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past projects
This is a partial list of preservation projects we’ve completed. Click for a detailed description of each:
For more recent projects, click "Current Projects", on the left.
1998 - 2000 Tea Circle Oak and Studio Restoration
On June 18, 1998 exceptionally powerful winds blew a large, 225-year oak onto the Taliesin residence, causing extensive damage to the Drafting Studio wing of the building. The Drafting Studio at Taliesin stands as the oldest portion of the residence, which Wright began in 1911.
Damage to the studio included broken windows, roof punctures in several places, and crushing of much of the roof's structural system. The tree was removed the day after the storm while a structural damage assessment was done. Arborist Bruce Allison, who maintained the oak for over 20 years, estimated its age at 225-230 years old.
Remediation began immediately. The severely damaged roof was rebuilt and secured. The flooring was removed and the utility tunnel below was reinforced with steel I-beams. An I-beam was also installed as a precautionary measure under the office area to support the increase load of tour traffic. Damaged interior, trim, windows, and furnishings were repaired or replaced with in-kind materials when necessary in accordance to the Secretary of Interior Standards for Historic Preservation. Damaged plaster was replaced with integrally colored plaster prepared according to original recipes and matched to samples found in the debris.
The original cost of restoration was to $1 million; TPI’s final figures were approximately 35% of that.
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2000-2001: Tan-Y-Deri
Tan-Y-Deri was built in 1907 for Wright’s sister Jane and her husband Andrew Porter. The building is the only structure on the estate from Wright’s ‘Oak Park’ period and was placed east of the residence so he could view it from his bedroom window.
Following years of general maintenance, restoration efforts began in earnest after a fire destroyed the tool shed adjacent to building in 1999. Taliesin Preservation, Inc. hired Isthmus Architects, Inc. to prepare a Historic Structure Report and began stabilization efforts immediately. Walls were jacked as much as four inches, microlams were added to the floor joist and inadequate joists were ‘sistered’ with in-kind materials. Plaster in the upper levels was repaired and re-plastered and the trim was cleaned.
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2001-2002 Hillside Entry Roof
Taliesin Preservation, Inc addressed portions of the roof over the Hillside Home School building, c. 1902, in 2001-2002. Survey’s revealed areas of wet and dry rot starting at the entry and extending through the ‘bridge’ to the roof over the two galleries. Remediation involved jacking the roof over the entry way, ‘sistering ’ salvageable rafters when possible or replacing altogether with in-kind materials, and re-roofing both areas. In addition, the rotted 6 X 12 signature oak beam in the entry was replaced in-kind and the plaster within the entry re-instated.
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2003-2004 Slope Stabilization and Drainage remediation
The stability of the northern slope and installation of working drain systems was considered to be of the highest importance and was the focus of Part I of Taliesin’s Save America’s Treasures project. This project began in August of 2003 and was completed in 2004.
Part I - Taliesin Preservation, Inc. hired architect John Eifler and a team comprised of Tony Puttnam, Taliesin Architects, STS Consultants, Wolff Clements and Associates, and Westbrook Associated Engineers, to survey and prepare a remediation plan for the failed north slope of the residence and the inadequate drainage system throughout the central portion of the building.
A three-tiered surface and subsurface drainage system was installed, underpinning was done in select areas throughout the upper and lower court where no foundations existed, and the courts re-graded to facilitate appropriate drainage. In addition, new flagstone was acquired replacing disintegrating historic flagstone in the garden court and deflecting piers were re-plumbed and underpinned. All of this work was carried out by Daniel and Sons Construction Co.
During this project, Taliesin Preservation Inc. crew members restored the front entry way of Taliesin, assisted in the laying of the paving stones, recreated the grout originally used by Wright, and installed three Birch trees at the entry way, returning the appearance to 1959.
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2004: Re-Roofing of the Taliesin Pottery Studio and Carport, repair of Loggia Terrace with apprentices from the Frank Lloyd Wright School of Architecture, Hillside septic installation
In July of 2004, with the assistance of apprentices from the Frank Lloyd Wright School of Architecture, Taliesin Preservation, Inc. re-roofed Taliesin’s Pottery Studio and the carport to the upper court. The re-roofing was part of the preservation practicum for the apprentices where the students learn carpentry skills while working side-by-side the TPI Preservation Crew.
The roof’s cedar shingles were removed and failed areas were repaired using in-kind materials. Compromised framing elements were ‘sistered’ for reinforcement or replaced entirely with in-kind materials. The four skylights at the Pottery Studio were rebuilt with in-kind materials and replicating the original construction methodology.
Repair of the Loggia Terrace
The Loggia Terrace is a long terrace on the southeast facade of the Taliesin Living Quarters. This terrace was added under Frank Lloyd Wright's direction in 1951-52. Its installation was in the path of existing drainage from Taliesin's roof, and over the years, this drainage resulted in the rotting of wood sheathing underneath the terrace's flagstone surface.
With help from apprentices in the Taliesin fellowship, and the use of Custom Metals (Madison, Wisconsin), TPI removed the rotting sections of the terrace, particularly near Mrs. Wright's bedroom on this floor; reconstructed a wooden shoe base on the outside of the terrace; and Custom Metals installed new steel in select areas. The project was completed the next summer with the installation of new flagstones on this section of the terrace (see below).
