John Grave 2 lived in the original house in 1685. Around 1711 he added an addition with massive fireplaces built by slaves from Guilford. The caps were damaged and collapsed in the Summer of 2021.Thanks to a Bauer Grant, new one and one/half inch bluestone caps were fitted and secured. Read more »
Deacon John Grave Barn Gets A New Paint Job
Some restoration and painting were completed recently on the Bar It was first power washed, stripped and one full coat of grey oil primer was applied. Two coats of latex completed the job. Thanks to the Summerhill Foundation for its generous grant. Read more »
Deacon John’s Family Members Visit the Old Homestead
Although the Deacon’s House has rested quietly during the pandemic, it opened up on July 8th, a Grave House board member showcased the home to visiting family members. Melanie Graves Lopez from Oregon joined Michael D. Graves from Maine for the tour. Read more »
The Barn Gets New Sills and Gutter
In September, Sarens Builders and Remodeling of Clinton replaced all the rotten window sills, which were then sealed and painted. The construction team also removed the rotten gutter on the south side of the barn and replaced it with a colonial-style cedar wood gutter with copper lining. This project was […] Read more »
A New Holiday Tradition
A Journey Through Time – The Lantern Tour On a mild evening, December 14th the Deacon John Grave Foundation together with the Madison Historical Society and students from Daniel Hand High School offered special house tours in the Madison Historical District. Over 100 people participated. Groups of 10 visitors with […] Read more »
The New Barn Roof Is Finished
A new cedar roof was installed on the Deacon John Grave property barn located in the Historical District in Madison. The barn is used for education programs, community events, and storage. It houses a collection of colonial tools and the original 1685 floor from the second story of the house. […] Read more »
Grave House Interior Project Completed
In early February 2017, the Martinez Painting Company finished the three week intensive job of repair, restoring, and painting the inside of our treasured house. A select group from the Foundation reviewed the original restoration records to insure the job conformed in all details including paint colors. This group daily […] Read more »
Exterior and Window Project is Complete
The exterior house and window project is now complete. The job took around six weeks and, without question, conformed to our highest standards. The exterior was gently power washed and some parts lightly sanded. Some clapboards required repair. The entire House was primed and followed by two coats of bark […] Read more »
Fall Work on the Barn and Annex Completed
A significant Project was finished in late October with renovation, repair and painting of Barn and Annex. Both properties are crucial components in the DJG Foundation’s infrastructure. Martinez Painting Co. was selected by bid and expertise to do the work. The mid 1800 Barn is used for storage and provides […] Read more »