Hilltop House Renovation Begins!

On Saturday, we started the first of what will undoubtedly be dozens of renovation projects at the farmhouse.  The fireplace that was the heart of the kitchen more than a century ago was largely destroyed and boarded up when stoves came into vogue and fireplaces were no longer necessary for cooking.  Since most of the fireplace is gone, we decided to remove what's left of it, which will give us a larger kitchen space.  So how do you remove a couple of layers of brick wall behind a plaster wall?  With a sledgehammer, of course!  After we equipped my son and a couple of his friends with the necessary safety instructions, eye protection, and masks, they tore down the plaster wall and what was left of the old fireplace.  They had a blast!  Many of the old bricks are still intact, and we will save them for a future project in the house.  Next up on the to-do list ... we need to jack up the back corner of the kitchen by a couple of inches where powder post beetles have destroyed part of the sill.