This is from the original hand colored photo from about 1916
Picture taken by State of North Carolina in 1990
The Price of Quality is Eternal Maintenance
Recently I heard from one of my past clients who made reference to me: “I actually quoted you in a conversation yesterday with a contractor/friend who is helping us renovate our kitchen. In the course of the conversation we mentioned that an architect we had worked with many years ago told us that “the price of a beautiful house . . . is constant maintenance.” The beauty of an old home exists because each generation has cared and maintained it.
This site is my professional and personal journey as an Architect, returning from the Grand Tour and settling his family on an old farm outside of Hillsborough, North Carolina. The discussions are about historic preservation, new construction, universal design, sustainable design, energy efficiency, landscape restoration, history, lifestyle and other pressing issues in our world. Your input and suggestions are welcome.
Statler Gilfillen, Architect MBA has over 20 years of experience in planning, development, architecture, construction, teaching and business. He has been a University Professor, Operations Manager for a major Boston architectural firm and maintained his own architectural practice for over 12 years with a staff of 14. His work has varied from acting as the lead Architect for the 7 million dollar renovations at the Kennedy Space Center to historic preservation. He has worked for major developers, corporations, and known clients for large scale multifamily, medical, retail, high rise, commercial, and single family residential. He is fully versed in the public process and the demands of the private sector. He is specifically qualified in historic preservation and accessible design. For many years, he traveled and studied in Europe. He brings a global concept of planning, architecture and business. He believes that good design must meet client’s needs, environmental demands and fit visually into the setting. In 2007, he settled his young family in Hillsborough, NC from Piran, Slovenia.
INDEX
HOME PAGE
HISTORY
PHOTOS 1990 Pictures from State of North Carolina Archives
PHOTOS Comparison of 1917 and 2007
PHOTOS 1965 Aerial View
BRIDGEHEAD from 1918 St. Mary’s Road bed
LOST LOG CABIN in the woods
PRESERVATION
CAST IRON SINK as a work of art
HEARTWOOD the pine before Columbus left Europe
NEW CONSTRUCTION
ACCOUNTING some thoughts
CONSTRUCTION beginning photos
FIREBLOCKING why I consider DAP Fireblock Foam to be dangerous
STAIR FRAMING for the new addition
SIDING using KDAT (pressure treated wood) as siding
SIDING analysis of why I chose KDAT
SIDING KDAT Pictures
SIDING KDAT as siding UPDATE
SUB-FLOOR Putting down a sub floor on concrete
SHERWIN WILLIAMS Some concerns about customer service
GLASS PANELS ON STAIR: an elegant and beautiful solution
DOOR and HARDWARE: reusing antique doors
HANGING DOORS AND INSTALLING FLOORS: Specifications and notes
BATHROOM Tile
BATHROOM more pictures of tile and vanity
NEW CONSTRUCTION Bathroom Heaters
ARCHEOLOGY
The big dig
Aug, 2012 Mystery in the front yard sometimes called the “big dig”
Dec 20, 2012 Update
June 1, 2013 Update
June 4, 2013 Rebuilding corner of stone steps
Sept 7, 2013 Update
Sept 8, 2013 Some strange stones found
Sept 12, 2013 Found Objects: marbles, jaw harp and milk glass
Sept 20, 2013 Update metal dowel in stone and cut stone pieces
ARCHAEOLOGY some pieces found
ARCHAEOLOGY a shed full of the history of this site
OTHER
ACCESSIBLE DESIGN Six part series of renovation of Carriage House
LAUNDRY POLES where god pays the power bills
1818 Boston Building Code
Great Grandmother’s cactus just bloomed
CONTACTS and ADDITIONAL LINKS
PROFESSIONAL SITE for GILFILLEN ARCHITECT
Jackson Farm
Ariel View
1965
So stay tuned as this journey promises to be bumpy, crazy, and full of mistakes with some victories. This is about family, lifestyle and how our history can and should affect our modern world in positive ways.
Statler Gilfillen
Statler@outlook.com
StatlerProjects's Blog 
I grew up with the metal ‘T’ poles for our clothesline. So did my husband. So he never questioned me when everywhere I have lived, the first order of business was to set up a clothesline.
When my children were home and I was working full time, the only way I could keep up with laundry was to “put in a load” before bedtime; start the wash when I got up; hang out the laundry after breakfast and before I left for work; then take it in and fold it when I returned from work. Recently one of my younger (29 years old) neighbors stopped by midmorning, noticed my husband’s white T-shirts, underwear, sox, towels, etc. blowing in the breeze and commented “that is so quaint”. I cracked up! Here she is an advocate of the “green” lifestyle and thinks my habits are “quaint”.
I could teach a course in “green” living… not because I am necessarily “green”, but because I am so ultra thrifty (tight, some may say).
At any rate, I really enjoyed your blog and hope to read more as you progress.
As a trained energy manager I am often asked as how one can be “green” and “sustainable”. Often the conversation turns to solar PV and solar thermal, or ground source heat pumps, and other high tec energy generation devices. When I ask how their cloths are dried the reply usually is “with a (gas or electric) cloths dryer of course.” It is so ironic that there is little desire to alter or change lifestyle. Our society needs to recognise the implication of our wasteful ways. Life existed before cloths driers. Thanks for the topic of a SOLAR CLOTHS DRYER, aka the cloths line.
Your project embodies the vision that we are all part of a time capsule — and we have the responsibility for its preservation. Everything we do is a journey through time. This one is teaching us that the past is a mystery that we must understand and appreciate in order to understand ourselves.
Heya i am for the first time here. I came across this board and I in finding It truly helpful
& it helped me out much. I hope to offer one thing again and
help others like you helped me.
hello. I have an In-house in Fayetteville NC. Like to see some remodels done on this home. Thanks.
If you want to discuss renovating and remodeling you might want to contact me at: StatlerGilfillen at hotmail dot com
Sorry to post email this way but too many bots work too hard to gather email addresses to send too much spam. If you send email with name, address and phone I will call you.
Without a better understanding of what you are trying to do, it is hard for me to be of much help. Statler Gilfillen Architect MBA, creator and administrator of this web site.