West Quoddy Head Light Keeper’s House Exterior Restoration

The Maine Historic Preservation Commission in tandem with the Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands hired John to oversee the exterior restoration of the historic wood-framed keeper’s house at this highly significant historic site. The keeper’s house serves as a museum and visitors’ center and had lost most of its historic character defining features over the years, likely as a response to the site’s extreme weather conditions. The design directive from the State agencies was to recreate the original appearance of the structure based on historic images, but to specify more durable modern materials than the original wood cladding and trim. The project included the removal of 1970’s era aluminum siding and trim; repair of wood sheathing; replacing the siding with modern cementitious clapboards and shingles that match the original wood coursing patterns; and replica corner board, window casing and eave trim profiles crafted from the same cementitious material.