Hillside septic installation
Hillside school, on the south end of the Taliesin Estate, was in need of a new septic system. Septic systems are self-contained wastewater treatment facilities and are common in rural areas. They do need re-installation after several decades of use. Taliesin Preservation worked with the US National Guard to factilitate the installation of this system. The National Guard works with non-profit organizations when they are in need of large earth-moving equipment. This allows members of the guard to use and become comfortable with this equipment.
The work needed to dig the septic system took place in early September 2004, with the installation of a septic tank taking place at that time. In addition to working with the National Guard, Taliesin Preservation engaged the services of a local plumbing contractor, Hottman Plumbing.
The use of the National Guard reduced the cost of the septic installation by approximately $10,000, which was then used for other preservation, restoration, and maintenance projects on the Taliesin Estate.
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2005: Re-roofing Taliesin, Loggia terrace work, Hillside septic installation
Re-roofing Taliesin
The roof of the Taliesin residence showed areas of damage and deterioration. Throughout the summer and fall of 2005, TPI and Millen Roofing Co. worked to ensure that Taliesin remains secure from the elements.
Millen Roofing Co.-- an expert in historic roof repair that has worked on Frank Lloyd Wright's Wingspread among other projects around the state of Wisconsin--recommended the best course of action to repair the roof while using new materials, but also maintaining historic integrity to the structure. Some of the roofs being repaired originate in the Taliesin I era (1911-1914), and all of them were changed or augmented by Frank Lloyd Wright at least once. Along with TPI, the staff of Millen Roofing took care to document the changes in the different roofs on the building, in order to add to the understanding of the building's history.
As the preservation of original materials is of highest importance, Millen Roofing only removed rotting roof sheathing, then installed plywood over the top to create a level work surface. On top of this was placed new waterproofing material and cedar shingles. The edges of the roofs were also given a protective barrier that prevents moisture from wicking up through the roof shingles while still allowing air flow, and yet is unnoticeable to the casual viewer.
Loggia Terrace Work
In 2004, Taliesin Preservation, Inc.—with apprentices from the Frank Llloyd Wright School of Architecture—made great inroads to repairing a section of Taliesin's Loggia Terrace (off of the southeast facade of Frank Lloyd Wright and Mrs. Wright's living quarters at his house). The substructure of the terrace was repaired with new wood and select installation of steel.
In 2005, TPI completed this portion of the project by acquiring new flagstone for the terrace, making repairs to the base molding on the inside of the Loggia Terrace parapet wall, and re-installing trim outside of Mrs. Wright's Bedroom. The re-installation of the trim was one of the most difficult decisions in the project, because no photographs are known to exist that indicate what this trim looked like during Frank Lloyd Wright's lifetime.
A solution came in the form of photographs that were purchased by the Wisconsin Historical Society in a well-publicized auction on the website Ebay in early 2005. One of the photographs shows an early terrace, and trim, at Taliesin in 1911-12. TPI used this photograph as the basis for the new trim that was installed on the exterior of Mrs. Wright's Bedroom, where it meets the flagstone Loggia Terrace.
The advantage to this trim detail is that it will help prevent the wicking of moisture up into the exterior plaster (extending its life); it has a proven precedence at Taliesin; and it is reversible if further evidence on the trim detail comes to light.
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Landscape
Along with the physical preservation of the built environment on the Taliesin Estate, Taliesin Preservation, Inc. has sought to restore the landscape environment of the 600-acre Taliesin Estate to its period of significance (1950-1959). However, landscape, unlike the built environment, is created out of living and changing things and is therefore inherently mutable. TPI's goals in landscape management are:
- To restore the predominant plant species from the last decade of Wright’s life.
- To suppress invasive plant species on the Taliesin Estate
- To replant significant trees on the Taliesin Estate
In 1999, Taliesin Preservation, Inc. hired Barbara Wyatt, ASLA to prepare a Historic Landscape Report. As a result of this report, Taliesin Preservation, Inc. has prepared and implemented a Forestry Management Plan and a Landscape Management Plan.
The Landscape Management plan outlines a program for the control of invasive species and the return of the landscape to its appearance in the 1950s. The plan outlines the following initiatives which Taliesin Preservation, Inc. is currently undertaking:
- “Midway Hill” - This has revealed one of the limestone outcroppings on the Taliesin Estate
- The “Highway 14 triangle,” - This work removed prickly ash and opened a protective area for the oak savannah and pine plantation naturally growing on the site
- The hill below Romeo and Juliet Windmill tower - This project included the removal of substantial amounts of honeysuckle, which is the main woody invasive species problem at Taliesin
- The “Welsh Hills,” – The removal of evasive Cedars and controlled burns.
Careful and historically accurate restoration requires the combined talents and specialized expertise of many people. At TPI, part of our job is to make sure the money’s available to fund these vital preservation projects. To do that, we depend on people like you. To find out how you can help, visit the Giving Programs section of this web site.
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