Re-pointing the Stone Walls

Re-pointing is an arduous process where all of the old mortar holding the stones together is chiseled out by hand and then replaced with new mortar. Our craftsman spent weeks removing the old plaster and in some areas sheetrock that covered the rock walls on the interior (except what will be the lobby) they then re-pointed the interior walls then moved on to the outside where they repeated the process on all of the exterior walls. This was a necessary process as the old mortar had almost become powder and re-pointing and replacing the crumbled rocks has insured Phillip Manor can be around for another 150 years!

When the old plaster was removed we could see the structural changes add-ons etc. from the past and learned much more about the buildings construction history. We also replaced lintels over several doorways (new stones) and used original stones from a stone lined pit that was built in the 19th century to replace crumbling stones in different sections of the walls.

We had no idea how beautiful the old stonework was until we removed the plaster. Gaining a new appreciation in the old craftsmanship we decided to leave the stone exposed on the interior walls so visitors will be able to see the century’s old masonry skills and gained an appreciation for the old techniques of the past. It is fascinating to see the different quarry styles in the stonework as well as the architectural changes that emerged in the re-pointing process. The oldest room, which possibly dates back to 1851, used field stones where later additions used cut stones.

We uncovered what was once an old window from the original one room house (now the lobby) as well as the old lines of the back wall of the original structure. This opens up the question “Was there an existing structure prior to the Phillips arrival?”