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Winedale - Restoration at Winedale
Over the next several years some of Winedale's features—including buildings, landscapes, and exhibitions—will change as the Center for American History continues to address its four main goals for Winedale: historic structures rehabilitation and interpretation, new construction, natural resources management and beautification, and programmatic enhancement.
Begun in the Spring of 2001, the Winedale Restoration Project is an ongoing series of activities which address the restoration needs of Winedale's buildings and grounds. This project includes restoration of historic structures, landscaping, and wildlife habitat restoration, as well as fundraising to help support these activities.
Initial restoration work completed in the fall of 2003 included reroofing and front porch repair at the McGregor House and reroofing the Wagner House. A grant from Houston's Fondren Foundation supported work on the McGregor House. Other restoration work focused on reroofing Hazel's Lone Oak Cottage and reroofing and repairing siding on the Four-Square Barn. The historic buildings were reopened to the public in February 2004. They are furnished and interpreted to the approximate period of their construction, ca. 1850–1870.
The Center is also developing plans to landscape the area between the Meadows Foundation Conference Center and the Wagner Dormitory and Dining Hall. Landscaping will include constructing an arbor, a flagstone patio, and gardens in front of the Meadows Conference Center and regrading and relocating the road and parking areas that serve these buildings. A portion of the funds to support this landscaping were raised by the Winedale Advisory Council through its Oktober Gartenfest plant sale.