The Restoration Effort
The
restoration is being funded by donations from industries, organizations, and
individuals, as well as events conducted by ACaptain
Hardy Smith House Restoration, Inc.@ State Representative DuBose Porter has already given the
campaign a huge boost by securing $20,000 from the Governor=s
Discretionary Fund. The city of
Dublin has contributed $10,000 and Laurens County Commissioners $5,000. For
donations in the $15,000 to $20,000 range, there are several opportunities to
name a room in the house after a veteran, a company or family name or an
organization.
A dedication Campaign Leadership Team was assembled to lead fund-raising efforts for the first several years. These leaders in the community donated their time and resources to help preserve a community treasure.
Campaign
Chair
J.Y. Jones,
M.D.
Dublin Eye Associates
Campaign
Development Council
J. Roy
Roland, M.D.
Former Congressman
Dubose Porter
Georgia State Representative
Scott B. Thompson
Thompson Thompson & Hilbun
Jimmy Allgood
Allgood Services
Carolyn McCune
Georgia Power
Harriett Claxton
Retired
Iris Gillis
Deceased
Ariel Grey
Granddaughter of Capt. Smith
Advance
Division
Jim Nelson
Nelson Gillis & Smith
Leadership
Division
Sam Beall
Farmers and Merchants Bank
Jefferson I.
Davis
Uniroyl Chemical
Marshall
Jackson
Yates Insurance and Real Estate, Inc.
Heritage
Division
Mary Jane Spivey
Retired
Clift Crews
Bank of Dudley
Veterans
Division
Keith D.
Beck
Disabled Veteran
The Campaign Leadership Team has been inactive for two years now. The burden of raising funds has dissolved to the Board.
April 1999
Ariel and Adonis Gray, great grandchildren of Capt. Hardy Smith, donated the house to the Capt. Hardy Smith Camp, Sons of Confederate Veterans, Camp 104 to be restored and used as a memorial to Capt. Smith and other veterans.
Capt. Hardy Smith Camp 104 established a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organization, Capt. Hardy Smith House Restoration, Inc., and expanded the Board of Directors to include members from the Laurens County Historical Society, Dublin Clean and Beautiful, United Daughters of the Confederacy, et.al., and expanded the use of the house to honor area veterans from the French & Indian War to current conflicts.
Temporary repairs were made to the roof to stop water from getting into the house. The front porch was badly deteriorated and so taken down to the ground and restored. Badly deteriorated chimneys were taken down to below the roof level.
A fund-raising firm, ByrneAllen, was retained to assist in raising funds to establish the memorial. A Campaign Leadership Team was assembled to lead fund-raising efforts.
Capt. Hardy Smith House Restoration, Inc obtained title to the Smith House property.
A restoration architect, Lane Green of Atlanta, was involved as a consultant to the restoration effort.
Leonard and Deonard Sanders of Garbutt Construction Company were employed to provide the skilled labor of the restoration effort. All windows have been completely dismantled and rebuilt. Portions of the siding have been restored utilizing a wood restoration process. The front doors have been restored.
The modern kitchen (built in the 1950’s) has been demolished. In the process the original well on the property was uncovered and is still in very good shape. Now restored the old well adds a nice touch to the project. Restoration to the gallery between the main house and kitchen has been completed. The flooring and other materials were milled specifically for the house. Then restoration of the banisters was slow detailed work.
Then only structural problem with the house has been corrected. The sill and wall on the west side of the house have been pulled back into place. Fill has been added to raise the level of the front yard to correct a problem of water standing in the yard when it rains.
The material to restore the fancy barge boards and eve moldings has been donated and milled and ready to be installed. 2x12’s cut out of large old long-leaf pine (the closest thing possible to real heart-pine) were donated by Prime Pines and milled by Basset Furniture Company and Evans Cabinet Company.
Some of the work has been completed with volunteer labor. In fact various “friends of the Hardy Smith House” have donated many hours of work.
Next steps will include rebuilding the chimneys, repairing the fireplaces, replacing the ornate bargeboards, installing the wood roof, and new wiring, heating and air conditioning.
And of Course the hardest part of all … raising the money to complete the work. Your donations and support are critical to completion of this veteran’s memorial.
January 2002
The two chimneys on the main house have been rebuilt using drawings and photographs of the old chimneys as a guide. The three chimneys on the kitchen have also been rebuilt. Seven fireplaces have been restored.
The brick work portion of the underskirting has been completed. All the needed repairs to the siding and window facings have been completed including several holes gnawed through by squirrels. Three exterior doors have been restored.
The new bargeboards (gingerbread) and eve moldings have been cutout and installed. This was difficult and time-consuming work.
The small back porch and steps on the kitchen have been built. Only the roof was left when we began the restoration.
Trees on the property have been thinned out and trimmed.
Most of the exterior painting has been completed. Every inch of the exterior was sanded, then two coats of primer and two coats of paint applied. The house was unpainted until 1920, then painted only once until now. Almost all the sanding and painting was don by volunteers.
Deonard and Leonard Sanders did all the skilled masonry work and carpentry work, with help by Julian Sanders and David Moore.
Some items have been collected for the memorial. A genealogical record of all of Capt. and Mrs. Hardy Smith ancestors and descendants and kin has been partially completed.
Finish the painting utilizing volunteer help. Complete the underskirting with volunteer help.
The rest of the work has been halted until we can raise additional funds. Big cost items are next: replacing the temporary roof, new wiring and heating and air conditioning.
Then, new wallpaper and paint the interior. Refinish the
floors, build a handicap ramp, and create the memorial to Capt. Smith and other
veterans. Finally, landscape the property in a style popular in the mid-19th
century.