Shutters

Front (south) side of John Smith Home
without shutters

Yesterday, Elder Bowen from Riverton, Utah helped me install 34 shutters on 17 windows of the John Smith home. John Smith was the uncle of Joseph Smith Jr. He was the brother of the prophet's father.

The outside of the home has a stucco finish. A very old black and white photo of the home showed that it had dark colored shutters. So Facilities Management wanted shutters made and I was given tlhe assignment to make them.

East and south side of John Smith Home
without shutters

I took me almost three weeks to make the shutters and have the paint shop paint them. I also had to get the Heating, Air Conditioning and Ventalation Department to to make copper caps for the shutters to protect them from the wet of rain and snow.

Fred installing upstairs shutter

John Smith Home with new shutters

Installation of the shutters on the ground level windows only required the use of a step ladder. However, the second story windows were a different story. Trying to use  ladders for those windows wasn't practical because of having to drill holes in the brick and rock and holding the shutters while screwing them in place required two people and that wouldn't work on a ladder. The ground has been thawing and is becoming quite soft. Using the "Genie" lift with it's extended arm wasn't possible because of it's weight. So, I suggested that we use the big CAT fork lift that can extend to to about 25 feet. We have a basket that can be used with the fork lift. The basket will easily hold two men, our tools and some of the shutters. Using the fork lift, we could reach the second story windows without having to drive on the lawn.

John Smith Home with new shutters

While here in Nauvoo, along with other projects, I have made and installed 62 shutters for 31 windows. Those shutters were for the Coolidge and Smith homes plus two windows on the Carthage Visitor Center.