A Confluence of Old and New
UPDATE ON THE VIEW POINT INN RENOVATION
June 5, 2022
Old and new make the warp and woof of every moment. There is no thread that is not a twist of these two strands.
- Ralph Waldo Emerson
Sheron Fruehauf at the old View Point Inn building during restoration & reconstruction.
As we rebuild the tattered and worn sections of the old View Point Inn, destroyed by fire or water damage over the years, we are also working to preserve some of the original features and fixtures of the building.
During the last year, the building was lifted, the land excavated and new foundation poured, then was lowered and reattached — and finally the surrounding earth was filled in.
At the moment, the primary effort is to rebuild 90% of the interior structure that had succumbed to water damage. The process has been surprisingly quick. The first and second floors are coming to life, but the decision of how to rebuild the temporary roof, which sustained significant fire damage in 2011, is looming.
Before this process began, we salvaged as much of the old finish wood, original chandeliers, and as many other fixtures as possible. The industrious team at White Dog Construction has also managed to preserve the grand stone fireplace at the center of the main dining room.
We are still determining how to approach reconstructing the magnificent winding staircase using some of the original wood that was salvaged and preserved.
The five chandeliers in the main dining room that are original to the building have been restored and are ready to be installed when the time is right.
Gratitude
We want to take a moment to thank some folks who have also been working on other aspects of the project recently:
Elaine Hutson, renowned for her award winning Corbett garden, is helping to finalize the landscaping timeline, and plants are being purchased and kept safely offsite for now. We will organize a community planting event next spring for local folks who have asked how they can help. We have such gratitude for the Corbett community!
Thank you also to locals Gary and Victoria Purvine of Evergreen Remodeling, who installed the new septic system.
Even with the measured progress on the buildout and preservation, the project continues to experience delays. Supply chains are still in flux as a repercussion of the pandemic, resulting in building material delays and increasing costs. Sub-contractors who support the main construction team are also in shortage.
But with chins up and hearts open, we will continue to push forward towards our dream, integrating the old with the new. It is our hope that the buildout and restoration will be completed in summer of 2024, and at a minimum the clinic can begin to operate in its new home.
Stay tuned!
Sign up for our newsletter below to follow our progress, and stay tuned on social media for regular updates.
Floor by Floor, Board by Board
These images illustrate the current progress of the buildout.
