Log house receives grant for repairs

    The Washington Historic Preservation Commission was awarded a grant of just over $8,500 from the state of Iowa earlier this week. The grant will go toward repairs of the Alexander Young Log House at Sunset Park. The historic preservation commission has 2 ½ years to use all the grant money. Mary Patterson, chairperson of the historic preservation commission, said the log house is in need of a number of repairs, many of which have to do with wood rot from excessive moisture.

    The staircase in the log house is broken and needs to be fixed, said Patterson.

    ?When you come down the stairs, there?s a step that not only sags but slides forward, away from you,? said Patterson. ?That will be repaired so people will eventually be able to go upstairs. Now, nobody goes up there.?

    Patterson said that when the staircase is repaired, there must be some way to show wheelchair bound people what is up there. She said one way of doing that is through a television screen on the first floor, although that is very expensive.

    The exterior logs will also receive a touch-up thanks to the grant. Patterson said the logs would not be replaced but rather refaced. Patterson said that only when part of the building is beyond repair is it ever replaced. This is done to ensure the structure stays true to the original version as much as possible. 

    ?The exterior logs are primarily good, but we may do some patching to prevent them from rotting,? said Patterson.

    Another problem that plagues the log house is the slope of the ground it sits upon. Patterson said the log house is positioned slightly downhill from the crest of the hill, which means that plenty of water travels near it or under it.

This watery barrage contributes to the rot and must be stopped to preserve the integrity of the structure. To combat this problem, new drains and tile will be installed underground to help the area dry quickly after a rainstorm.

    A limestone walkway leading to the log house door is another piece of the rehabilitation puzzle. Patterson said limestone will be used instead of concrete for historical accuracy.

For more, see our July 16 print edition.