The Ekdahl House Museum Project Update
A lot has been happening on Tuesday mornings at Snackers Café! This is when the Ekdahl House Museum Project Committee meets to discuss the renovation and outdoor museum plans for the former “Spaghetti Bowl” building.
The small, rectangular, one and one half story, front gabled house was built in 1887 by Swedish immigrant, August Ekdahl, a year after the Village was incorporated. Amazingly, after all these years, the house is still in good condition! Before it could be relocated, it had to be evaluated by structural engineers to make sure that it could physically make the move. The site on Wolf Road was excavated and wood chips were put around the trees to prevent root damage during relocation and renovation. Village and county permits were obtained and on May 18th, the house was moved by Hyatt Movers to a site just north of the WS Fire Department.
May was a very busy month. The old, yellow aluminum siding was removed and the house was moved to the site and then moved again onto a new foundation which was built by Woodland Construction. Three colors of paint were discovered underneath the aluminum siding (cream, sage green, white). Fortunately, the siding helped to preserve the original wood clapboard. This type of wood clapboard was popular from 1850 – 1890 in Central Illinois and to the North.
Much planning and research regarding window style, siding, lighting, and landscaping took place in June. There was waterproofing applied to the foundation and a service call from Orkin. Both of these procedures help to prevent water and insect damage to the new wood. Visits were made to Bronswood cemetery, and local churches to gain additional information on the Ekdahl family.
In July the work and volunteer efforts continued. A new electric service was installed. The old plaster ceiling was removed to expose the wood beams for a backdrop for the new lighting system to be installed in the museum. The chain link fence was removed and the Boy Scouts from Troop 216 helped us to clean up the site.
August was an exciting month. The house was power washed. New Pella windows that replicate the original (1887) windows were installed. New clapboard that matched the original was installed as well. The house was then painted with Benjamin Moore’s new latex paint called Aura. This paint is eco-friendly, has premium coating properties, superior coverage, and has a lifetime warranty, It utilizes advanced technology with color lock to ensure that the color lasts year after year. The paint was donated by Benjamin Moore and the Village True Value Hardware store. The color, Windham Cream from the Historical Collection, was selected as it is a match to one of the original paint colors which was unveiled under the aluminum siding.
September will get us one step closer to the completed project. A new front door will be installed. This door is reminiscent of the doors of the 1890’s and typical for a commercial building.
Things should really pick up in October. Bricks from the “Buy a Brick” fundraiser will be installed along with patching and new wall finishes in the interior. The deadline to order your brick is October 1st.
In November the final touches will be made to prepare for the December grand opening of the Ekdahl House Museum which is planed for the 2008 Christmas Walk.
December will be a month of celebration as all of our hard work will finally pay off. The grand opening of the Ekdahl Museum will take place during the annual Christmas Walk on December 6, 2008 from 3-5pm.
We are grateful to Jim Rosentreter of Woodland Construction for his role as our General Contractor. Dan Ruzic of Chicago Project Management and Elizabeth Trail, Architect, also helped to guide us through the initial design and relocation phase.
The Historical Society appreciates your patience during the renovation of the house. Thanks go to our Village officials, businesses, Historical Society Trustees and to the community for all your efforts and support that have made this project successful.
Be sure to take a walk past the Ekdahl House!
Please contact Elizabeth Arts for any additional information at 708.246.9230 or elizarts@comcast.net.
Ekdahl Update
09/17/2008