Thanksgiving gives us a chance to reflect about what we're grateful for. And this year, our Thanksgiving shout-out goes to Doug Wilkins, our Properties Manager.
Doug pays keen attention to the historic porch columns, ceiling medallions, door hardware, and fireplace mantels across the Jefferson Avenue Center campus. He has repaired inlaid wood flooring, rebuilt solariums and porches, laid brick walks, and restored more historic windows than we can count.
He appreciates that preservation is retaining what is existing. Once something is lost, it is very expensive to recreate. Some of Doug's most valuable contributions come from the routine and preventative maintenance he performs — which will save thousands in potential costs.
Most individuals in the building trades, when faced with maintaining and preserving an historic property, do not have the necessary specialized skills and knowledge. So with the best of intentions, they rely on their knowledge of modern construction practices. That approach often causes irreparable damage to the historic fabric.
Which makes us all the more grateful for Doug's expertise and dedication to the Jefferson Avenue Center.
Bonus: If you need a contractor with preservation expertise, we have a great resource at the Jefferson Avenue Center campus. Susan Keeny, the Home Preservation Program Director at Columbus Landmarks Foundation, would be happy to make her list of resources available to you.