPUIFSNBSLTXIFSFEFOPUFEBSFUSBEFNBSLTPG"OEFSTFO$PSQPSBUJPOi"OEFSTFO$PSQPSBUJPO"MMSJHIUTSFTFSWFE Estimates spatial Intelligence. His work provides images to troops on the ground. With his degree DAMS FLOORING A he can better understand the atmosphere’s effects on the OPEN: MON.-FRI., SATURDAYS: HALF DAY equipment used. Gloucester, VA Vassar said he’s thankful to have those around him that 804-693-2544 757-880-2871 helped him get through the Turn at stoplight at Ark The Name You Can Stand On last two and a half years. “The people I’d like to thank (Fary’s Mill Rd.) [email protected] are my father, Charles Wesley

Y M C K THURSDAY AUGUST 5, 2021 GLOUCESTER-MATHEWS GAZETTE-JOURNAL 7C

SHERRY HAMILTON / GAZETTE-JOURNAL Woessner has installed a full bathroom in the structure that was once the home of the store owner/operator, but had long since fallen into disrepair.

Certified - Bonded - Insured SHERRY HAMILTON / GAZETTE-JOURNAL 24 Hour Emergency Service The old Texaco station in Mobjack and two additional buildings on the property are all undergoing a transformation, as owner David Woessner restores and refurbishes    them to use as vacation rentals. 804-435-3402 hunter contracting remodeling_Layout 1 8/2/2021 10:12 AM Page 1 BRIAN CONBOY [email protected]    DCJS#  11-5818  G         Converting an old Texaco station HUNTER’S CONTRACTING Built for you...  into a vacation rental but enjoyed for generations

BY SHERRY HAMILTON

David Woessner of Mobjack has had some tough times   lately, but he’s hanging his hat on an investment he made in Mathews County. In 2019, Woessner was flip- ping houses under his business DAW Investments when he purchased the old Texaco gas station that has long sat vacant at the intersection of East River Road and Mob- jack Road in Mobjack. Two Let us help you other buildings on the small parcel of land, one of which with all your was once the residence of the store’s long-ago owner, were building needs included in the purchase, as well, and everything was fi- Additions nanced by the owner. Remodeling Woessner had the idea that he would turn the site into a Historic Renovation community store as it was in a former life, but then the pandemic hit and everything 10880 General Puller Highway, Hartfield, VA 23071 was suddenly on hold. Be- SHERRY HAMILTON / GAZETTE-JOURNAL Suite 8 & 9 Hartfield Village cause his father and brother had died, Woessner was liv- David Woessner, a former Peninsula resident, has nearly completed the first leg of his project to create vacation rentals out ing with several roommates of the old Texaco station in Mobjack and the two other buildings on the property. He’s shown here in the living room/kitchen 804.725.1516 in Newport News at the time. of one of the buildings. www.hunterscontracting.com But the rent lapsed and he suddenly found himself without a place to stay. He lost his to keep all the old barnwood company truck, as well. and cinder blocks from the Last March, Woessner demolition and use them for packed up his things and his own projects, including a came to Mathews, moving deck for the site. into the empty store. With no Woessner’s new vision for opportunities on the horizon, the Mobjack property is to he decided to invest in his fu- have three vacation rental ture by purchasing building spaces for visitors who come supplies on credit at a Penin- to the county. The former sula lumber yard. He fired up residence behind the store a couple of propane heaters is well on its way to comple- and started renovating the tion, with a nearly finished property. great room that has a living Times were tough, said area with a fireplace and a Woessner. He had electricity kitchen that’s nearly finished and water but no bathroom but lacks a stove, as well as a or kitchen, so he had to use a full bath and a laundry room. porta-potty. He couldn’t pay The two bedrooms are still the lumber yard, and it put works in progress. Woessner a lien on his property. Then said the structure had a dirt 757-345-8148 he was hit with some unpaid floor when he started out, so state self-employment taxes and was at a loss. SEE TEXACO STATION, PAGE 8C But the Mathews community was supportive. Woess- ner was given a loan here and there, was helped along by Hands Across Mathews, and WILLIAM J. MEAGHER, INC. was able to pick up the occa- sional job, including a renova- Certified Professional Soil Scientist tion project and demolishing some old silos and barns for Certified Wetland Delineator a local resident. He was able Soil and Environmental Consultant

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Y M C K 8C GLOUCESTER-MATHEWS GAZETTE-JOURNAL THURSDAY AUGUST 5, 2021

SHERRY HAMILTON / GAZETTE-JOURNAL SHERRY HAMILTON / GAZETTE-JOURNAL Woessner has replaced the windows and doors of the second structure he’s renovating, but is still using it for storage of build- A fireplace graces the living area of the building that Woessner is closest to finishing. There is a fine coat of dust on the furni- ing materials and other items and has yet to divide the space into separate rooms. ture and fixtures from recently-completed drywall work.

