Building green, re-creating the past

For two years now, Heartwood Corporation has been re-creating an 1830's Federal-style estate in Keswick, just down Route 22, that has meticulously reproduced the past while incorporating all the most modern green features. The work includes a guest home, main estate house, several dependencies along with a hand lain stone bridge and columns. Named Crossfeilds, the property owner appears to have no budget concerns, for, as Heartwood’s John Cargile explains, there has been little spared in the name of craftsmanship and authenticity. For example, the brick and slate used on the project was all handmade, reclaimed heartwood pine was used for the floors, and the brick work on the main house follows the design of the period. What’s more, the buildings feature the latest green technology; include bio-foam insulation, Enviroshake shingles, and energy efficient heating and cooling systems. In fact, while the main house looks like it could be 200 years old, Cargile says his crew only had to put on the heat for an hour in the morning and at night to maintain a comfortable temperature during the winter. However, according to Cargile, one of the crew’s most favorite parts of the project included building a small lake cabin from what was available on site.