Abatron, Inc.
  • English
0
Orders: (800) 445-1754

FIND A DEALERREQUEST A CATALOG

Search

  • Home
  • About Us
    • About Us / History
    • Careers
    • News & Media
  • Building & Restoration Products
    • Building & Restoration Products
    • Wood Restoration & Maintenance
      • Wood Restoration & Maintenance
      • Wood Restoration Accessories
    • Concrete Repair & Maintenance
      • Concrete Repair
      • Concrete Repair Accessories
      • Structural Crack-Injection Systems
      • Product Selection Guide
    • Metal Restoration
    • Moldmaking and Casting
      • Moldmaking Compounds
      • Moldmaking Accessories
      • Casting Compounds
      • Custom Molds and Castings
    • Patina Finishes
    • Plaster and Drywall Restoration
    • Adhesives & Sealants
      • Adhesives & Sealants
      • Adhesive & Sealant Accessories
      • Product Selection Guide
      • Swimming Pool Selection Guide
    • Protective Coatings
    • Garage Floor Coatings
    • Porcelain Refinishing
    • Stone Care
    • General Maintenance Products
  • Products for Industry
    • Products for Industry
    • Adhesives
    • Coatings
    • Heat Resistant Compounds, Highly
    • Potting / Encapsulating / Casting Compounds
  • News & Events
    • News & Events
    • Events and Workshops
    • Projects and Innovations
    • Dealer/Customer Spotlights
    • Industry News
  • Shop Online
Select Page
Home / News & Events / Events and Workshops / Historicorps- Forest Lodge, Cable, WI

Historicorps- Forest Lodge, Cable, WI

Written by Richard | July 7, 2017 | Events and Workshops

Chaquamegon-Nicolet National Forest

Season after season, the Historicorps organization brings a small, but passionate group of field instructors together with dedicated volunteers for the purpose of restoring and preserving historic buildings on public lands. These buildings are typically available for public use and have historical significance, but over time they have fallen into disrepair due to a lack of general maintenance or the absence of funding.

Two years ago, I visited my first Historicorps project site on Grand Island, Michigan. That project utilized some of Abatron’s wood restoration products for log repairs on a cabin built in 1901. During the site visit and product demonstration I was inspired by the attitude of the volunteers and impressed with their dedication to the cause.

       

       

This year- I was invited to a project in the Chequamegon Nicolet National Forest, deep in the northern woods of Wisconsin. Forest Lodge sits on an 872 acre estate that was donated to the National Forest in 1999 by Mary Griggs Burke. The compound, originally a hunting retreat, is home to sixteen buildings, each in various states of disrepair. The Lodge has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 2002.

Historicorps has worked at Forest Lodge on six separate occasions. The scope of work on this particular session included roof replacement, chimney repair, and historic door and window restorations. I was called in to demonstrate our LiquidWood® and WoodEpox® on the historic wood windows that had been exposed to the elements for far too long.

       

About 15 volunteers sat in on a brief product demonstration and a walk-through of basic epoxy repairs. After that we got busy patching and restoring a selection of sash that had been exposed to some pretty harsh conditions over the years. Most of the buildings at the lodge were built in the 1920’s and it’s possible that the some of the windows haven’t received proper maintenance since just about that long ago.

       

I spent the afternoon working with volunteers from Virginia, Texas, and Illinois. Together we were able to make repairs on at least six separate sashes. Some required more attention to detail than others. We had to utilize powdered pigments on some of the sash due to the fact that they would ultimately be left unpainted. Others needed touch ups on the rails and stiles, while yet others required some finely detailed muntin repairs.

       

I drove 12 hours, round-trip, to introduce a small group of volunteers to our products and to help save a half-dozen wood windows that only a select few people will ever be lucky enough to see. However- just like the volunteers at the project, I get a deep feeling of satisfaction knowing that these buildings will live on and continue to be available to the students, leadership groups, and countless organizations that utilize them.

1 Comment

  1. Ken Froberg
    Ken Froberg on 08/02/2017 at 11:03 am

    Folks:

    I enjoyed your Historic Restoration profile in Wisconsin.

    I too have a small(but not public) farm in Hew Hampshire ca. 1849 that when time permits I am working with my family trying to put the main house back square and level.

    It is much fun and enjoyment when done.

    I will probable use some of your Abatron Products in the future.

    Best Regards,
    Ken in Rhode Island

    Reply

Submit a Comment Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

  • Home
  • About Us
  • Building and Restoration Products
  • Products for Industry
  • Projects & News
  • Shop Online
  • GreenGuard Certified Products

5501 – 95th Avenue Kenosha, WI 53144Phone: (262) 653-2000    Fax: (262) 653-2019Orders: (800) 445-1754Email: info@abatron.com

  • Facebook

© 2021 Abatron, Inc. - All Rights Reserved.Privacy PolicySite Map