Hearthside - The House That Love Built

Installation of new handicap ramp greets visitors for the 2007 season

While Hearthside was closed during the winter months, a major change was taking place outside. Finally, a handicap ramp has been installed, which will now make it easier for elderly and those having difficulty walking on the uneven stone pathway leading to the front porch and climbing the steep steps. And for some handicap persons, they will now be able for the first time to enjoy a visit to Hearthside. The completion of a long-awaited handicap ramp comes just as Hearthside is preparing to open for the season on Saturday, March 10th with an Open House. Access to the ramp is on the northwest side of the house, where a car may pull right up next to it.

The installation of this ramp was made possible through a $2,500 legislative grant sponsored by Rep. William McManus and administered by the Friends of Hearthside. Additionally, donations in the form of construction and design were provided by Lincoln contractor, Dan Bracewell and John Scanlon, site manager at Hearthside and a preservationist. Teknor Apex donated skid-proof rubber carpeting for the length of the ramp.

Through consultation with the RI Historical Preservation and Cultural Commission, careful consideration was given to the design and installation of the ramp as it relates to the historic integrity of the house. John Scanlon stated that it was important not to have the ramp alter the original design of the house by being attached to it, so he designed it to be a separate and removable piece of equipment.

One prominent feature of the ramp is the white paneling at the head of it where it lines up with the front porch. This replicates what had been an integral part of the original design of the house, but which no longer exists. At the top of the 4–pillared, 2-story front portico of Hearthside is a dormer which repeats the curve of the roof and which had been surrounded by a balustrade that was destroyed by a toppled tree during the 1938 hurricane. A small section of the balustrade is now replicated on the handicap ramp. A postcard image from the turn-of-the-century is on display showing Hearthside with the commanding appearance of the original balustrade along the roofline of the house.

While the second floor is not handicap accessible, guides are available to give visitors a sense of what the upstairs tour is like through both verbal and written information as well as photographs.

 

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