SHERRY HAMILTON / GAZETTE-JOURNAL SHERRY HAMILTON / GAZETTE-JOURNAL The one-time Texaco station as it appeared before renovations began, in the most recent photo taken by Mathews County Woessner has replaced the windows and doors in two of the structures on his Mobjack property; the living room of this build- for tax purposes. ing is nearly completed.

TEXACO STATION (CONTINUED FROM PAGE 7C) ity of Hands Across Mathews. the project included installing Having long struggled with a foundation and floors. adult hyperactivity disorder, The other building behind Woessner said he has a lot the store is partially complet- of excess energy but also a ed, with new windows and lot of drive, as well as a gift doors, but no room divisions when it comes to restoration yet. It, too, will have its own work. He gets up at 5 o’clock kitchen, bathroom, and laun- every morning and gets busy, dry room. determined to see this project Heating - Cooling While the exterior of the through. store has received a lot of at- “I don’t want to sit around,” Water Heaters tention, with a paint job, new he said. “I’ve got to keep work- windows, and finished soffits ing.” Sales - Service - Installation instead of the previous ex- Always on the lookout for posed beams, it’s Woessner’s materials he can use, Woess- primary work space, and it ner said he’s willing to de- 804-694-6775 still has a long way to go. molish old structures free of Woessner said he doesn’t charge if he can keep the ma- J. Mark West, Owner know what he would have terials for his own purposes. Master HVAC Technician done without the people of He also offers handyman ser- Servicing Mathews helping him out. He vices and can be reached at all brands! Licensed & Insured said he wouldn’t even own [email protected] the property anymore if it or 804-725-8138. [email protected] 24-Hour Service Shannon Kirschbaum| Design | Long and Foster Real Estate Agent hadn’t been for the generos-

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Y M C K THURSDAY AUGUST 5, 2021 GLOUCESTER-MATHEWS GAZETTE-JOURNAL 9C

SHERRY HAMILTON / GAZETTE-JOURNAL Mathews County Planning and Zoning Director Thomas Jenkins, left, discusses the progress of the work on New Point Comfort Lighthouse during an inspection visit last Friday with David Mayhew, superintendent of the project, which is being completed by First Class Contracting. Renovation of New Point Light nearing completion BY SHERRY HAMILTON the exterior before the scaf- need some attention, but folding is removed. They were other than that, “everything SHERRY HAMILTON / GAZETTE-JOURNAL The yearlong, $1.2 million accompanied by First Class looks good.” Christine Reyn- The top layers of scaffolding around New Point Comfort Lighthouse had already been removed prior to an inspection visit renovation of New Point Com- Contracting Superintendent olds of WJE, which is a sub- Friday by the design team from McPherson Design Group and Mathews County Planning and Zoning. The remaining scaffold- fort Lighthouse is well on its David Mayhew and Mathews contractor for McPherson, ing is slated to be removed after a final coat of paint is applied. way to completion. County Planning and Zoning agreed, saying she just saw Representatives of McPher- Director Thomas Jenkins. the need for some touch-up son Design Group, which McPherson partner Marcos paint here and there. provided the detailed archi- Freeman, who is serving as Mayhew said he would tectural plans for the renova- project manager for the de- address the issues, includ- tion, visited the site Friday to sign team, said some flashing ing adding another already- conduct a final inspection of on the lantern room would planned coat of paint to the entire structure before the scaffolding comes down. He said he had hoped to have everything finished and the scaffolding removed in time for the inspection, but there were some weather setbacks, and he ran out of time. Installing the light Mathews County Histori- cal Society President Reed Lawson said the organization hoped the lighthouse lantern would be lit in time for Na- tional Lighthouse Day, which is Aug. 7, but Mayhew said the lantern hadn’t arrived yet, and he was doubtful it would be installed in time. He said SHERRY HAMILTON / GAZETTE-JOURNAL he will do his best to have the Christine Reynolds, left, of WJE, a subcontractor for McPerson Design Group, and scaffolding removed by then. McPherson partner Marcos Freeman, project manager for the design team for the Lawson said there are plans lighthouse project, prepare to enter the lighthouse on Friday during the final in- in the works for buyboats that spection before the scaffolding is removed. will be attending the Chesa- peake Bay Buyboat Reunion at Hudgins Horn Harbor Mari- na that day to circle the lighthouse on their way in. The light will have the same MILLER'S flash pattern that it had when SEPTIC | PLUMBING | DRAIN CLEANING | it was a U.S.-owned and Coast ELECTRICAL | HEATING & COOLING Guard-maintained aid to navigation, said Lawson. Jenkins Mailing: PO Box 1345, Saluda, VA 23149 said it will be a programmable Physical: 15457 George Washington Memorial Highway, Saluda, VA light that will operate as a pri- Office: 804.758.4314 ~ Fax: 804.758.4316 vate aid to navigation, similar to the other private aids the Trusted Since 1973 county now owns in Davis • Land Surveying & Riparian Surveys • Joint Permit Applications / Shoreline Creek and Hole in the Wall. Be- Improvements Licensed and Insured, Family-Owned & Operated fore the light can be installed, • Subdivision & Boundary Line he said, the contractor will Adjustment Plats • Wetland Delinations We offer 24 hour emergency service and are staffed with need to re-affix the cast-iron • Commercial Site Plans & Road Design licensed professionals in all areas to handle your heating and pedestal that supports it to • Land Planning & Zoning Support the center of the lantern room cooling, septic, sewer, drain cleaning, plumbing, electrical floor. • Chesapeake Bay Act Compliance Plans • Environmental Permitting needs and much more! There are a few other items that still need to be addressed • Retaining Wall Design before the project is complet- • Construction Stakeout Services ed, said Jenkins. These include MENTION THIS AD FOR installing the fixed windows in • Water & Sewer System Design • Engineered Septic System Design $10 OFF the lantern room, pouring a concrete floor inside the light- • FEMA Flood Elevation Certificates • Manufactured Home Foundation Cert. A REGULAR PUMPING house, and installing the fiber- glass-reinforced exterior door. APPOINTMENT OR SERVICE CALL! The last part of the contracted project, he said, is to exca- vate around the base of the www.millers-va.com structure where the ground was built up during previous efforts to save it from the effects of the weather, and wa- terproof the base before refill- ing around it. Jenkins said he plans to ask VDOT, which provided grant funding for the project, to al- Let ‘Er Fly low some of the leftover funds to be used for various security Landworks features. He said the original scope of the project didn’t in- Jim Miller clude money for security, but because the job came in well “Yards, Driveways and More” Construction, Inc. under the projected cost, it was worth asking, although he • 804-725-6796 • DESIGN | BUILD | REMODEL wasn’t sure his request would be granted. He said he would Class A Licensed Contractor | Custom Building Since 1976 like to add another phase to the project to include redoing the lighthouse observation 804-758-4315 walkway and platform at New FREE ESTIMATES Point and adding information- Custom Homes al signage, along with the se- Custom Commercial Buildings curity features. Churches A discussion needs to be held with county officials Remodeling about what kind of access to • DRAINAGE SOLUTIONS • CULVERT INSTALLATION Additions allow at the lighthouse, said • BRUSH REMOVAL • LAND GRADING Garages Porches and Decks Jenkins. He said if local fish- ing boat guides and others • LIGHT CLEARING • DRIVEWAY REPAIR Replacement Windows are allowed access, perhaps Estate Home Maintenance the activity there would “dis- suade people who might want www.jimmillerconstruction.com to come and ruin what we’ve CLIFF PUGH [email protected] done.”

