Preserving a historic museum

Built around 1820, the Taft Museum of Art is a National Historic Landmark and the oldest freestanding wood structure in its original location in Cincinnati.

This 200-year-old house, which holds a priceless art collection, was in dire need of structural renovation. To restore the museum to its former glory, Trade31 contributed to a meticulous preservation effort including:

  • Complete wood siding and wood window removal and replacement
  • Restoration of existing shutters
  • Reglazing windows and reworking sashes and jambs
  • Structural framing repairs of rotted wood
  • Casework and millwork installation

Project Type:

Historic Preservation

Services:

Facade Improvements, Finish Carpentry, Specialty Contracting, General Trades

Preserving history

To complete the exterior work, we installed scaffolding and wrapped the house in a protective covering that mimicked the architectural drawings of each facade. Under this protective tarp, our teams peeled the existing tongue and groove siding, remilled the existing wood into shiplap, and reinstalled the siding. Overall, we were able to preserve 70 percent of the historic siding.

In a structure as old and historic as this one, the house itself is as treasured as the artwork inside. Restoring it required precision workmanship and pride in a job done right — elements Trade31’s team of highly skilled experts brings to every project. Once work was complete, Taft’s Director Emerita, Deborah Emont Scott, remarked: “We believe we have fixed this house up for another hundred years.”

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