Architectural Evolution

For all of us who either work on period houses or study period dwellings, the various phases that a house goes through is perhaps one of the most interesting. Sure we all would love to get our hands on a period house that is almost entirely intact, and on occasion we do. Then we can delight in exactly how the house was constructed. But the earlier the structure, we are more likely to spend time analyzing the chronological order of changes that have taken place over the years. To find a portion of a raised panel wall that has been cut in half, the paint line of a period entry doorway that has long since disappeared, or the removal of the center chimney stack are always disheartening and a bit discouraging. It can't help but enter you mind, "What could have possessed anyone to do that?" Pure sacrilege at best, but more rationally evolution.
I had an experience last summer that I must share. During the late 1980's, I was contracted by a high profile individual to do a major restoration on a very significant historical residence in Woodstock, VT. The project was very exacting and not a detail was left out. After a two year duration, the individual wanted me and my family to stay on and take care of the property. A move to Woodstock was very timely for me and my young family. The client offered to let me build whatever I wanted, period of course, on a site on his property. I chose a wonderful site and proceeded to build a reproduction cape with period ell. The main house was built with a new timber frame, but all period components were used. Period glass in the window sash, period flooring, period bricks, you get the picture. When it was completed, the best compliment I received, and quite often, was that it looked like it had always been there. It was a design and finish that I always wanted to build for myself.
We lived there for the next ten years and during that time tweaked the landscaping and built many stone walls. It was a very dramatic but restained property. The client for several reasons chose to move on and eventually sold the property. We also moved on regrettably. The house became the caretakers house for the new caretakers. The new owner of the property was a very high worth individual but refused to spend any money on maintenance. Consequently the entire property has gone downhill.
Last summer I was driving up the road the house is on, and glancing over at the house was horrified to see a new front door. It was a metal clad door with a half round light in it. This is in place of the 6 panel door with period hardware set in a entryway with a five light transom with bullseye glass. When I designed the front entry hall, I had just bought a load of beautiful period pine paneling in old red. The entry way was gorgeous. The door, had vertical red paneling on the interior and was fastened to the exterior panel door with period rose head nails. Period strap hinges and a great Suffolk bean latch completed the picture. But now I was starring at a travesty. It completely destroyed the front facade of the house.
That night I called the caretaker and told him I had noticed that they had changed the door. He said the old door was drafty and had to be replaced. Iasked what he had done with the original door. He said that it was in the shed and asked if I wanted it. It didn't take me long to get over there. As I was loading the door with hardware into my truck, I saw that the back keeping room door had shared the same fate. It too was in the shed but added to my truck as well. I headed home with the strangest feeling. I was actively involved the the evolution of my perfect house. The slow decay and destruction of its original design and construction. What will restorationists wonder in 200 years as to the fate of the original entry doors? I did what any other well intentioned restorationist would do. I labeled the doors with their origin, history and packed them away. I plan on being around for a long time and hope that some time in the future I might make those doors available to a more sensitive owner wanting to bring the house back. But if not, those doors will still be labeled and hopefully found when a full restoration takes place 200 years from now. And of course I'll be grinning from where I'm standing at that point.