Y M C K THURSDAY MARCH 21, 2020 GLOUCESTER-MATHEWS GAZETTE-JOURNAL 3C 10C GLOUCESTER-MATHEWS GAZETTE-JOURNAL THURSDAY AUGUST 5, 2021

VIMS to hold shoreline management webinars The Virginia Institute of cuss implications for living There will also be a discus- Marine Science will hold a shoreline design. There will sion regarding guidance and two-part shoreline manage- also be a discussion around modeling available to assist ment webinar on Aug. 11 and tidal marsh migration. localities with implementa- 25 from 10 a.m. until noon The focus of part two will tion of integrated shoreline both days. be “Integrated Shoreline management. Part one will be on “Tidal Management.” Research- Registration is required to Marsh Ecology.” Researchers ers from CCRM will discuss receive the webinar links. from the Center for Coastal guidelines and regulations Visit http://events.r20.con- Resources Management at that incorporate sea-level stantcontact.com/register/ VIMS will present findings rise and climate change into event?llr=5knx77cab&oeidk= from two recent studies of the management of tidal wet- a07ei7itwyof853453b to reg- tidal marsh ecology and dis- lands and riparian buffers. ister online.

Loyd White’s lighthouse replica glows brightly over Milford Haven just before dawn. A beacon to his neighbors on Gwynn’s Island BY ELSA VERBYLA White said the structure is a copy of one at the Boathouse What is the structure on Restaurant at Disney World Gwynn’s Island that looks so in Orlando, Florida; its profile much like a lighthouse? may look familiar to local resi- It’s an extraordinary piece of dents who have visited there. yard art at the home of Loyd He said the restaurant is one White, adjacent to the county of his favorite places to eat. ramp and Hole in the Wall res- He credits master carpen- taurant. This is its story. ter John Kratzer with the construction. It was built in Retired builder Loyd White two pieces in White’s shop always has a project going, and rolled to the waterfront and has carried out a lot of last year. A crane put the top changes to his home in the piece on the bottom. years he has been there. LED lights completed the The 24-foot-tall “lighthouse” project, and now the fixed sits on the edge of his prop- beams coming from the top erty and creates a covered en- create a welcome glow to night- trance to his pier. time boaters on the haven.

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