So, one of the mysteries now has an answer… For years, the history of Proctor Place included this claim:
“The footings of the house are of brick-five rows of brick all around, in fact, making the footing about two feet and going deeper that has yet been reached by anyone.“
Last week, during a geotechnical study, we finally put that story to the test. An excavator and a pair of engineers explored the site and foundation walls—and they actually reached the bottom. It’s deep: just over 48 inches down, they hit the base, revealing a four-step brick footer.
The main foundation walls are five wythes thick, but near the bottom, they spread gradually—six, then seven, eight, and finally nine. Structurally, that’s impressive. The good news is that the house was exceptionally well built for its time, probably even a bit unusual, perhaps in part due the soil conditions they encounter here.
The bad news? That same depth and design make restoration more expensive. Not a surprise at this point—if you’ve followed this project, you know the theme has been one curveball (and one cost) after another. Still, I’ve got a solid team on my side, and if there’s a smart way to tackle this next phase, they’ll find it.
That’s it for now—progress is slow, but planning continues.
