For
most of the latter half of the 1800's, the old Spring Tavern on
Madison's west side was a favorite resting place for area farmers
traveling into town to trade. It is named for the spring that
flows past it's foundations.
It has long since become a private residence, one which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Today the spring still flows into a nearby creek, and the current owners are making careful, historically-sensitive improvements to the interior and exterior.
(left) View of the home before remodeling began
We are remodeling the former kitchen wing, for years used as a garage with very inappropriatly designed doors, back into a kitchen. This is requiring some very careful cutting and fitting to avoid damage to the remaining original walls. Custom-made windows and doors will closely match the originals; the restoration contractors are even firing custom bricks to match the old ones.
Our design for an addition (photo below)-- a garage above a family room, linked with an underground tunnel that is landscaped in cascading stone terraces -- stands away from the historic structure. The addition uses stone and wood in historically consistent ways, but the design deliberately does not pretend to strict authenticity.
