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The one-time home of one of America’s most acclaimed poets is in need of a fresh coat of paint.
The New Hampshire Department of Resources and Economic Development is seeking contractors to paint the historic Robert Frost Homestead in Derry, NH.
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Craig Michaud / Wikimedia Commons |
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From 1900 to 1911, Robert Frost lived in this farmhouse in Derry, NH. The exterior surfaces will be painted.
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The farmhouse is named after its most famous former resident and four-time Pulitzer Prize winning poet Robert Frost. Frost recognized the rural setting as inspiring many of his works.
Bids are due June 20. A mandatory pre-bid meeting will be held on June 10.
Scope of Work
The contractors will clean and paint exterior wood trim, siding and all other surfaces that have been previously painted.
The siding, wood trim, cornerboards, eaves, rakes, door and window casings, and the front door that is facing main road Route 28 will all be painted with a two-coat system of exterior latex gloss in white. The remaining doors and barn doors will receive the same system in a shade of green. Wood surfaces will also receive a coat of exterior grade alkyd wood primer under the acrylic latex.
Porch flooring and steps will be painted with two coats of gray colored, 100 percent acrylic enamel designed for porch and step surfaces. Contractors should scrape previously painted surfaces prior to painting application.
The scope of work also includes re-glazing windows, but will not include any carpentry repairs. If extensive repair or replacement needs are discovered by the contractor, the project manager should be notified and repairs will be performed by the State Park Maintenance Crew.
Homestead History
Built in 1884 by Nathaniel G. Head, the simple L-shaped two-story clapboard farmhouse became home to Frost and his family in 1900. Following eviction from another home over unpaid rent, Frost’s wife Elinor had convinced Frost’s grandfather, William Prescott Frost, Sr., to purchase the 30-acre farm for $1,700.
Though the Frosts sold the farm in 1911, Frost attributed many of his poems to the memories of his time on the farm. Frost later became the first Poet Laureate of Vermont and the first representative of the literary arts community to speak at a presidential inauguration.
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Library of Congress |
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Robert Frost attributed many of his poems to the memories of his time on the farm.
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The homestead was acquired by the state in 1965, and a $30,000 grant from the state legislature financed a full renovation in 1974.
Meticulous detail was taken to restore the property to its appearance during the time of the Frost family’s residency with the help of his daughter Lesley Frost Ballantine and family photographs, even identifying and locating period wallpaper patterns.
The home opened for public viewing in 1975 and remains in seasonal operation as a museum offering tours, displays, a walking trail, and poetry readings.
The museum is supported by the Division of Parks and Recreation, the Robert Frost Homestead Trustees and the Friends of the Robert Frost Farm.
It is listed as both a U.S. National Historic Landmark and on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places, according to the museum website.
Reported by Paint BidTracker, a construction reporting service devoted to identifying contracting opportunities for the coatings community.
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