The CRSA team, with the SLC TV film crew on hand to document any discoveries, conducted an additional investigative site visit last week. The main items on the agenda:
1. Determine the framing layout of the second floor
2. Finish measurements of the basement for floor plan drawings
3. Investigate flooring layers beneath the tile in the kitchen
4. Pull back floor coverings in the library (southeast parlor) to investigate for evidence of a fireplace hearth on the east wall
5. Determine likely original appearance of the rear of the mansion
6. Finish measurements and observe framing layout of the carriage house
FYI: An undated floor plan sketch of the main level is part of the information on file at the State Historic Preservation Office. This drawing refers to the southeast room as the Library, and the west room as the Parlor, so we will use those terms from this point on in our discussions.
Findings:
Library
Removal of the carpet, linoleum, and masonite backing along the east wall in the library revealed the same hardwood flooring found in other areas of the library and main rooms. As there is no evidence of a hearth along this wall, the current conclusion is that there was a not a fireplace located in this room.
Kitchen Flooring
Removal of a tile in the kitchen revealed several layers of flooring material. Underneath the tile were wire mesh and the mortar bed, which was applied atop thick plywood. Underneath the plywood were two layers of linoleum on top of the wood floor. The wood floor is presumed to be the top 1x4 layer of subflooring, indicating that the first layer of linoleum was the original finish for the kitchen.
Next Steps:
A 50% draft report is underway and will be reviewed at the advisory committee meeting next week.
The SEAU group has received the updated framing plans of the mansion and carriage house from CRSA. They are working on their evaluation of the buildings so they can recommend approaches for structural upgrades.
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Friday, September 18, 2009
Additional Details and Findings
CRSA has drawn up draft floor and framing plans of the mansion and carriage house. The framing of the second floor appears to have two layers of subfloor underneath the finished hardwood in the same manner as the main floor.
Original electrical wiring for the house has been found embedded in the flooring on the second level.
In the southeast parlor and dining room the textured wall paper that is underneath a couple of layers of paint was applied directly to the plaster, indicating that it was the original finish for those two rooms. The east wall of the southeast parlor continues to be a puzzle. The pattern of the paneling is different and consists of three sections, rather than one continuous panel like the rest of the walls in these two rooms. The picture rail on this wall is patched with a different piece of trim. This wall also doesn’t have visible evidence of the textured wallpaper that is present in the rooms. However, there aren’t obvious signs that a fireplace was located there either. The CRSA team will continue to investigate. Pulling up the flooring on the next investigative site visit may provide more insight.
The first door off the entry hallway into the west room originally swung into that room. The door is stained dark on one side to match the wood trim in this room. At some point the door was switched to swing out into the hall instead, and now the dark stained side faces the entry hallway instead of the west room. The switch was likely done to provide better egress and more circulation in this room when it was used for large groups after it switched from being a single family home.
A portion of the ceiling in the upstairs bathroom was dropped originally for the upstairs family bathroom. Original plaster and lath ceiling can be viewed through holes in the floor boards of the mechanical closet that contains the water cistern on the attic level. The back half of the current bathroom is presumed to have been joined to the north bedroom as a suite, perhaps for a live-in housekeeper or governess.
Original electrical wiring for the house has been found embedded in the flooring on the second level.
In the southeast parlor and dining room the textured wall paper that is underneath a couple of layers of paint was applied directly to the plaster, indicating that it was the original finish for those two rooms. The east wall of the southeast parlor continues to be a puzzle. The pattern of the paneling is different and consists of three sections, rather than one continuous panel like the rest of the walls in these two rooms. The picture rail on this wall is patched with a different piece of trim. This wall also doesn’t have visible evidence of the textured wallpaper that is present in the rooms. However, there aren’t obvious signs that a fireplace was located there either. The CRSA team will continue to investigate. Pulling up the flooring on the next investigative site visit may provide more insight.
The first door off the entry hallway into the west room originally swung into that room. The door is stained dark on one side to match the wood trim in this room. At some point the door was switched to swing out into the hall instead, and now the dark stained side faces the entry hallway instead of the west room. The switch was likely done to provide better egress and more circulation in this room when it was used for large groups after it switched from being a single family home.
