1723 Phillip Walker House

Preserve RI acquired the Philip Walker House in the late 1980s. The house remained vacant for nearly 30 years until 2008, when a new directive from Preserve Rhode Island sought to make it habitable again. Heritage was contracted to gut the 1960s kitchen and bathroom and make a few service upgrades, but after the frame was exposed, we discovered a few significant issues.

Around 100 years ago, workers had covered severe structural damage in the gable end timber frame adjacent to the 1890s kitchen. The deteriorated sill had caused the building to drop two to four inches, shifting the weight toward the central chimney. That added pressure caused the chimney to crack and fail. We faced a significant challenge: relieving weight from the chimney to repair the frame while simultaneously stabilizing the chimney itself.

The first-floor chimney surround and related flue had to be removed to a stable point. They were ultimately saved as a study piece to showcase the chimney's evolved history.

Heritage stitched back the frame and installed steel to transfer the load and prevent the building from racking. We then rebuilt part of the foundation, replaced the heating system, insulated open walls, installed a new bathroom and kitchen, repaired all of the house's plaster, and completed the first coats of paint.

We returned in 2024 to "complete" the restoration, including full interior painting, enclosing the chimney mass, refinishing floors, and other aesthetic improvements.

1790 Cooke House — 2009 Rhody Award and 2010 PPS Award

The owners of the Cooke House received two of Rhode Island's most respected preservation honors: the 2009 Rhody Award, presented by the Rhode Island State Historic Preservation and Heritage Commission and Preserve Rhode Island, and the 2010 Providence Preservation Society Project of the Year Award for outstanding preservation and restoration.

The house itself carries centuries of change. A National Register property, it was moved to its current location in 1870, at which point the foundation and chimneys were replaced and a large two-story kitchen addition was built. The exterior received stucco over the original clapboard siding, with 1920s repairs adding reinforced wire mesh and a hard portland stucco mix over what remained. Through all of it, the original siding stayed underneath.

The floor plan evolved too. The original four-room layout was reorganized into a single sitting room on one side, with a dining room and library on the other. Each modification added contemporary features while the overall design retained a modest, simple elegance in its fenestrations and interior moldings.

Heritage was contracted to repair, restore, and update the exterior while keeping the primary elevations unchanged. Work included extensive repairs, a full roof replacement, wooden gutter repairs, and the fabrication and installation of new third-floor casement windows.

The interior work was equally comprehensive. The back end was gutted entirely, including the compromised floor systems. A custom kitchen was installed with a master bedroom and bathroom above, a new third-floor stairway, a private entertainment room, and a master closet. New systems included radiant heat, a high-velocity HVAC system, and updated electrical and sound. Throughout it all, the intent was the same one that has guided this house for over 190 years: simple elegance, thoughtfully maintained.

1819 Christ Church Episcopal Steeple - Sharon, CT

The steeple at Christ Church Episcopal is an extraordinary timber frame structure featuring reeded moldings, arches, and crown moldings throughout. Its frame is built around a center post that runs from the base of the cross down through the entire steeple structure to the pedestal deck below, a design that is as elegant as it is complex.

When Heritage Restoration was brought in, the lower portion of that frame had deteriorated badly from moisture intrusion and insect infestation. The base copper roof, the steeple asphalt roof, and the support column bases were all failing. Years of accumulated paint had obscured much of the original decorative detail. The bronze McNeely Bell from Troy, New York, a superb instrument with a history of its own, had also suffered from heavy use. The yoke pin had worn through its housing, causing the bell to wobble in its stand, and the cast iron components were buried under multiple layers of paint.

Heritage approached the project with a clear set of priorities: balance cost, longevity, and serviceability without compromising the architectural integrity of the structure. Deteriorated timber members were repaired and reinforced, roofing and flashing were replaced, and the column bases were restored to stable condition. The accumulated paint was carefully removed to reveal the original moldings and details beneath. The bell assembly was repaired, the yoke pin housing restored, and the cast iron components stripped and refinished. The steeple was returned to sound, serviceable condition, its craftsmanship visible again for the first time in decades.

1670 Rhodes House

The client came to Heritage Restoration with a straightforward request: replace 17 windows that a previous owner had installed in the 1980s. What the project became was considerably more involved.

When the work began, it became clear that the previous owner had gutted the interior and added 2x3 walls, batten insulation, a layer of plastic sheeting, new sheetrock, and new moldings. The plastic, installed without a proper exterior air barrier, had trapped moisture in the frame and caused it to rot. The neglected exterior compounded the problem. By the time Heritage assessed the full scope, the sheathing and frame both needed to be replaced.

We removed two layers of exterior siding and all deteriorated material, then installed new white oak sills and sheathing. The new plank frame windows were set with tar paper splines, copper drip caps, and a tar paper vapor barrier. New shingles went on the sides and back, clapboard on the front. We also fabricated a quarter-sawn white oak board and batten door, complete with new lock sets, a traditional thumb latch handle, and weatherstripping.

What started as a window replacement became a full exterior and structural restoration. The Rhodes House got what it actually needed, not just what was originally asked for.

1885 Leroy King House- 2010 Doris Duke Award

The homeowners of the LeRoy King House received the Doris Duke Historic Preservation Award in August 2010, one of the most distinguished honors in the field of historic preservation. Heritage Restoration was recognized specifically for "window restoration and devoted attention to innumerable details," a citation that captures both the scale of the project and the standard to which it was held.

The LeRoy King House is a McKim, Mead, and White design built in 1885, featuring a brick, granite, and pebbledash exterior with a grand central oak hallway and staircase, and countless architectural details that define the Gilded Age craftsmanship of its era. The house was initially conceived as a classic shingle style, though before construction, the decision was made to build with more substantial materials, producing a residence of considerable weight and permanence.

Heritage was contracted to restore 97 windows, with an expanded scope that included the manufacturing and installation of additional sash and interior storm windows. The floors were repaired and refinished to their original condition, and all door and window hardware was fully restored. Heritage was also engaged for the long-term care and maintenance of the house, a responsibility that reflects the trust the owners placed in the work.

Ninety-seven windows. Every floor. Every piece of hardware. The LeRoy King House is the kind of project that defines what devoted attention to innumerable details actually looks like in practice.