Restoration Can Mean Small Projects Too

This is a pretty big project that encompasses practically every aspect of residential construction and overlays the demands of historic restoration onto every detail.  It is complex and fun, but I want to make the point that most restoration work is not like this.  Much important historic work happens on a small scale without the fanfare of a big showy project. 

Take windows as an example.  Say you have an old house with old drafty windows, out of square jambs and sash that rattle and leak.  You lose a  lot of heat and air conditioning money out those windows and every spring at window washing time you think.... "it's really time to do something about these windows."  Before you go for the quick solution - vinyl replacement windows - consider this basic principal:  Restoration is nine tenths preservation.  In other words, if you throw those windows out, they can never be restored.  The decision to install vinyl windows is a step away from the historic value of your house and it is a first step down a path that could affect your house forever.

Old windows can be repaired and upgraded to last for many years. They can work easily and be nearly draft free and with tastfully designed storm panels, they can be almost as efficient as new windows while maintaining the architecural integrity of your old house.  It is worth noting that even the best new windows don't come close to matching the insulating value of the walls around them.  The truth is, every window is a thermal hole in the wall, so when you are considering what to do about your windows, I would suggest you consider restoration and preserve the beauty and the history of your old house.

The Bigger Picture

Somebody asked me the other day what was so special about this house - he didn't mean it in a critical way, just wondering why this particular house should merit so much attention.  And it's a good question.  George Washington never slept here, it's not the homestead of a famous author...so why does it matter whether or not we preserve it to historic standards?  My answer is that no house in the Ocracoke Historic District qualifies as "special" based on its individual merits as a record of history or even on its unique architectural merits, but what does qualify as special, even historically important, is the Ocracoke Historic District itself.  And every old home and structure, and indeed every old tree and lane in the District contributes to that important value.  As does the living history of Ocracoke - those people whose families have been here and over generations have woven a fabric of knowledge and experience that is unique to Ocracoke. 

When visitors come here and say, as I have often heard, "wow, I just love it here, it's so peacful and easy going," what they're talking about is Ocracoke's historic character and without the old houses and the big ol' live oaks and the commercial fishing community and the "mom and pop"stores and narrow streets, Ocracoke wouldn't be Ocracoke; it would be....well, just like the rest, only further away.