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| Michael Collins, Contractor, and the Chunns with the Award Plaque in Front of the Porter House |
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The Porter House, which now stands at 233 N. Oak Street in Raymond, Mississippi, recently received an Award of Excellence from the Mississippi Heritage Trust for its restoration expertly done by Michael Collins of M.K. Collins and Sons, Building Contractors. Owned by Bob and Jeannie Chunn, it has been known as the Porter House, the Spann House, and the Buie-Morris House at different times in the past.
The Porter House was nominated for the Mississippi Heritage Trust Award with the following description:
“The Porter House is a one and one-half story, vernacular Greek Revival, galleried planter’s cottage with a detached rear ell. During rehabilitation, the contractor, Michael Collins, determined that the house was built in sections, with the earlier structure being the rear ell, which probably originated as a pioneer’s one-room cabin in the late 1820’s or early 1830’s. This cabin was significantly enlarged into a classic ‘dogtrot’ arrangement, with full-width front porch and rear porch flanked by cabinet rooms. It is likely that soon after the property sold in 1850, the one and one-half story front house was constructed in the then-popular Greek Revival style. The earlier, less fashionable structure then became the rear ell, connected to the main house by its porch.
“At project initiation, the house was located on a 300-acre rural tract near Raymond, and it had not been occupied as a full-time residence since 1947. By 2003, the house was in an advanced stage of deterioration and would undoubtedly have fallen into ruin if left on its original site. In order to save the house, Bob and Jeannie Chunn purchased and moved it about three miles to a 1.8 acre parcel in Raymond, where it was placed on a small ridge surrounded by mature trees. To prepare the two sections for moving, the roofs, porches, and the second floor walls of the c.1850 house were removed, and structural members were numbered to aid in reassembly. An additional challenge was presented by the original site’s 1.25-mile dirt ‘driveway,’ which had to be extensively reworked before the move could take place in October, 2004. The project is summarized below:
“Front (c.1850) Section:
About half of the sills of the 1850s house were rotten, causing the walls above to sag. These sills were replaced, as were missing or deteriorated beams and joists. Brick foundation piers were reconstructed, and weatherboard siding was repaired or replaced with matching, where necessary. The non-historic brick chimneys were replaced with new chimneys constructed of wood mold bricks. Restoration of the front porch was accomplished by replicating two missing columns, reinstalling the ceiling boards, replacing the rotten decking with tongue-and-groove wood flooring, and constructing a balustrade based on the ghost marks found on the original columns. Windows, shutters, and jib doors were repaired, and the non-historic windows on the upper half story were replaced with historically accurate six-over-six wood sash. The partially-infilled rear entrance, which originally held paired doors and sidelights, was re-opened, with the transom retained but the opening cased to allow easier access to the stairway, which is set extremely close to the rear wall. The rear porch was repaired, with the missing box columns replicated based on an existing pilaster, and the National Park Service approved replacing the porch’s screen with glass. To accommodate bathrooms upstairs while retaining the historic configuration and scale of the rooms, a shed-roofed dormer, which is not visible from the street and reads as new construction, was added to the rear. On the interior the heart pine floors were refinished and all millwork was repaired. On the first floor, the sheetrock on the walls was replaced and the Celotex ceiling tiles were removed. On the upper half story, the original hand-planed, board-and-batten walls and ceiling were cleaned and stained.
“Rear (c. 1830) Section:
Sills, beams, and joists were replaced in the rear ell as necessary. The original native-stone foundation piers and chimney were dismantled for the move and painstakingly rebuilt to the same configuration. A second chimney was in ruins at project initiation, but was rebuilt of wood mold bricks on the reconstructed stone foundation. Asbestos siding was removed from the side and rear elevations to expose the weatherboards, which were repaired or replaced, as necessary. The extremely deteriorated front porch was restored by replacing the decking with tongue-and-groove wood flooring and repairing the ceiling and columns. The rear cabinet rooms suffered from severe water damage, with one floor collapsed and the other severely compromised. The porch and flanking cabinet rooms were rebuilt to their original configuration, except for the rear walls of the cabinet rooms, which were “bumped out” about two feet to provide additional floor space. The additions were offset by about two feet from each side of the house so as to read as new additions. A small closet addition was made to the side elevation, with a window opening converted into a door for access. On the interior, bead board walls and ceilings, which date to an 1880s remodeling, were refinished or repainted, except in the bedroom, where they suffered extensive water damage. Here replacement wide board wood walls and a new board-and-batten ceiling were installed. The wood floors throughout were repaired and refinished.
“The restoration was completed in September, 2005, and the National Park Service designated the project a “certified rehabilitation.” The front c. 1850 portion of the house now serves as a bed-and-breakfast inn, while the c. 1830 rear ell is used as the owners’ home. Mr. and Mrs. Chunn, along with their contractor, Michael Collins, performed an exemplary rehabilitation of these two important historic structures which undoubtedly would have been lost within a few years due to neglect and advanced deterioration. The Porter House is listed on the National Register of Historic Places due to its architectural significance.”
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