In 2020, FOHJI paid for the termite fumigation of the Baker-Crane Carriage House. Phase 1 of the long-term rehabilitation project, building stabilization, was completed in 2024. Bricks found under the building were used in the new supports. Phase 2 will focus on the building’s interior.
One of FOHJI’s biggest projects has been to assist the Jekyll Island Authority with the conservancy of the Tiffany Window. John Bowe and Rosemary Shepherd of Kekekabic Studios completed the work in the Tack Room of the Mosaic Museum. Some FOHJI Board Members and friends visited their workshop to learn more about the process of the project. They explained that some of the sections may have three to four layers to give the panels depth. The faces and hands are glass that is painted with a mixture of powdered enamel and either water or alcohol. They also showed how they clean the nooks and crannies of the window. Removing and reinstalling the window were nail-biting endeavors. The window was rededicated on Good Friday 2024 (March 29), 103 years after the original dedication on Good Friday 1921.
In addition to contributing to the overall restoration of the DuBignon Cottage, FOHJI also contributed to smaller projects that included carpet for the cottage and marbleizing and wood graining the cottage’s fireplaces and doors.
FOHJI has been involved with several Hollybourne Cottage projects. These include contributions to restoration materials; porch design, drawings, and plans; construction of the porch; HVAC; Hollybourne interpretative study; and repair of the chimney caps.
