Lots of restoration work completed this season at the Hollow

Ray Kleinhelter and his team of his son, Zack, and Charles Sledge, finished many tasks so far this summer and fall. Just last week they finished re-enforcing the foundation of the studio building by adding a post and beam truss system and then demolished and reconstructed the cinder block wall that had been crumbling away without destroying the upper brick wall that was so aesthetic. Now there are two means of support for the building so it won’t be going anywhere…. Additionally over the past weeks the iconic picture windows on the front of the house had been repaired to open and close again. These and the other windows had been reglazed and painted as well. The leak in the roof over the main entrance had been sealed and the damage to the ceiling and floor beneath repaired and replaced. And amazingly—as Ray was looking for some scrap masonite to use for the window repair—he discovered an old painting study of Harlan’s on riverboats that had been in the stack of scrap wood for years… Other tasks have been completed as well, such as both cistern systems cleaned and resurfaced, rails put on the balconies of the visitor cabin and the temporary gutters put on parts of the house and studio to drain water away from the foundations and to feed the cistern. Ray’s team hopes to complete the last task of the season and dig a trench to install a french drain system along the rear and side walls of the studio building to further assist in the drainage and remove water flow against the studio walls. Great progress!