Stan Hywet Hall and Garden Magazine - Fall/Winter 2008 - (Page 7)

r e s t o r at i o n o f s ta n h y w e t U sing these basic assumptions, the West Terrace was created as a place where the Seiberling family could entertain, relax and enjoy the view. As the focal point of the “backyard” of the Manor House, the West Terrace is a place of quiet beauty that ultimately connects to every other important garden on the Estate. Hidden from the stunning view is an elaborate water collection system built into one of the old quarry sites on the property. And like any old house, infrastructure deteriorates and needs repair. The restoration of the West Terrace is the third and last phase of the restoration of the storm water management system on the estate, which began in 2001. The goals of the project are twofold: 1) to move water away from the Manor House and, 2) to decrease dependency on Akron city water. Phase III, the final stage is the connective tissue. “This phase is the one that links all the previous work since 2001 into one homogeneous working system,” says Mark Gilles, Director of Historic Structures at Stan Hywet. Phase I included the restoration of the storm water management system for all areas from the service court (the Well) and north, including the Great Garden and the Lagoon. The Phase II restoration of the drainage system included areas to the south and east of the Manor House: the front of the house, the South Terrace and the Plane Tree Allée. Flooding in the Manor House basement has been an ongoing problem — due to hydrostatic pressure that causes water to be pushed through thick brick walls, an incorrectly completed drainage system, and sparse and wornout coal tar and felt waterproofing from the original construction. This is not the first restoration of the West Terrace. In the early 1990s, it was rebuilt with brick that did not match the original brick. The restoration in the 90s used harder cements in the mortar mix, which further weakened the foundation and brickwork. More importantly, this restoration did not address the more critical underlying problem of installing a drainage system to relieve the pressures behind the wall. Phase III Begins Design work (including bid documents and restoration documents) for Phase III has started. In the fall, the “pre-demolition” phase begins, when the paving stones on the West Terrace will be pulled, catalogued and stored. All the areas west of the Manor House (steps, walkways, balustrades and urns) will be carefully dismantled and stored like the paving stones so that the foundation drainage system can be reinstalled with new heavy-walled plastic drainage lines. This area includes the West Terrace, www.stanhywet.org the reflecting pool, West Terrace Overlook, Japanese Garden, the cistern, and the perennial garden near the balustrades. This area will be closed for construction until spring 2010. A major part of the rain water drainage system — the cistern and the Japanese Garden above it — will be restored. The Japanese Garden is on soil so shallow (just 24 inches) that roots from the overgrown trees in the garden have grown through the concrete and are visible in the ceiling inside the cistern. The cistern was used from 1915–1921 to collect water for the house and gardens. It is an intricate system of tanks that includes two holding tanks — each one can hold 100,000 gallons of water. When the Seiberlings lived at Stan Hywet, it was a labor-intensive system, because the holding tanks, which held potable water, had to be kept absolutely clean. In 1914, the Estate was connected to city water. Around 1921, the garden staff was cut, and the cistern ceased to be used as a water collection system. The cistern will be rebuilt and its function restored so that it can collect water from the roof of the Manor House to http://www.stanhywet.org

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Stan Hywet Hall and Garden Magazine - Fall/Winter 2008

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