This past week/weekend Jon installed new rails for the wrap around front porch. View looking west
He installed the stair posts and rails first.
It's been so suffering hot/humid, Jon works a little bit each night. At some point in the future, Jon will trim a little off the tops of the posts to add four caps and finials that I purchased.
Back in 2009--My Mom Lorraine and I repaired the salvaged/decaying spindles from the original porch railing design. Even after we labored to repair missing areas with wood putty--in the end the spindles were wafer brittle and dehydrated/light weight, feeling more like cardboard replicas after 120+ years of exposure. Jon chose to replicate the original rail moldings, and present the vertical styles without the spindles.
Standing L-R: Leon Pasternacki and his wife Bessie Pauline (Quien) Pasternacki, Donna Quien, Ruth Quien, and Ragnhild Quien. Seated is Maren (Gurholt) Quien.
Photo: our front porch modified into a screened in porch - about 1938. Maren's husband Thomas is missing from the photo, and looking at the young Donna Quien center, I'll guess this photo was taken August 1938 at a gathering after the funeral of Thomas Quien.
This photo shows the front porch's original railing, spindles, and vertical pieces.
Maren Quien and her husband Thomas Quien bought the house December 1917, and lived
Front Porch Photo taken about 1925 - Thomas Quien and his granddaughters R-Donna and L-Mary Jo Quien. Thomas and Maren Quien's son Peter, his wife Ruth, and their two daughters Donna and Mary Jo lived together.
Photo of our house about 1905 - 2nd from left is Mabel Wrolstad daughter of John Olson Wrolstad (the man who built our house in 1893). Photo's age is based on clothing, and Mabel's age. I've seen other photos of Mabel and she is easy to recognize. Mr. Wrolstad died at home here in December 1907, and his widow Mathea moved to Gillette, WI to live with her oldest daughter Sina. Mathea passed away in 1909.
West side of Wrap Around Front Porch. New flooring, new rails, repaired original column bases. Ready to prime and paint. I hear someone calling my name . . . . . .
Looks wonderful, may they last many, many years!
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