Historic Renovations

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The Senate Room at the Old Baton Rouge State Capitol Building in Baton Rouge, Louisiana is a very prestigious project with a wonderful history. “In 1991, after decades of neglect, a group of dedicated, concerned citizens and politicians saved the Old State Capitol from demolition and began a massive reconstruction to restore the historic building.”

Since then, the historic statehouse has undergone many changes. In April of 1994, Louisiana’s Old State Capitol completed Phase I of a multimillion dollar preservation and renovation project and once again opened its doors to serve the people of Louisiana.”

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Fort Lauderdale’s historic South Side School opened in 2017 as the South Side Cultural & Arts Center. The building has been a landmark for the area since it opened in 1922. It was an active school until the 1990’s when it closed after serving as a variety of schools. It was added to the Florida Historic Landmark Registry in 1996 and lay empty until plans to transform it in to a cultural center started in 2004. 

Historic renovations are always a challenge and this project was no different. One of these issues was matching and re-milling the Dade County Heart Pine flooring that is common in Fort Lauderdale and other Florida construction. As with all historic projects, sourcing the right materials means maintaining historical integrity. Albany Woodwork was approached for its reputation of providing high quality Dade County Pine. They were able to provide the heart pine flooring and re-mill the original Dade County flooring.

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The US Customs House in New Orleans, Louisiana is a landmark of the city and of the South. Constructed in 1881, this historic building sustained serious damage and was declared unsuitable for occupancy during Hurricane Katrina. The U.S. Custom House is one of the oldest and most important federal buildings in the South. So, choosing high quality antique flooring was of the utmost importance. Albany Woodworks was chosen for its reputation of quality to provide 16,000 sq ft of antique heart pine flooring and new heart pine flooring to the post-Katrina renovation.

The quality lumber Albany Woodworks provided to the renovation process allowed for a comprehensive rehabilitation and restoration of the US Customs House in New Orleans completed in 2011.  The project is one of 22 award winners honored by the National Trust during its 2012 National Preservation Conference in Spokane, Washington.

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A particularly exciting project Albany Woodworks’ antique cypress was chosen for was repairs to the Taliesin East home in Spring Green, Wisconsin. The preservation department of Taliesin East wanted to ensure they were using high quality, authentic materials that were true to the era of Frank Lloyd Wright. When repairs needed to be made to the cypress ceilings in the home, Albany Woodworks was called upon to provide high grade, antique cypress. makes it the ideal historic renovation product.

Taliesin East was built by renowned architect, Frank Lloyd Wright, as his own residence. The 600 acre property was originally owned by Wright’s ancestors from his mother’s side. The first structure was built in 1911 and it evolved over the next 10+ years from design changes and rebuilding after an electrical fire. The property was added to the National Historic Landmark register in 1976. The house was given to the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation and is opened to the public. Additional information can be found here. Photography by: Andrew Pielage.

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Albany Woodworks’ antique heart pine and cypress makes it the ideal historic renovation product. This was apparent when the iconic Key West Lighthouse was in desperate need of repair. Our vast knowledge of antique woods and experience made Albany Woodworks’ products a key element in the restoration of the lighthouse and Keeper’s Quarters.

The Key West Lighthouse built in January 13, 1826 is 65 feet tall and had a female keeper which was unheard of in the 19th century. The 1840s Keepers Quarters, also on the grounds, and the lighthouse were completely restored using Antique Heart Pine from Albany Woodworks in the 1980’s.

The restoration was part of a 3 year project headed up by the Key West Art & Historical Society.  Antique Dade County Heart Pine from Albany Woodworks was used to restore the Lighthouse and Keeper’s Quarters to their authentic 1901-1915 appearances.