View from the porch…amazing

We were drawn to this historic property in part by the amazing view. Felt Manor is set high atop a hill overlooking downtown Galena with a view of surrounding rooftops, church spires, the Galena River, and Grant Park beyond. Off in the distance are the rolling hills of Galena Country that look especially picturesque at sunrise.

That’s the view from the porch. The view of the porch was a different story. The porch was being held up by temporary supports, because the brick pier on the northeast corner needed to be replaced. And a fair amount of rot was discovered after the fascia board came off. The pier was taken down brick by brick and completely rebuilt using as many original bricks as possible.

Even though the calendar said November, the weather continued to be unseasonably warm, and the exterior work continued throughout the month. Here are some highlights:

• The slate tile mansard roof was carefully removed, tile by tile.

• All 10 mansard dormer windows got their new lead-coated copper roofs.

• The carpenters repaired the top of the main cornice so it can be wrapped by the roofers in pre-finished sheet metal.

• Crown molding was custom milled to match the original cornice details.

• Starting with the mansard level, windows were removed and taken to the workshop for restoration.

Fun fact: Felt Manor has 57 windows, and they'll be restored in phases.