GRAND MASTER'S
WORK PROJECT
FINISHING THE HOUSE
updated 4/29/01
www.gmwp.org/2001/finishing.html
On Thursday February 22, Brother Hoke Culbertson (PM 038) installed the light fixtures. On Saturday February, the McElroy family (future homeonwers), assisted by East Fork Lodge #460 Senior Warden Brother Gordon Whorley and Marie Pierce painted the house's walls. Brothers Worley and Boduch also installed the kitchen wall cabinets. Brother Tom Boduch also wired the electrical switches and receptacles. Union Lodge #38 Secretary (and oldest living Past Master), Brother Henry Wattenbarger painted the baseboard, and was assisted by long time Roane County HFH volunteer, Mary "mud hen" Skyes.
On Monday February 26, Union Lodge #38 Junior Warden Terry Jones wired the electrical panel to the meter base. He was assisted by Union Lodge Fellowcraft Brother Darrell Lawson, who is shown in the photo at left driving in the grounding rod.
Brother Lawson had just received his Fellowcraft degree 2 days previously. After working on the house, Brothers Jones and Lawson retired to Union Lodge, and worked on Bro. Lawson's Fellowcraft Lecture!!!
Later that evening, Roane County HFH volunteers Roy Hill (left in photo at right) and Max Whalen hung the interior doors. The McElroy family then began painting the doors and window frames, and continued to do so during the subsequent week.
On Tuesday February 27, Brother Don Kirk (253--General Air Service Inc.) and his crew installed the heat and air unit, and completed the duct work.
On Saturday March 3, HFH Volunteers Franz Raetzer and Ed Brenner installed floor underlayment; afterward, Ron Kissling installed vinyl sheet flooring the kitchen, bathrooms and utility room. On Sunday March 4, Brother Herb Brinker and Brother Tom Boduch assembled kitchen base cabinets and bathroom vanities. Past Grand Master John Palmer also stopped by for a tour of the house and sub-division.
During the next week, Roy Hill and Max Whalen finished installing the interior doors. The McElroy family continued painting.
The house passed electrical inspection on Tuesday March 6; the electricity was turned on the next day. On Sunday March 11, Brother Tom Boduch installed bathroom vanities and turned the water on inside the house.
During the next week, the McElroy family finished painting doors and trim. On Friday March 16, Roy Hill and Max Whalen completed installing the baseboard and trim. On Saturday March 17, Brother Tom Boduch built the front steps. Assisted by Ed Brinner, the kitchen counter top was installed and appliances set in place (see photo at left).
The stove and refrigerator were donated by WHIRLPOOL CORPORATION. Whirlpool is currently donating a refrigerator and stove to EVERY HABITAT house built in the USA and Canada!!! Whirlpool began this program in 1998 and plans to continue it at least through 2004.
Whirlpool will deliver the appliances directly to the house. To facilitate construction however, Brother Steve Patterson (038) permits deliveries to be made to his appliance store (Patterson's Inc.). He will store the appliances until they're needed, and dispatches his crews to deliver them. He also donates a pig tail for the stoves.
On Tuesday March 27, Brother Pittman Beard (038) graded the lot and put down gravel for the driveway, while Ron Kissling installed the carpet.
The McElroy family had been living in a rented house in Rockwood. That old house (and several others nearby) are in the process of being renovated by The Housing Development Corporation of The Clinch Valley. Accordingly, the McElroys had to be out of their old home by April 1. Even though landscaping of their new home was not done, the McElroys moved in during the weekend of March 31-April 1.
On Monday and Tuesday April 9-10, Brother Pittman Beard delivered topsoil which donated by the 1st Baptist Church of Kingston. He is shown in the photo at right spreading it.
On Saturday April 14, landscaping work was begun. As shown in the photo at left, landscaping timbers were set and flower beds were built. Leading this work was Roane County HFH Vice-President Rev. Doug Hall. Also assisting were the McElroy Family, Tad Tadlock, Mary Sykes, Ed Brenner, Roane HFH homeowner (and board member) Aaron Morrow.
Landscaping continued on Saturday April 21 and April 28. On April 28, while work was being done, Roane HFH held its annual WALK-A-THON fundraising event. Also assisting in landscaping was a local Girl Scout Troop and the Oliver Springs High School Beta Club. The completed house is shwson in the photo at right.