Captain Roland Roberts House

Project Description:
There is probably no finer example of early and mid-nineteenth century Loyalist architecture on any of the 700 islands and 2,500 cays that make up the Bahamas than the Captain Roland Roberts house. Located on Green Turtle Cay, one of several small cays off the coast of Abaco Island 180 miles from the coast of South Florida, the home was built by local shipwrights and carpenters. While the exact date of construction cannot be verified, the house is thought to be 160 years old. The house had fallen into a severe state of disrepair, including the effects of a 1932 hurricane that knocked it four feet from its foundation when it was struck by another house. The project also included restoration of a 12’ x 8’ outbuilding that had been used as a kitchen for the main house.

We were selected for this restoration project not only for our mechanical expertise, but also for the reputation we have established for detailed project planning and ability to handle complex logistical issues.

Planning:
Our initial planning was actually a function of our pre-bid inspection of the property. This inspection yielded a detailed projection of both materials and project work. The time period between submitting our proposal and the time we were actually awarded the project was used to create a logistical plan for the fabrication and transportation of materials to the job site. Once the job was awarded, we returned to the Bahamas with our wood fabricator to prepare a detailed bill of materials.

The primary challenge of the project lay in the restoration to the original shape and size of a wide range of wood components. Each component of the house was carefully evaluated and catalogued in order to complete as much of the custom fabrication in our Ohio-based woodworking shop to later be shipped in crates to the job site. While a high percentage of the wood fabrication was complete in Ohio, we identified the need for job site woodworking. Consequently, arrangements to ship a full complement of woodworking equipment to the Bahamas were made.

Project Execution:
All materials were crated and shipped to West Palm Beach, Florida. They then traveled by ship to Green Turtle Cay for unloading. The crates were transported to the job site, one at a time. Crate transportation required 16, 6-mile round-trips. A three-man crew (including a project manager and two craftsmen) traveled from our Piqua, Ohio location to the job site. This crew maintained eight-day shifts at the job site, returning to Ohio for three days before returning to the job site. The balance of the work crew included carpenters, painters and laborers who were hired locally as stipulated in our contract. Our opportunity to train these local workers in restoration techniques proved to be one of the most gratifying aspects of the project.

The project was completed ahead of schedule and below budget.

Summary:
Though this project unfolded over a two and a half year period (from initial inspection, proposal and execution) and posed one of the greatest logistical challenges we had ever presented, we feel it to be one of the most striking we’ve ever completed. We feel we made a significant contribution to local history by breathing new life into a grand structure that had experienced nearly terminal deterioration.

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Awards:
Associated Builders and Contractors Regional Award of Excellence