The project took 15 months to complete, longer than the eight to nine months originally envisioned. The renovations included a new heating and cooling system, and the old house provided obstacles galore for the contractors. Surprises included a radiant heat system installed about 1945, and old wiring in the walls that was no longer up to code.
"Until you unpeel the onion, you don't know what you're up against," said contractor John Pilli, a member of the class of 1973.
The walls contained "the entire history of electrical plumbing and heating," he said.
Watt said they worked hard to keep the changes consistent with the history of the circa 1739 building, which included using bricks in the same style for the elevator addition as in other parts of the house.
The building is the oldest Georgian mansion in Annapolis and boasts the first cantilevered stairs - stairs that jut out from walls and require no underlying support - in the United States.
The house has undergone several additions and restorations: Maryland Gov. Samuel Ogle began renting the townhouse in 1747, and the family added a ballroom in 1776. After a fire in 1921, another addition was added. After the alumni association bought the building in 1944, it dug out the basement to add a bar the next year. Another fire led to repairs in 1971, and the last change was a brick patio added to the back of the house in 1997.
The association now plans smaller changes to enhance the building, including turning the tap room into an alumni center with conference room space by the fall and upgrading the kitchen. The original pine flooring, worn out over the years, needs to be restored.
It was important to get the major changes done before he left, said Watts, who will take a post at the College of Charleston in September. All the building needs now is "simple attention and loving care."
karen.shih@baltsun.com
