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Thirty Years of Historic Restoration
 Architectural Reclamation, Inc. was established in 1977, incorporated 1-1-82. Since 1977, we have worked
as a general contractor, primarily on restoration and rehabilitation of historic structures. To complete
these projects, we use modern materials off the shelf, fabricate new materials to match the old and reuse old materials salvaged
from demolished buildings. When necessary to achieve the desired effect, we have learned traditional crafts
and used tools common to an earlier time in history.
We are a small family business
run by brothers Andy and Bruce Stewart, who personally supervise and physically work on each project. Susan Stewart
(Andy's wife) fills the role of CEO and takes care of office functions. Because of this personal involvement, we are
limited in the size of projects we can complete. It's not unusual for us to be backlogged with work (or to be nervous
about if and when the next set of jobs will materialize.)
Noteworthy Projects Include:
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Ed's Barn - 2009 Barn of the
Year Privately owned, Belbrook, OH The new owner
had a vision for this circa 1851 German style
bank barn when he entrusted us with its complete restoration in 2008. In addition to making necessary repairs to
the original frame, we strengthened the structure to enable it to be used as a place of public assembly. Extensive
foundation repairs, new white oak siding and a new standing seam meatal roof (installed to allow the original wood shakes
show from underneath) cormpleted the transformation. "Ed's Barn" was designated 2009 Barn of the Year
for agricultural use by the Friends of Ohio Barns and in August, 2009, it opened to the public as the centerpiece
of Adventure Acres, an agri-entertainment facility featuring corn mazes, a pumpkin
patch, hayrides and other family activities.
Delhi Springhouse Restoration Owner:
Delhi Township Board of Trustees, Cincinnati, OH Architect: John Shueler, RA, Preservation Architecture
Services Team
This stone
springhouse and the spring inside were significant to the early settlement of the western side of Cincinnati. The restoration
involved first photographing, mapping and numbering each stone, then completely dismantling the building and surrounding
retaining walls, excavating and re-grading the area to provide parking, installing reinforced footers and then reconstructing
the building and walls stone by stone. The roof was replaced with a timber frame structure replicating the original.
Old timber doors and windows were repaired or replicated, and the spring is once again allowed to flow as it has for centuries,
but without causing an impediment to foot or road traffic (and with a specially constructed channel to allow safe passage
of endangered cave salamanders). This project received a preservation award from the Ohio Historic Preservation Office.
Completed 2005 
Aullwood Farm Barn and Sugar House, Dayton, OH Owner: Aullwood Audubon Center and Farm Director: Charity
Krueger After Aullwood’s
historic timber frame barn was destroyed by fire in 1987, we were engaged to dismantle, move and reconstruct another similar
old barn on the foundation of the original Aullwood Farm barn. We carefully numbered all the pieces, dismantled the
frame, moved the pieces, repaired rotten or damaged timbers, “stretched” the frame two feet so that it would fit
the foundation and re-erected the frame. We then applied a new wood shingle roof and poplar siding,
custom made doors, louvers, cupolas, stairs, railings, partitions, stalls, etc. all in the style of fine barns of this area
in the 19th century. In 2009, we returned to Aullwood to make repairs and perform maintenance on the barn and
to refurbish Aullwood’s “Sugar House” with new siding, a new standing seam roof, custom made doors and a
more “volunteer friendly” way to open and close the clerestory vents. Over the years we have relocated and
restored numerous historic barns, including the Pioneer
Farm Museum Barn at Hueston Woods State Park. We also made the timber frame repairs to the Roberts Covered Bridge in Eaton, OH after it was heavily damaged by
fire. 
Old Waynesville Lock-up,
Waynesville, OH Owner: Village of Waynesville Jeff Wray, AIA, Jeff Wray Architects, Inc., Dayton, OH
This historic fire station and jail was renovated as part of the Ohio Scenic Byways program. The
work included replicating the original belfry, extensive excavation and drainage work, masonry restoration, interior woodwork,
plaster repairs, window and door restoration, HVAC, electrical and lighting, a steel walkway, putting bars back on windows
to the cells (now accessible restrooms), installation of conference facilities, including a serving kitchen and retractable
projection screen, and custom made plate glass sub-entry creating an energy efficient pedestrian entrance, while retaining
the original fire engine sized doors. |
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1805
Franklin Log Post Office Owner: Franklin Area Historical Society This historic building, which sits just one
block from our office, played a part in Andy and Bruce’s decision pursue historic preservation. The two brothers, fresh out of college, took on the
challenge of stabilizing the building shortly after it was moved to its present location in the 1970’s. Thirty
years later, they had the opportunity to finish the job in the fashion the building deserved. Special features included
preserving sections of the original painted and wall papered surfaces, making exact replicas of interior moldings from samples
found stuffed between the logs, custom fabrication of a corner cupboard, designed to conceal a video monitor, and fabrication
of a store fixture used to illustrate the function of the building as general store, post office, trading post and early communications
center. The logs on the first floor were repainted with an authentic whitewash, made from goat milk supplied by 4-H
members. As members of the historical society, we continue to take part in this building’s preservation.
