Fullerton, CA (November 23rd, 2020) – If one was wondering lately what is going on in the 2nd story of the Fox’s “Tea Room” as you drove or walked down Harbor Blvd., well…more restoration work. Fox Board Member and local resident Bob Winkelmann along with skilled carpenter/volunteer brothers Luis and Romondo Navarro, have taken on the task of restoring the almost 100 year-old upstairs windows, doors and corbels.
For the windows, the process involved taking out the windows and painstakingly heat-scraping paint, sanding, replacing glass, re-milling rotted mullions, reassembly, and repainting. The rotting corbels on the roof line of the Tea Room have been exactly re-created by Anaheim’s Ganahl Lumber’s custom mill shop and reinstalled.
“We thought there were things worth restoring than replacing,” said Bob Winkelmann, Fox Board Member.
One of the benefits for Bob and his crew are the discoveries in the quality of what went into the building during its original 1925 construction by Charles and Stanley Chapman like solid teak doors with brass fittings, original paint colors, decorative stencils, etc.
“What I find so exciting is the treasure hunt/archaeology aspect of it. The idea of pulling down boards and not knowing what’s underneath, looking at shadows of what used to be there and recreating it. Bringing it back to what it was before.” Winkelman added.
The project should be completed around December 7th.