A House Restored

A lyrical meditation of a woodworker steadfastly repairing an historic home

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Old houses share their secrets only if they survive. Trading the corporate ladder for a stepladder, Lee McColgan commits to preserving the ramshackle Loring House, built in 1702, using period materials and methods and on a holiday deadline. But his enchantment withers as he discovers the massive repairs it needs. A small kitchen fix reveals that the structure’s rotten frame could collapse at any moment. In a bathroom, mould appears and spreads. He fights deteriorating bricks, frozen pipes, shattered windows, a punctured foundation and even an airborne chimney cap while learning from a diverse cast of preservationists, including a master mason named Irons, a stone whisperer and the Window Witch. But can he meet his deadline before family and friends arrive, or will it all come crashing down? McColgan’s journey expertly examines our relationship to history through the homes we inhabit, beautifully articulating the philosophy of preserving the past to find purpose for the future.