Before After
Trinity United Church of Christ, Miamisburg,
OH Architect: Bruce
Goetzman, AIA, Preservation Architecture Services Team
Over a period of about three years,
we participated in a major restoration and upgrade, preparing this fine church building for its second century of use. The
project involved going over practically every square foot of the old half of the building, making structural and cosmetic
repairs, strengthening the steeple and bell carriage, custom made iron staircase for the steeple, cleaning and strengthening stained
glass windows, repositioning interior stained glass windows and designing and building an effective back lighting system,
replicating and restoring woodwork and finishes, reinforcing the curved
sanctuary ceiling, repairing plaster, painting and preparing
for stenciling of the sanctuary walls and ceiling, extensive electrical upgrade, lighting, and installation of a concealed
retractable projection screen, preserving the historic sanctuary appearance while allowing for a contemporary service.
Aullwood Barn 2009 
Aullwood Sugar House 
Roberts Bridge 
Kemper
Museum Complex Heritage Village Museum, Sharon Woods Park, Cincinnati, Ohio Director: Bing Spitler Owner: National Society
of the Colonial Dames of America in the State of Ohio
In 1998 we completed the construction of a stone kitchen to replace one that had existed prior
to 1830, adjacent to the Kemper Log House. Using letters and memoirs from members of the Kemper family, we designed
the kitchen to be as close to the original design as possible and yet to meet today’s fire and building codes.
This very small building features 18" thick stone walls, a working cooking fireplace and hearth, a working beehive oven,
and a sleeping room upstairs. We served bread baked in the oven at the dedication of this kitchen. More recently, we
built a “snake style” split rail fence to surround the complex and a hand split picket fence for the kitchen garden.
Over the years, we have also performed various repair and maintenance chores on the Kemper
Log House and other buildings in the Village.
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Lane Public Library,
Hamilton, OH Owner: Lane Public Library Board of Trustees Architect: Randy Stephens, AIA, Steed Hammond Paul, Inc., Hamilton, OH
As a subcontractor to Mardis & Meehan Construction (Covington,
KY), we served as restoration carpenters for the original part of the library, a gothic structure built in the 1860's, while
the general contractor completed a major renovation and expansion of the library. Our contract mainly involved
restoring and reproducing the ornate woodwork of this octagonal building. On the outside, we restored/rebuilt
the box gutters and frieze, stripped, restored and reconstructed three entries, built a curved awning over the front entrance,
and completely rebuilt the octagonal cupola which had been destroyed in the early 1900's. On the inside,
the greatest challenge was reproducing missing portions of the arched window trim: not only were the moldings arched, their
profile was semi-circular and the arches intersected one another. We also supervised the restoration of
the original finish on the old wood trim. doors.
Before 
After 
Residential
Work In addition to
these commercial or publicly owned projects, we have helped many homeowners to solve the old-house problems they felt that
they could not tackle alone. These projects have ranged from simply matching a missing piece of historic
woodwork to whole house restorations. We have built Shaker style cabinetry to set off the "real thing,"
replicated whole houses' woodwork from a few remnants of original material, strengthened sagging floor joists, repaired
and relined box gutters, installed wood shingle and standing seam metal roofs, designed and built additions and garages that
are modern in function but appear compatible with the historic homes, repaired plaster walls and ceilings, repointed brick
and stone work, and helped to preserve the usefulness of deteriorating outbuildings. On many occasions
we have worked along with the owners, taking on only the more complicated or heavy jobs and leaving the owners with what they
felt comfortable doing themselves.
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Restoration and Fabric Stabilization of Wright Cycle Co., Dayton,
OH Owner: Aviation
Trail, Inc. Architect: Gaede Serne Zofcin Architects,
Inc., Cleveland, OH
The initial phases of the restoration of the only remaining
original Wright Brothers’ Cycle Shop included storefront reconstruction, custom made doors, windows and trim, repair
and re-glazing of original windows, removal of paint from bricks, brick replacement and repointing, complete reconstruction
of an early addition, removal of original flooring, strengthening of joist system and relaying of original floor, carpentry,
plastering, drywall, plumbing, HVAC, electrical, wood shingle roof, soffit repairs, gutters, downspouts. This structure is now part of the
Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park, Dayton, OH. We also were involved in the initial restoration
of the Paul Lawrence Dunbar House, which is part of the National Historical Park.
Private Residence - Germantown, OH 
Cornice work, Private Residence - Waynesville, OH 
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