Celebrating 30 years at the Keeper’s House
By TARA CRUM
Marblehead Peninsula Chamber of Commerce
The Marblehead Peninsula Chamber of Commerce held a ribbon cutting for the Ottawa County Historical Society celebrating its 30th Anniversary at the Keeper’s House.
On Wednesday, June 6, the groups celebrated substantial new improvements to The House.
During the month of April, Masonry Construction undertook substantial structural repairs and a much-needed facelift of the beloved 1822 Kelly built home. We always suspected, but did not know for sure, that The House had been covered in stucco originally. After removing nearly a ton of stucco and mortar which had severely deteriorated over time we knew for sure. The removal revealed Kelly’s original magnificent stone work. Choosing to tuck-point or repoint the joints rather than doing another stucco job maintains the structural integrity of the building and reveals the magnificent stonework for all to see. What we did not know was that the rear and two end faces of the House had been white-washed originally. Masonry power washed the entire building twice and then did limited repairs as needed to the rear and two ends of The House. The project was funded by The Ottawa County Historical Society.
Tara Crump is executive director of the Marblehead Peninsula Chamber of Commerce, 5681 E. Harbor Road, Suite C, Marblehead, 419-734-9777, info@themarbleheadpeninsula.com.
