THE RESTORATION OF JABEZ NEWHALL’S TAVERN
CHAPTER 11 -- RESTORING THE CUPOLA
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Atop the ridge of the barn was a large, post-and-beam cupola, resembling several others in Franklin County and probably typical of the local form.
It was in horrible condition with a leaking slate roof, many missing slats, and the resulting population of pigeons.
After a careful examination of its frame, we determined that it was still sound, though the exterior was much in need of restoration.
We first considered doing the work in situ, but finally succumbed to good sense and decided to do the work about forty feet closer to terra firma.
We approached Buster Davenport, a local crane operator with our problem and asked if he was the right person to do what we needed to have done.
He agreed that the project was feasible and quoted us a fee for driving his enormous crane to Conway to do the work.
After a few moments of stunned silence, he was apparently overcome with compassion.
He added, "I'll charge you to take it down, and - if you finish the job - I'll put it back without charge."
This half-price deal was more than an offer; it was a challenge. We accepted and set a date for the removal.
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"Moving day" had arrived.
John had removed the nails securing the cupola to the roof and had rigged chains and cables to the frame inside the post-and-beam structure.
We watched as the gigantic crane approached our driveway and Buster drove it into position.
As Buster extended the crane, John climbed into the cupola and snaked a steel cable through the opening in its peak,
attaching it to the enormous steel hook that was to lift our project off of the roof.
We held our collective breath as the cable became taut, and exhaled slowly as the cupola rose into the sky.
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We had hoped to be able to wrestle the cupola into the barn, so that we could work on it out of the weather.
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When it came to earth, we were shocked to observe that it was more than ten feet taller than our enormous barn doors.
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The cupola would be a fair-weather project.
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The work of restoring the roof consisted of re-sheathing, slating, and flashing its edges with lead sheets.
After the roof was repaired, we replaced every rotted board, made and fitted more than one hundred new louvers, and repainted the entire cupola.
On the ground, where we no longer had to fear for our lives at every move, the work went relatively quickly. ____________________________________________________________________________
When the restoration was finished, we called Buster, who happily honored his commitment to return it to the roof.
When we asked him if he thought we should invite the local newspaper to the return flight, his response was, "If the press is around, things will almost certainly go wrong."
We decided not to invite the media, although several cameras clicked rapidly during the following two hours.
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Again, we lifted the structure by passing a steel cable through its top.
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The crane lifted the cupola to the peak....
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and John guided it back to its old location.
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But one additional problem remained.
Since in flight the cupola was suspended by a cable extending through its peak,
the weathervane could not be installed until the cupola was in place and the cable had been removed.
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We considered several different approaches to this problem,
and finally decided that the quickest method would be a “white-knuckle flight” on the crane’s ball.
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For John, chronically fearful of heights, this
was a trip which redefined the word terror.
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Click here for Chapter 12: GARDEN AND FRONT DOOR
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Chapter 1: AS FOUND: SEPTEMBER 1985
Chapter 2: SEPTEMBER 1985 -- THE OUTBUILDINGS
Chapter 3: PHASE I: DEMOLITION
Chapter 4: NEW FOUNDATIONS AND CHIMNEYS
Chapter 6: RE-SHAPING THE EXTERIOR
Chapter 7: PREPARING FOR OUR FIRST WINTER
Chapter 8: SPRING 1987 -- CLAPBOARDS AND PAINT
Chapter 9: OUTBUILDINGS: THE CARRIAGE HOUSE
Chapter 10: OUTBUILDINGS: SHED, MILK HOUSE, AND BARN
Chapter 11: RESTORING THE CUPOLA
Chapter 12: GARDEN AND FRONT DOOR