Exclusive: Serious Progress Made On Restoration Of Westchester Home Once Used By George Washington
NORTH WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) -- Here's a progress report on an important effort to preserve some local history.
CBS2's Tony Aiello recently got an exclusive look at the painstaking work being done to restore a home that hosted George Washington during the Revolutionary War.
Sixteen months ago, the Elijah Miller House was a mess, with holes in the ceiling, insulation spilling out of the walls, and cobwebs in every corner.
FLASHBACK: Plan In Place To Restore North White Plains Home Once Occupied By George Washington
These days, the attic no longer looks like it's haunted, the front porch has been rebuilt, and the foundation has been protected from further damage from the roots of an ancient tree.
"The challenge has been trying to save as much of the original house as possible, and still satisfy modern building codes and create a building that will stay up for the next few generations," said Devid DeLucia of Westchester County Parks.
The county is fixing up the home Washington used during the Battle of White Pains.
There have been construction compromises. Many beams were so damaged by rot and termites, the entire north wall had to be to be taken apart and rebuilt.
The wall was dismantled very carefully. Original beams from the 1700s were salvaged, and are being reused on the project where possible.
The octagonal columns up front were carefully made to match the originals. Same with the shingles on the roof.
"The cedar shake roof is what it had. This is just a new one. So when the house was first built, that's what the roof looked like," DeLucia said.
Along with the old, there is new in the form of a visitors center to host tour groups and school children. The artifacts that jumbled the Miller House will be organized and displayed there.
The rooms used by General Washington will be furnished as he knew them, with his original desk and dining table, Aiello reported.
After years of neglect, it's a fix-up worthy of the father of our country.
Westchester County is spending $3 million on the project. The Miller House should reopen in October, just in time for the 243rd anniversary of the Battle of White Plains.
