Shaker Ox Barn lifted The Ox Barn at Sabbathday Lake Shaker Village and the Penhallow House at Strawberry Banke are two of our most historically significant projects. Both buildings were temporarily lifted by Geddes Building Movers so that they could receive completely new foundations and modern drainage systems. Jimmy and his crew are peaceful and professional and we could not recommend them more highly. We also appreciate all the news coverage these jobs have received recently. It is well deserved. Ox Barn undercarriage diagonal floor girt We’ve repaired the undercarriage at the Ox Barn and ..read more

This is the Sabbathday Shaker “Stables” in the left foreground and “Ox Barn” in the right background. Perhaps you’ve seen them? They make up the little logo on highway signs telling drivers to “take the next exit!” (And you should, Sabbathday Shaker Village is both fascinating and chill). We’ve performed extensive assessments on both of these buildings, and the Shakers received a $500k grant to repair the Ox Barn, a process we embarked upon this past month. This is just inside the front gable doors, in the main drive, on the hay floor. The Ox Barn was originally built in 1830, to house Oxen ..read more

Chester Church, Assessment, March 2018, Photos by Arron Sturgis and David Ewing Chester Congregational Church is a Greek Revival cutie with a facade that can stop traffic. It was originally built in 1773, 90 degrees to its current orientation, with a tower that stood proud of the end bent, an open belfry, and eight-sided spire. In the 1840s, the building was turned, the tower was enclosed within the body of the church, and a narthex was added, with an enclosed belfry and four-sided, oblique spire. In 2018, PTF was called to assess the building, and investigate damage to the tower frame. In the ..read more

Meetinghouse with a capital “M” The story of the Abyssinian Meetinghouse and Leonard Cummings, its long-time board president, was on the cover of the Maine/New England section of the Maine Sunday Telegram today. The Abyssinian is the third oldest African American Meetinghouse and is located across the street from the Shipyard Brewery in Portland. Frederick Douglass trod its very floorboards. PTF worked to restore the trusses and front facade, repair the timber frame and sills, and level the floor, along with documentation and sensitive demolition. It’s an important article; please read it al ..read more

We work on a lot of buildings with small congregations. We’ve rebuilt churches with fewer than ten active members, and nary a millionaire among them. Most building committees rely on a combination of grants and community contributions to reach their fundraising goals. How does a tiny community raise the admittedly significant capital to restore a steeple when many congregants have long-deferred repair plans at their own homes? The answer lies somewhere in re-establishing the centrality of these places within their communities, to the secular and devout alike. It’s easy to appreciate the solemn ..read more