Not long ago, employees of Sparks-based Reyman Bros.
Construction sent historic photographs of the Leland Stanford Mansion in Sacramento off to a Midwest company that specializes in replicating historic floor coverings.
Their question: Could the supplier exactly match the carpet pattern barely visible in the old photos? The supplier answered positively, and another piece of the $11 million renovation came together.
Reyman Bros.
recently wrapped up the Stanford Mansion job, converting a rundown building into a showpiece building where California officials will receive visiting dignitaries.
Employees of the Sparks company rebuilt the building's exterior, including highly decorated spires that stand 10 feet tall.
They installed antique gas light posts to illuminate the entry and front stairway.
They restored the interior.
They installed a new elevator.And they upgraded electrical,mechanical and fireprotection systems to modern codes.
"It was a fun job.
A lot of fun," says Kenneth Reyman of the contracting company.
"With a historic project, every one is different."
The company won the job its bid was only $13,000 under the nearest competitor largely on the basis of its experience restoring buildings ranging from the Washoe County Courthouse to the interiors of the Mackay School of Mines.
And the company's craftspeople, some of whom have spent most of the past 10 years working on restoration projects, helped protect the company's profit margins, Reyman says.
"When they run into a problem, they know what to do," he says.
The biggest challenge: Every step taken by builders must conform to the formal renovation plan.
If a problem arises, the owner must give specific approval to the change in plans, and approval sometimes can take days for even minor items.
Says Jay Correia, the historian assigned to the project by the state government: "My job was to say, 'Hey, wait a minute,' and make sure any work done to the building would cause the least amount of damage.
Reyman Bros.was very willing to take the least harmful route and find innovative ways to get the job done." The mansion was built in 1857 and purchased in 1861 by Stanford, co-founder of the Central Pacific Railroad, just before he became governor.
Later, the mansion served nearly 90 years as a children's home overseen by the Bishop of Sacramento.
As a construction project, Reyman says, the restoration of the Stanford Mansion followed a simple rule: Preserve every single piece possible, replace as little as possible.
Where they were needed, replacements such as doors and moldings were custommade.
A specialist in wall finishings matched paints and finishes.
The rewards, Reyman says,more than repaid the headaches.
During the two years of construction, a state archeologist found an old toy fire wagon in a rubbish hole a toy that likely belonged to Leland Stanford Jr., the namesake of Stanford University, as a child.
And Maria Baranowski, the state's supervising architect on the project, recalls that crews found a foot pedal under the dining room table.
It was connected by wires to a bell in the kitchen and allowed Mrs.
Leland Stanford to discreetly summon servants.
Once that was discovered, researchers knew precisely how the table was situated 150 years ago and where Mrs.
Stanford sat.
While a good share of Reyman Bros.
business involves historic renovations, Reyman notes that the company also has handled remodeling jobs of distinctly modern companies such as Kmart, Toys 'R'Us and Target.
"We really like remodels, the stuff that isn't so cut-and-dried," he says.
