This Woman Was Here

We built the garage by inviting friends over for a garage raising. The trick to a successful raising is pre-planing and organization. I had a building plan, materials, and my carpenter friends organized themselves into crews for specific tasks (framing walls, windows, and doors, support posts for porches, stairs, etc.)

I had found ten antique stained glass windows in St. Augustine for the unbelievable price of $225 (one of the first shipments of antique windows to show up). We had to sand, prime, and paint them.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We had painted the siding and battens before the crew ever showed up.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On the day of the garage raising, I provided breakfast with all the food groups, including pickled eggs. The crew showed up and got to work. The only things in place were the slab and the steel beam that would support the second floor.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

By the end of the day, we had completed the first floor. Then came dinner and celebration.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Over the next several months, we completed the second floor with master carpenter, Rob Higgins.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The wood for the upstairs floor was salvaged from the pool room of the Winjamer, a bar I used to go to in graduate school.

All accomplished with a little help for our friends!