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AiP participants and local volunteers took on the daunting task of stabilizing the James Brown House, located along a segment of the Cherokee Trail of Tears in Tennessee. This house and farm represent an important and poignant epic in American history, and the house was very close to being lost. Previous stabilization efforts in 2004 focused on the front porch and on the west wall of the brick structure that had partially collapsed. During the subsequent two years the house continued to deteriorate at an alarming rate, creating an emergency situation.
AiPdeveloped this workshop in response to a call for assistance from the National Historic Trails Office of the National Park Service, and entered into a partnership with the Tennessee Preservation Trust in order to secure funding for the work.
The following narrative describing the workshop is drawn from a report by John Scott of the U.S. National Park Service who led the work and guided volunteers.
Prior to the workshop, scaffolding was erected, materials were tested for asbestos, electrical lines were removed, and tools and materials were brought to the site. Due to the limited time frame of the workshop, it was decided to run the workshop in a triage manner to accomplish the most critical aspects of the effort. The roof was the foremost problem as it permitted water to flow directly into the building and itself was on the verge of collapsing. Participants removed two layers of shingles and determined that rot had extended through the sheathing into roofing members and included several of the rafters underneath. Deteriorated rafters and sheathing boards were removed and replaced with new materials. In order to stabilize the rear roof of the house, 4 x 4 posts and girders in the roof valley had to be installed from inside to lift replacement rafters into place. Early tin flashing was found in the roof valley and left in place beneath new materials.
Once roof work was completed, a chimney cap was constructed and fastened to the south chimney to reduce deterioration from weathering and stabilize the upper section of the free-standing chimney until repointing can take place at a later time. Time did not permit any masonry repairs, and it is hoped this much needed work can be carried out in the near future. Walls of the house are still in danger of localized collapse as a result of the displaced foundation and weakened walls resulting from water intrusion.
When rain brought a halt to work outside, the work crew moved inside. Interior stabilization work included bracing of a broken ceiling beam in the dining room. In addition, a ramp was constructed from the front to the back of the house to allow volunteers to remove debris as floors in several rooms had collapsed. The final component was construction of vented plywood panels placed over windows and the back entrance. The purpose was to protect historic windows and reduce the chance of vandalism.
