Author, Hadley Cheris, Tryon Palace Facilities and Gardens
Tryon Palace, the historic grounds, and homes are both beautiful and impressive, but one cannot imagine how complex this site is to maintain. Often working behind the scenes or in the early morning hours before the site opens to the public, our Trades Group is responsible for maintaining 21 acres, including 40 structures, pathways, fences, and garden gates. This multitalented, dedicated crew of four, are the pillars of Tryon Palace’s preservation and repair tasks. They face a colossal mission that also runs very costly. Fortunately, recent state budget years have provided Tryon Palace with additional funding that allows for adding contracting options to supplement our staff in their efforts to get these projects accomplished. Though many of these buildings and locations are so specific that they require that the work remains in-house.
The scheduling and preparation for making these repairs can even be daunting. Trades must work closely with our Collections and Education Branches to make sure changes are made in ways that keep our collections protected and don’t disturb our daily tours. Materials used must be appropriate and comply with historical preservation guidelines as much as possible. To assure this, Trades must consult with our state and local preservation offices, as well as other historic sites with similar buildings prior to purchasing material or beginning the repair. What looks like a simple door repair can transform into a multi-day project due to custom sizes, material availability and need for specific crafting to match an existing frame.
The breadth of the work Trades is responsible for does not just revolve around what is in full view. Behind the scenes, the modern HVAC system for Mattocks Hall in the North Carolina History Center, built in 2010, requires regular changing of more than 40 air filters. That’s just one of the seven systems in that building!
Many hands and many generations have helped build and sustain Tryon Palace from the original Palace to the Reconstruction to today. Like the process of our downtown revitalization, incremental changes can seem slow, but we hope you’ll celebrate with us, one window, one shutter, and a fence at a time!
Come visit us!