Our building, on the left, dates from the mid 1800's.
It's been a hat shop, a grocery, a copy shop among other things and had a "men's club" on the second floor for a while . . .
Titmus Optical purchased the building in 1906 and did a lot of renovation, including cutting a large hole through the center of the place for a lightwell. This caused some serious structural issues for us.
The front of the building as we found it.
As we found it - pidgeon shit and more pidgeon shit... stairs to the third floor.
Alain working to reveal the heart pine floors.
We re-purposed as much material from the demolition as we could.
Everything was recycled or reused.
Some beautiful wall paper here and there.
Lathe and more lathe . . . There are holes the size of cotton bales (upper right) on all three floors that have been quite handy for re/moval of material.
Decorative tin ceilings were sadly torn up for non-decorative drop ceilings.
The plaster was in bad shape and we ended up removing all of it.
Doors and windows had been returned to their original locations.
Our temporary electrical panel - portable yet sturdy (took a little effort to get that past the code guy).
The hole in the building created by Titmus required new structural beams - an engineering feat for Alain.
Replacing the wooden floor in the entry way.
Lathe through the second floor view of the loading shaft.
Rotten beams, now gone.
Missing a third of the floor here.
Repairing a beam and a beam pocket.
Simultaneous efforts on the walls, floors, windows. Brick, wood, concrete and plaster.
Continued assessment and occasional breaks.
Ruby, my redbone coonhound, a constant companion during renovation.
View from the courtyard into what was supposed to be the summer kitchen but what is now my print shop. Windows and a large french door will provide light into this space and a view out to the garden.
This is in our now uncovered courtyard. Alain setting up underground electrical feed.  
Second floor - plaster removal (it was all dropped into the basement and tamped down to level the ash pockets from a fire prior to the current structure.
Strange configuration in the back stairway?
Removal of all the knob and tube wiring and old water pipes.
Plaster removal contraption.
New stair stringers.
New stairs from the second floor to the entryway.
The second floor "Men's Club" with stairs to the third floor in view.
Windows in the back of the second floor, what is now our bedroom. That ceiling doesn't look so good.
Third floor, guest room - note loading shaft.
Back wall of the third floor, where my studio will be. There are bricked up windows behind all that.
Widows revealed in my studio. These walls were built out and insulated.
Brick removed, now it is a room with a view!
Studio move-in begins.
Alain mending spaces continually.
Window before (he rebuilt them).
Windows after.
Alain taking on a few side jobs along the way - porch parts for a friend.
When son Daniel visits (or anyone else for that matter), we put them to work!
Well we found in the basement - has clear water and who knows what else.
New stairs to the basement and window wells to the courtyard have been cleaned out.
All that rotten plaster from three floors found its way to the basement.
Level twice - newel post, tried floor.
Working on the wiring for the first floor.
Alain's brother, Paul, dressed as Alain - ready for work!
Hauling concrete for the kitchen counters.
Cement mixer in the kitchen!
Molds in place to pour counter tops.
Counter tops, stove, back splash... progress is being made!
Sink and dishwasher, we're getting there.
Starting to unpack some boxes.
My sister Martha came to visit from California.
The other side of the kitchen is the living room.
Beautiful morning light in the living room.
Living room, dog, and books - settling in.
Alain was interviewed recently for a film on Dennis Oppenheim's SCAN.
We are enjoying our spacious home.
Alain worked with Dennis in Michigan and Indiana.
The guestroom, third floor, ready for guests.
First floor commercial space ready for commerce (or more realistically, for us to store our plunder!)
View of the front of the first floor before the new storefront is installed.
Lovely warm afternoon light on the back of the house, second floor, bedroom.
I spent a few hours each week at a local laundry mat, yes I did.
Removing the shed roof off what will be our interior courtyard.
Fabricating new decorative ends out of zinc for the first floor pediment.
Alain making window lintels which he will stain to look like brownstone.
Our new front doors - significantly larger than the standard doors there before.
New columns for the storefront, 11.5' ea.
Repairing the gutters, restoring the cast iron, and installing the front windows.
Rented a lift and crossed our fingers for safety. All went well.
Alain and Darryl removing the glass from the storefront.
Alain and Darryl dismantling the aluminum casing and taking off the doors.
Almost gone.
Alain built a temporary wall in preparation for new storefront - new front doors are in.
Foundation for new front windows. 
Did someone write their name in this? Yes... they did.
New storefront with deep display space.
Alain building the casing for the windows.
Everything is crooked (except the windows), so some tricky construction here.
Everything ready for the windows to arrive.
Looks nice - will look even nicer with the windows!
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We are on an alley, which makes disposal of some goods easy.
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Big Al with his favorite toy - his Oliver planer.
Inspired by so many great examples in France, we are creating an interior courtyard. We've observed the patterns of sunlight and shade and are ready to pick plants! This space is on the first floor between my print shop and Alain's workshop, view is
A non fruiting cherry tree, 2 Japanese maples and a pizza oven in process! Everything in the new garden made it through this first winter.
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Cy
Free range dog walking every Sunday at Battlefield Park - my girl friends and I have a great habit of trekking year round; Cy sets the pace.
Here we are, fresh to Petersburg, full of hope, 2003.
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