Moving the Stencil House to Ames
One
of the most important considerations affecting the preservation
of the Stencil House was whether or not it could be successfully
relocated from its original home in Wayne County Tennessee to
the Ames Plantation.
Standing over 18 feet tall and with a width of over 35 feet, one
ting was for sure; the house was going to have to become a lot
smaller before it could be moved. The move was also
complicated by miles of very narrow rural roadway and a
structure which was far from structurally sound.
Removal
of the front and back porches was necessary in order to reduce
the overall width of the structure to a barely manageable 20
feet.
The porches, which had been enclosed to expand the home's living area at some point in the past, were in a state of total decay. The ceilings and roof were collapsed from decades of rainwater induced rot. A tractor was utilized to remove the porch remains thus reducing the overall width of the building.
In order to address the height issue, the entire upstairs of the home was removed. Unlike the porches, which were too decomposed to be replaced as part of the restoration process, the upstairs was disassembled in a manner allowing for reconstruction with each component being returned to its original location. Each board, rafter, etc. was numbered and photographed before removal to facilitate reassembly once the Stencil House was at its new home.
After
the roof was removed a temporary cover of plywood and two layers
of heavy duty tarp were installed. Each end of the house
was reinforced with cross beams of wood to help tie the areas on
either side of the fireplace openings together.
Wooden channels were placed vertically along the length of the house to provide tracks for the metal cables used to secure the building to steel support beams.
The
first leg of the trip, consisting of six miles of narrow and
hilly rural roads, presented a formidable challenge. Steep
hills approaching 30 degrees of incline tested the cables
securing the house to the transport beams. The 20 x 50
foot structure was too massive for the narrow roadway. In
several tight spots widening of the road was required along with
the removal of a few trees. It was only through the
cooperation of Hardin County Highway Commissioner, Paul Blount,
that the move was possible.
Once
the obstacles encountered during the first few miles of the trip
were overcome, the balance of the trip was smooth sailing.
The route took the house along highways 128, 64, and 57, around
the town of Savannah and across the Tennessee River on the
bridge at Pickwick Dam. Traveling east for a total of
almost 100 miles the house traveled through the towns of Ramer
and Middleton before arriving at its final destination, the Ames
Plantation Heritage Village.
Once at Ames the Stencil House was positioned among the preexisting historic structures in the Heritage Village. Immediately upon arrival the rafter system, sheeting was reconstructed. A metal roof was also installed utilizing metal roofing donated to the project by H & H Metal Products of Savannah, Tennessee. For a total cost of approximately $9,000 and three weeks of intense labor the Stencil House was saved from near certain loss to the elements and vandals. Unfortunately, several years were to pass before work necessary to return the home to its original splendor could be undertaken.