The Shook House, constructed in 1795 by Jacob Shook, a Revolutionary War veteran, is one of the oldest standing structures in Haywood County.
Our goal was to stabilize and preserve significantly representative areas from these historic periods so that each could be interpreted for the visitor. Through a great deal of architectural ‘detective work’, historic assessment of finishes, and the good fortune of finding a key historic image, we were able to return missing components to the house and allow for a full and rich historic experience.
When we first started, the house was wrapped in aluminum siding; but, through our work, we were able to identify four periods of construction.
The original two-story, 3 or 4 room house was constructed of pegged heavy timber framing with wide beaded plank board siding on the walls and ceilings.
In the mid to latter part of the 1800’s the house was expanded to one side and a Victorian period porch wrapped around two sides of the original house.
A third period came sometime in the early 1900’s when the rear of the house was expanded to enlarge the kitchen and dining room and add a bath and bedroom upstairs. This addition took on details and finishes of the Arts & Crafts style popular at the time.
The final work on the house came sometime after the 1960’s when thin interior paneling was installed throughout much of the house, aluminum siding added to cover the lapped wood siding, and the ornate detail of the porches were reduced to down to a simple metal railing.
The project consisted of a historic assessment, programming, and a complete interior and exterior renovation. The historic study of the building entailed an evaluation of the many additions and renovations the house underwent during its long life, as well as a detailed paint and wall paper analysis.
The programming scope of work involved the determination of a strategy to best showcase the prominent historic features from each of the structure’s various time periods.
The renovation included a complete kitchen upgrade with modern lighting and appliances, all new heating and air conditioning equipment, a new roof, and refurbishment of all historic doors, windows, and finishes.
Mathews Architecture
