Early November – Night lighting.  By early November, much of the exterior work had been completed including the installation of exterior light fixtures and landscape lighting.  The Restoration Committee felt it was important to gently bathe Westport’s newest Historic Property with night lighting.  Therefore, energy-saving, low voltage floodlights (controlled by a timer) were installed at the front of the house to provide protective, safety illumination and to allow the passing public to view the house during evening hours. The photo on the left shows the rear of the house with its porch and patio lights turned on.  The photo on the right shows the front of the house illuminated by the landscape lights.  Historically appropriate, reproduction fixtures were used for most of the indoor and outdoor lighting.

Late November – Construction begins on the front porch benches.  The historic photo of Emily McLaury standing at the front door of her house showed that two benches once sat on the front porch.  Using the photo as a guide, drawings and templates were made to re-create a pair of benches identical in appearance to those in the historic photo.  In the above photos, Bill Dohme (left) and Committee Chair Morley Boyd (right), use routers to shape the sides of the benches.

Bench Building continues.  After many hours of work, one of the completed benches is carried up to the porch for the first time.  Bill and Morley give the bench its first test ride.  On the opposite side of the porch, a second bench will be constructed to face its twin.  Both benches will be primed and painted before being permanently fastened to the porch.  The porch decking and treads were sealed with Australian Timber Oil.  The oil will protect and retain the wood’s natural appearance (similar to the original porch seen in the historic photo).

Nov. 28 – Benches painted and installed.  Though the reproduction benches were made of weather-resistant mahogany, the historic photo of Emily showed that the original benches were painted.  After applying a coat of primer, Morley is shown on the left applying the finish coat using durable, marine grade paint to help the benches weather the elements in their unprotected location.  The photo on the right shows the finished benches mounted on the porch with a copy of the historic photo leaning against them.