As we proceeded with the restoration of the McDonald Mansion a major element of work was the replacement of the original, long ago removed, cresting, that had mostly rotted away. The original house had two tier cresting on the roof. The new cresting is made from a material called Azek and is CNC milled to the original patterns. Azek is made from cellular PVC, a form of plastic and the cresting was routed out of 4' x 8' sheets of Azek. A CNC router (computer numerical control) is a router that is controlled by computer aided design software, which allows you to create almost any pattern you would desire. Imagine, back in the day, cutting these shapes by hand with a scroll saw. In the era of this house the use of steam powered scroll saws were being introduced, which helped, but was still quite a task.
The roof cresting, sometimes referred to as "gingerbread" is a major ornamentation on this old house. Gingerbread is a term for the ornate scroll-sawn ornaments that was first used on Gothic Revival houses. This type of fine craftsmanship is prevalent in San Francisco. A premier example of this is the "Wedding Cake House" in Kennebunkport, Maine.
The cresting on McDonald Mansion is softly lit at night with energy efficient LED lights. At night this gives a spectacular crowning on
the house. The upper flat portion of the roof is surrounded by cresting which creates a walk area with fantastic views. The second inner and higher cresting walls doubles as a screen to shield the roof mounted mechanical equipment from being seen.
Here are more pictures of cresting, because pictures speak better than words.
Yes, it is time for the Rural Cemetery Historical Ball at the McDonald Mansion. It is set for July 24, 2010, with period attire required. You can contact the City of Santa Rosa Parks and Recreation Department for tickets. Music performed by Brass Works, a band specializing in historical balls. Catered by Legends. Docent led tours of McDonald Mansion will be given . Photos of guests will be taken by Jon Stiffler. See you on the beautiful grounds of McDonald Mansion.
Enjoy your surroundings,
McDonald Mansion Mart
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