Stevenson Architects of Bradenton, Florida has been hired to produce construction documents and a long-term preservation plan for the historic Ruby Gill House, our Randell Research Center headquarters in Pineland. This work will be paid for by Lee County, through grants from its Historic Preservation Board.
We are pleased to be working with Linda Stevenson, principal architect of this firm. She has extensive experience in historical architecture and has completed many projects in southwest Florida. Structural engineering services will be provided by Bob Rude Structures of Fort Myers. The work will begin this month.
As long-time RRC friends know, the Gill House was badly damaged by Hurricane Charley, which is why our office has moved temporarily to Matlacha, 8 miles from Pineland. Our goal is to stabilize and then repair the Gill House, including restoring the historic wood floors, ceilings, and other interior features. The master plan prepared by Linda will include both a historical/conditions assessment and a restoration plan with detailed drawings and a rehabilitation budget. With detailed construction drawings in hand, we will then hire a contractor to do the rehabilitation work, using the money raised during our recent building-fund drive and grants from the Lee County Tourist Development Council and the Southwest Florida Community Foundation, Arts and Attractions Fund.
When the construction is finished, the historic Gill House will once again serve as the RRC’s offices and laboratories and welcome visitors to Pineland. Part of the appeal of the Pineland archaeological site as a destina- tion is that the public can witness or even participate as a volunteer in actual archaeological investigations. But until the Gill House is habitable again, we have no adequate laboratory facilities in which to process artifacts, analyze them, and report the findings in a timely and responsible fashion. If all goes as expected, we will move back into the Gill House in spring, 2009.
Meanwhile, in August contractor Dale Schneider completed the exterior stabilization work, including replacing damaged siding, re-installing the restored historic double-hung windows, and priming and painting the exterior of the building. This work was made possible by a donation by Dale of custom-milled heart-pine siding valued at $5,000, a donation of $1,500 worth of premium paint by Flex Bon Paints of Cape Coral, and funds from the Friends of the Randell Research Center. We thank you all for your generous support.
This article was taken from the Friends of the Randell Research Center Newsletter Vol 7, No. 3. September 2008.