Electrical Upgrade Project Update – Week Seven

Beaumont, TX; March 15, 2023 – The seventh week of the McFaddin-Ward House’s electrical project saw the completion of light fixture removal throughout the house, continuation of wiring on the second floor, and the beginning of repairs on the third floor.

Wrapping up weeks of careful removal work and meticulous documenting, Oak Grove Restoration Company brought down the house’s final chandelier – the extremely delicate glass beauty in the Library – without a hitch. All 98 historic light fixtures are ready for pickup by Crenshaw Lighting, whose team will be transporting them to Virginia for rewiring and refurbishment in the coming week. 

Electricians from Newtron Electrical Services began work wiring the west side of the second floor, starting in the Blue Bedroom’s adjoining bathroom and working north through the Pink Bedroom. The wall sconces in the Blue Bedroom were tricky to access. The crew opted to make cuts on the bathroom-side of the adjoining wall to reach them to avoid cutting the bedroom’s wallpaper, which is a meticulous reproduction of the original. Additionally, cuts made to access the ceiling fan on the Sleeping Porch provided an up-close look at the fixture’s original knob and tube wiring.

With electrical work focused on the lower floors, Oak Grove returned to the third floor to begin repair work, reinstalling all door trim and baseboards and repairing floor boards that were removed to provide access to run wiring.