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So What's Next for Buxton in Bloom?

Photo Caption

Pictured from left to right: Paul Johnson of Intermountain Technical Services, Mayville, ND; Miguel Garcia and Nathan Wretling of J&N Enterprises, Grand Forks, ND. This photo was taken during interior abatement and salvage of interior bank items.

A new roof for the granite stone building on main street in Buxton was not the end of phase two of the rehabilitation and reutilization planned for the 1890s bank.

The next step, according to Hepper Olson, is to finish the mortar repair. Over time the exposure to the heat, cold, and moisture of North Dakota have cracked some of the mortar that hold the granite together.

The process is called tuck-pointing whereby the existing mortar is ground out and replaced with new material. The new mortar adheres to the stone and bonds the stones together. “It's what holds the building together, so its important to fix. We [Buxton in Bloom] had to do some of this type of work in order to make the new roof seal tight, so we ended up spending a bit more on the roof than expected. But we would have had to do it anyway as part of the tuck-pointing,” she said.

The remaining part of phase two is also in the works. The stain glass window that sat above the entrance door was removed during phase one and is being rebuilt.

Also, the original style of window in the front and on the sides of the building will be installed. At one point, some of the windows were replaced with glass block, but Hepper Olson says that the original windows were rectangular panes with rounded tops. Buxton in Bloom has already received grant funds to complete this phase of the project, but more fundraising is necessary.

Most grants require a local match to their funding. The grants awarded to Buxton in Bloom are no different. “We [Buxton in Bloom] have received $10,000 from the State Historical Society which needs the local match now. Private donations have come through for the project in the past, and I'm hoping people have maintained their excitement in seeing the project to completion,” Hepper Olson said.