PRESERVATION
Tech Notes

WINDOWS
NUMBER 10

Temporary Window Vents in
Unoccupied Historic Buildings

Charles E. Fisher
Technical Preservation Services
National Park Service

and

Thomas A. Vitanza
Williamsport Preservation Training Center
National Park Service

Located on the grounds of the Monocacy National Battlefield, the Worthington House is a mid. 19th century ell-shaped brick farmhouse. Judging from the modest exterior, it is rather surprising to find that the building contains noteworthy interior stenciling. The two front rooms on either side of the center stair hall and the stair hall itself all have remarkably intact examples of trompe l'oeil stenciled paneling combined with an egg and dart motif frieze border.

The National Park Service acquired the 282 acre Worthington property in 1982, principally to protect this detached portion of the battlefield from intensive development. At the time of acquisition, the farmhouse was vacant and severely deteriorated with extensive water damage occurring as a result of major roof leaks and a predominance of broken and missing windows. Vines and saplings were growing up through the building and roof, destroying the mortar and displacing the bricks. The one-story porch across the front had collapsed, causing noticeable dislocation of the front masonry wall. In several areas large numbers of the handmade brick had been scavenged from the exterior, leaving gaping holes in the bearing walls.

With no immediate use planned for the building, it was necessary to repair and stabilize the structure or lose it to deterioration. Work was undertaken using limited funds to make the building structurally sound, weathertight, and less vulnerable to vandalism. Rather than using traditional mothballing techniques, which rely heavily on temporary measures and the introduction of non-historic elements, the project team utilized high quality but cost-effective stabilization measures whenever possible to ensure the long-term preservation of the historic building. Temporary features, such as window vents, were designed and installed in such a manner as to be reversible and to cause little additional loss of historic fabric.