Question, Queen Anne beadboard, Georgian columns or cleanup and keep it all? Change beadboard to panels? Change columns to posts? Door is being replaced.

Congratulations on becoming it's caretaker!

First step is to do lots of research. Try to find more old pictures of the house. Find out if there are any similar houses in the area and look at them. Look up what was popular and common at the time the house was built. Peruse old post on this site. Our job is to restore these old beauties for future generations.

Make sure the house is watertight and do any emergency repairs. Then live in it a while, usually it takes a year then you'll have a much better idea of what needs to be done.

Here's another tip. Don't throw away anything original that could be reinstalled. As an example of what not to do - a PO of my almost 200 year old house destroyed all the exterior shutters, nothing was wrong with them he just decided he didn't want them.

Also for things that were previously removed go to restoration type places for replacements. There's nothing like original stuff for the quality and appearance.

Good golly, I never put enough info. In, as I rarely post my own... We've been taking a room at a time for 25 years, raised kids, and lived. I've done as much of the research as possible, including talking to the centurian who was cousins with the original family 10 years ago. I took lots of notes! We've improved and historically restored many features. When boards were rotted, DH had cutters made and remilled. When we did the back portion we milled the front trim work to match.

I'm flummoxed about this particular transition space. It litterally connects the back with the front. This area is part of the 1898 addition. A few years ago I consulted a professional from UVA. He basically said, it's a Victorian farmhouse, there's no right answers, just wrong! I think we've done well with no wrong, now I'm looking for best ;^) The beadboard goes into center hall and under steps. So, that means I keep it, lower it to match center hall or out it goes? Doric columns stay or gets replaced with largeish round or paneled square posts, Victorian like.....

There's a twin 15 minutes away to ours except it is 10% larger, just like you hit the 10% on the copier!

I can't that you guys enough for taking the time to advise!

Thanks Raye :^) Crazy isn't it? We found one of the original fluted columns from the side porch in the woods!!? We had interior shutters, now those are what I would love to get my hands on....none of those in the woods. I'm crazy enough that I've kept paint chips off the inside and outside of the house. What's nice now about restoring is Craig's list and Ebay. No one wants our time period anymore!

...and what's up with all the nails everywhere?

If you have not already, check out the architect Frank Furness.

Thank you! Doing that next :^)