Historic Jamestowne Days

The restoration department is working at its home base on Jamestown Island late February and early March, addressing maintenance needs before Island events in May. The church foundations were brushed clean of moss and algae growth, then treated with a biocide to retard regrowth. This procedure is normally done annually and takes about two days.

The Yeardley house foyer floor is being replaced. The house is considered an historic structure, so the floor is being replaced in kind. Powder post beetle infestation ruined the existing, period, yellow pine floor. Some superficial plaster repair and paint was also done to the ceiling of Bly Straube's office in the Yeardley, while she is away in England.

Yeardley Flooring

Jon Miano stands, undaunted and ready apply varnish, in front of the drying rack where the Restoration Dept has placed the bulk of the new flooring for the Yeardley House foyer area. The existing yellow pine flooring had been riddled with powder-post beetle damage. It was sanded and refinished during the Yeardley's earlier renovation, but because of the beetle damage, normal foot traffic broke up its surface. The replacement floor copies the existing floor, tongue-and-grooved, clear yellow-pine, three-quarters of an inch thick with a three-and one-half inch exposed face. The pine is stained with minwax, "ipswich pine" stain and will be given at least two coats of oil varnish. The floor is being pre-finished to avoid disrupting normal Rediscovery activities as much as possible during the installation. The rack behind Jon holds 125 floor boards.