BEAUMONT, Texas — A massive preservation project is set to begin on the McFaddin-Ward House soon.
Next week, electricians will begin rewiring the building as an ongoing effort to restore and preserve the 118-year-old home.
This costly and time-consuming project presents some challenges.
In order to minimize cutting too many holes in the walls, workers will start on the third floor since there are fewer wall sconces to deal with and walls are wallpapered.
Some of the downstairs rooms have painted canvases and even leather on them and a lot of wood, making this project tricky
For years, electrical engineers have watched for signs of trouble.
McFaddin-Ward House Executive Director Tony Chauveaux tells 12News the wiring on the knob and tube tends to flake and fall up.
"It was recommended to us that we go forward with rewiring the house," he said.
Chauveaux knew it was time to act.
"While we're going to rewire the house, we're going to maintain the look of everything and we'll certainly maintain the pushbutton switches and the copper plates," he said.
This will be the largest restoration project undertaken by the museum since the roof was replaced in 2001,
The project will be led by Oak Grove Restoration Company, experts in historical restoration headquartered in Maryland.
Work completion is projected to take up to six months, during which, the timed tours of the home will be on hold.
“While the historic house will not be available for tours during this important work, that doesn’t mean a full array of programming will not be ongoing at the McFaddin-Ward House,” said Chauveaux.
Lecture Series, tours and special exhibits in the Carriage House, Movies and Music at the McFaddin’s events, and the outreach program, SOAR, will continue through on-going construction.
Virtual tours can be taken here.
The McFaddin-Ward House is an accredited museum by the American Alliance of Museums.
McFaddin-Ward House endures as one of Beaumont’s primary historical and educational resources and will continue to do so for years to come.