Enduring Elements Construction Builds a Victorian Garage
John Hanson Mitchell a brilliant author, editor, conservationist (Along with his nonfiction work, John Hanson Mitchell is editor of the award winning magazine, Sanctuary, published by the Massachusetts Audubon Society.) and inspiration to me for the last twenty years, asked if we could build a garage to match the architectural style of his house and other outbuildings which he had designed and built. He had been inspired by Andrew Jackson Downing when he chose the style of his home. If you have not read books by John you are missing out and so are friends who deserve these as gifts.

Throughout the early Victorian period American domestic architecture was dominated by the ideas and designs of Andrew Jackson Downing (1815-1852). Downing, who was America's first important landscape architect, was instrumental in establishing a well-styled, efficient, yet low-priced house that offered many features which previously only mansions could provide. His designs were widely spread both by his books and by periodical republication. (The above commentary is provided by Dover Publications, Inc. and excerpted from Mitchell Publications site which has an AJD book or two for sale.)

Back to the garage. John and Jill supplied a plan which was later used by an architect friend, Rick Findlay, VP of The Littleton MA Conservation Trust, for a beautiful set of plans.

We installed a compacted process gravel floor per their wishes, but later to preserve automobiles from moisture they poured a concrete floor.

John had us use a local lumber mill (Parlee Lumber is a full service lumber yard serving the community since 1815) for the rough sawn pine sheathing and battens.

My Brazilian American partners created the foundation and built and painted the structure.

The trim work and windows came from a home on Edgartown MA.