Elmwood Farm Cleanup - Grounds
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One of the problems in dealing with a 200+ year-old farm is that it looks like, well, a 200+ year-old farm. This page focuses on a number of cleanup projects on the grounds of Elmwood farm.
House Exterior
Starting with a few projects on the immediate exterior of the house, the brick stairs leading to the side doorway are coming apart due to mortar failure. We believe the underlying structure to be unstable and therefore think the best solution would be to demolish the existing stairs and replace them with a wooden staircase.
In addition, the bulkhead entry to the cellar is open, allowing water (and any number of creatures) free entry. This needs a wooden or steel bulkhead door installed to secure the house.
The front entryway to the original part of the Elmwood house has a masonry doorstep in an advanced state of disintegration. This needs to be excavated, and most likely replaced with loam and grass.
Additionally, there is an area of overgrown brush, with a number of rocks and/or granite foundation blocks, adjacent to the house which need to be cleared away. Plus a small tree or two.
Barn Exterior
UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE: RH White Company to the rescue!
In one of several cleanup days this spring, RH White Companies used a flail mower to remove years of overgrown brush surrounding the barn at Elmwood Farm, the result being quite evident in the photo at right.
There is also an area of overgrown brush and rocks alongside the Elmwood barn. If cleared, this would create a clear visual path down to the greenhouse and allow for convenient foot traffic between the house and greenhouse areas. If also graded, vehicular and equipment traffic could also be accommodated.
On the same side of the barn is an addition -- perhaps originally a greenhouse -- which has since collapsed and badly needs to be removed.
Garage
Immediately behind the house is this garage which, apart from not being very well constructed, completely blocks the view of the farm from the house. We would like to demolish this and have the rubble removed from the grounds. Note that the structure has a concrete foundation, which is another story altogether.
