Engineer recommends exposing and preserving core log walls of Sumner County’s Brown House; preliminary estimate $119,800

Sumner County’s Brown House ad hoc committee heard a condition assessment and a set of preservation recommendations at its May 22 meeting, including exposing original log walls, applying an exterior oil sealer and new chinking, and bringing existing utilities up to code. The consultant’s preliminary line-item work and fees shown to the committee add to about $119,800, though the presenter said final costs will depend on what is revealed once brick veneer and interior finishes are removed.

The engineering notes read into the record recommended “expose the log wall inside and out and fix the issues noted above,” apply an exterior oil sealer, install new chinking throughout the house, and “demo the 1960s edition” (the later brick-veneered section) while preserving the 1830s log addition. The presenter summarized the consultant’s overall condition score as “about a 6½ to 7,” and told the group the house is “salvageable” but that unknowns remain until the brick and some interior finishes are removed for inspection.

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