A high priority for the year 2003 was to reopen the cottage for tours by re-installing the front entrance to the Hemmer Cottage. Putnam Construction was awarded the contract (photo left) and finished the work by Memorial Day with the help of our excavator Claude Lecours (photo center). Parging of the basement work was completed. Next came the scaffling to start work on the roof. (photo right)

Rodney Snyder (left in the 1st photo above), a metal roof restoration expert from Thendara, NY,  spent several hundred hours removing the old tar and paint. Two new coats of paint were then applied followed by a sealer coat. Later in the summer, Rodney returned to shore up the chimney bricks that were dismantled in order to move the cottage down Park Avenue below utility lines a year ago. 

Truckloads of topsoil arrived once all the painting was completed. Jim Capron of Capron's Landscaping in Old Forge, NY (photo left) began to grade the site, install a watering system to insure the success of the new lawn, plant trees and shrubs, and construct protective fencing. Lecours Contractors were now ready to grade the parking area and brought in truckloads of crushed stone. With days - the new lawn was sprouting! Dust stopped flying into the windows of the cottage during tours! Bob Clonan and others donated all the electrical work (photo center). Team members toured our Syracuse based architect and Codes Enforcement Officer Andy Getty. (photo right). 

The volunteers on in the photo above left are from the Camp Gorham YMCA program. They are removing paint from the new recycled sign post pole - formerly located on Route #28 near the Bald Mountain trailhead. The trailhead leads to private property and is no longer maintained by the DEC. Lynn University, owners of the antique store where the pole was located kindly donated it for our new Hemmer Cottage Sign - also donated by local sign painter John Drexillus of the Fulton Chain Gift Shop on Main Street. John design the new sign (photo right) from a photo of a sign that was originally located at the Hemmer Cottages on Park Ave. (photo center)

Work parties were held at the cottage every Friday during July and August. The YMCA volunteers provided tons of energy and enthusiasm for our project and donated many hours washing windows, floors, paint scraping, watering plants, and even help with clerical work.

August came with two major events on our calendar - August 10th we held our second annual Taste of the Fulton Chain Cruise onboard the Uncas. Nearly twenty local restaurants donated signature dishes for our 100 special guests to sample. Entertainment was provided by Audrey Crafts. Thanks to our hosts - Chris & Lollie Weeks, nearly $2,000 was raised to help pay our summer bills. On August 16th - we were ready for a ribbon cutting Dedication Party. Chip Kiefer, a Hemmer Team member, served as Master of Ceremonies. (photo center) Among the distinguished guests were members of the Hemmer and Williams Families - former owners of the cottage (photo left), and Sarah & Linda Cohen (photo right), who donated the property the property to the Town of Webb Historical Association.

New Roof - New Lawn - New Driveway - New Sign - Repaired Chimney - Reinstalled Entrance - Utilities - Beautiful Landscaping
Every dollar donated to our restoration project has been matched with an equal amount of donated in-kind services from scores of volunteers. We sincerely thank all the donors to Hemmer Cottage and look forward to your continued support for our plans to utilize the cottage to interpret our unique Adirondack history.