A portion of the ceiling in the upstairs bathroom was dropped originally for the upstairs family bathroom. Original plaster and lath ceiling can be viewed through holes in the floor boards of the mechanical closet that contains the water cistern on the attic level. The back half of the current bathroom is presumed to have been joined to the north bedroom as a suite, perhaps for a live-in housekeeper or governess.
Monday, September 14, 2009
Historic Structure Report project is underway!
The architecture and planning firm of CRSA is working with the Salt Lake Solutions partners team to evaluate the Fisher Mansion property. Additionally, the Existing Building Committee of the Structural Engineers Association of Utah (SEAU) is providing a pro bono evaluation of the property and recommended approaches for structural and seismic upgrades. CRSA and SEAU have held meetings with the core advisory group as well as with the SLC building officials. Discussion items have included code requirements for new uses of the building as well as approaches for balancing preservation objectives and life-safety issues.
The advisory group held an afternoon meeting on Wednesday September 9th, out at the Fisher Mansion site. Earlier that day, the CRSA team conducted a site visit and did some hands-on investigation in the main house to determine flooring materials and their condition, as well as the framing of the building. The advisory committee toured the home to see what was discovered during the investigations that day.
Findings
Flooring:
The flooring on the main level has been found to consist of three layers. The bottom layer is a subfloor of 1 x 6 boards laid on diagonal across the joists. On top of this rests a 1 x 4 tongue and groove subfloor of fir, which is commonly found in homes from this time period. The top layer is a hardwood floor, but is a 3/8 x 2 tongue and groove veneer, rather than a thicker ¾ x 2 that would typically be used for hardwood flooring. This indicates that some level of economy was taken in the final construction of the home.
The hardwood flooring in the southeast parlor and dining room appear to be in fairly good condition underneath the layers of carpet, padding, and linoleum tile. The linoleum tile has a masonite backing that was nailed into the floor, rather than being glued down with an adhesive, leaving the original floor in better shape. The ceramic tile floor in the west room was put down on top of a mortar bed with wire mesh, which appears to be on top of masonite board.
Framing:
The framing of the main and second levels consists of 2 x 12 joists that are spaced 16 inches on center. The upper attic level appears to consist of 2 x 8 joists, with the same spacing as the lower levels. CRSA is creating framing drawings of the building, which will inform the structural evaluation by the SEAU group.
Next Steps
The advisory group held an afternoon meeting on Wednesday September 9th, out at the Fisher Mansion site. Earlier that day, the CRSA team conducted a site visit and did some hands-on investigation in the main house to determine flooring materials and their condition, as well as the framing of the building. The advisory committee toured the home to see what was discovered during the investigations that day.
Findings
Flooring:
The flooring on the main level has been found to consist of three layers. The bottom layer is a subfloor of 1 x 6 boards laid on diagonal across the joists. On top of this rests a 1 x 4 tongue and groove subfloor of fir, which is commonly found in homes from this time period. The top layer is a hardwood floor, but is a 3/8 x 2 tongue and groove veneer, rather than a thicker ¾ x 2 that would typically be used for hardwood flooring. This indicates that some level of economy was taken in the final construction of the home.
The hardwood flooring in the southeast parlor and dining room appear to be in fairly good condition underneath the layers of carpet, padding, and linoleum tile. The linoleum tile has a masonite backing that was nailed into the floor, rather than being glued down with an adhesive, leaving the original floor in better shape. The ceramic tile floor in the west room was put down on top of a mortar bed with wire mesh, which appears to be on top of masonite board.
Framing:
The framing of the main and second levels consists of 2 x 12 joists that are spaced 16 inches on center. The upper attic level appears to consist of 2 x 8 joists, with the same spacing as the lower levels. CRSA is creating framing drawings of the building, which will inform the structural evaluation by the SEAU group.
Next Steps
CRSA will conduct another investigative site visit to gather more information on original details of the house. Specific items include:
* Checking for a date on the back of the wallpaper that currently lines the upstairs linen closet and sitting room closet.
* Estimating the height of the railing that used to enclose the balcony above the front porch.
* Conducting a paint analysis to determine the exterior color scheme.
* Cataloguing the different species of wood used in the house.
* Removing floor coverings on the east wall of the southeast parlor to look for additional evidence of a fireplace at this location. The location of the chimney on the exterior, the pattern of the wood wainscot paneling, and the patching of the picture rail in this area suggest a fireplace was once located on this wall.
* Verifying if masonite was used underneath the ceramic tile in the west room.
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