In Lewes, a lifetime of restoration
Over the years, Jack Vessels has become a pro at sitting back and letting old houses talk.
They reveal stories through the materials that cover them, the display of craftsmanship and the valuable objects found in the least expected places.
"You can't go into a historic home and do whatever you want. You need to spend time with it and listen," said Vessels, 73, one of the main authorities on historic home restoration in coastal Delaware. In the 1980s, along with a business partner, he moved 36 historic and often neglected homes from across southern Delaware to an 11-acre tract of land in Lewes that had been eyed for a condominium complex. The site is now known as Shipcarpenter Square.
In the 1980s, Vessels found homes by superimposing a Civil War-era map of southern Delaware over a modern map. At the time, he could only guess the age of the dilapidated houses still standing by the pitch of the roof. But with determination, he found impressive diamonds in the rough.
The creative project received intense media attention.
Vessels restored several other key structures in Lewes including the Fisher-Martin House, which dates back to 1730 and today houses the Lewes Chamber of Commerce. The gambrel-roofed house was moved east from Cool Spring in 1980 as part of the celebration of the 350th anniversary of the first European settlement on Delaware soil. For years, Vessels also restored a farmhouse that had been in his family for five generations.
Earlier this year, Vessels and his wife, Mickey – along with Jack Vessel's late sister Mary – were honored by the Greater Lewes Foundation for his lifetime commitment to beautifying Lewes and preserving the city's history. Vessels also chaired the committee that created the Lewes Historic District and served as president of the Sussex County Association of Towns and vice chair of the Zwaanendael Heritage Commission. Mickey Vessels worked alongside him on many projects and spearheaded her owns.
"Jack, Mary and Mickey Vessels led critical efforts to maintain a vital downtown business area, upgrade housing, preserve historic buildings and develop the city's parks and open space. Their leadership laid the foundation for the Lewes we know and love today.
For Vessels, it all started with a singular project of respecting the historic integrity of his ancestor's legacy. His great grandfather, William Fisher Vessel built a farmhouse in 1831 near Rehoboth Bay. Thought it stayed in the family, it was boarded at some point.
In 1974, Vessels decided to move it into downtown Lewes and renovate it.
"The house had so much character and so many stories to tell, I could not ignore it," he said.
When he owned it, the two-and-a-half story house looked much like it did in the 1800s. In the old kitchen, for instance, pine floors and an oak-beamed ceiling contrast with walls infilled with brick noggin. He added two dormers, a kitchen wing, electricity and plumbing.
Vessels said for all his projects he tried to retain as many original fixtures as possible, including mantels, rails, and banisters. He always preferred old wood to modern one as it was most likely harvested locally, making it more adaptable to the local climate.
"Old homes can last a very long time when they're well cared for," he said.
TIPS
The National Trust for Historic Preservation offers some of the following restoration tips:
• Conduct necessary research. Look into historic tax and property records to find clues about previous owners, the original structure, historic maps of the neighborhood and possibly photos. Property owners must also find out about local preservation laws that protect the outside of the home.
• Get help. The Delaware Division of Historical & Cultural Affairs, for instance, maintains a listing of network contacts that can assist the public with matters relating to archaeology and preservation.
• Go anew with the old. Reuse old materials such as brick, stone, glass and slate. Salvage and antique shops sometimes have contemporaneous.
• Plant trees. Evergreen trees on the north and west sides of your house can block winter winds, and leafy trees on the east, west, and northwest provide shade from the summer sun. Use old photos to try to match the historic landscaping.
• Restore porches and awnings. In addition to adding personality to a home, these offer shade and insulation.