Pieffer-Bennett Building,
1840s

Huntington-Wellers Building,
1850

Before work began, 1993.

After restoration.

The Rennick House (ca. 1855), located in Shullsburg Township, Lafayette County, is a vernacular house that was strongly influenced by the mid-19th-century Gothic Revival style:  a steeply pitched roofline, highly decorative vergeboards with acorn-like cutout pendants, and sharply pointed gable finials.

This house is somewhat unusual in its use of both limestone and wood framing in its original construction.  Definitive structural evidence shows that the entire house was built at one time, although we have not been able to determine why the south portion of the house is of balloon frame construction while the north section is built of quarried limestone.  The limestone quarry is directly across the road from the house.

The Trust made a substantial effort to save this interesting building.  No major alterations had ever been made that could have destroyed its historic fabric; but as the photos show, it was in an extremely deteriorated condition when purchased by the Trust in 1993.

The Rennick House had been abandoned and unoccupied for more than 40 years, and neglect and the forces of nature had taken their toll.  The goal of the Trust is always to preserve as much as possible of the original materials of a building.  In this case, much was still there — it just took a great amount of time and skilled labor to repair and restore the damaged fabric.  We have stored those components damaged beyond retrieval for reference.

The photos shown here document some of the processes performed during the 16-month restoration.  The Rennick House — located at 20106 Rennick Road, southeast of Shullsburg — is currently occupied.  Although it is not now available for tours, it can be viewed at any time from the county road.

View of Rennick House from southeast after brush is cleared, prior to restoration, spring 1995.

View from east to the frame section, prior to restoration.

View from northwest prior to restoration.

View from southwest prior to restoration.

View from south to Kitchen ell prior to restoration.

View showing bridge cribbing and side lifting posts on frame section.

View of rafter plate splice on top of south wall. Note the deteriorated condition of the rafter ends above the plate.

View of south roof slope and wall showing repairs to sheathing and rafter ends.

Roof sheathing renailed and ready for application of wood shingles.  Note Gordon in foreground.

Interior view showing exposed hewn summer beam temporarily exposed for repairs to the flooring.

Trust employee Bill McGlynn shown working on the vergeboards from the Rennick House.  Missing pendants were pieced in and damaged areas were rebuilt using Abatron epoxy wood replacement processes.

View on scaffold showing reinstallation of repaired section of vergeboard.  The lowest three acorn pendants of the vergeboard had to be replicated.

View of finished west slope of roof over frame section.

Upward view of east elevation after completion of repairs to vergeboard, but prior to repointing of the east wall.

Section of north wall showing joints raked out prior to repointing with new mortar.

North wall during tuckpointing.  Light areas in this photo are still wet.  When fully dry, the overall mortar color matches the original work.

West elevation showing new wood shingle roof and open area for repair of eyebrown window.