Cool House Front Door Design images

Arlington House - front door knocker - 2011

Image by dctim1
Knocker on the front door at Arlington House, the Robert E. Lee Memorial, at Arlington National Cemetery.

Beginning in 2008, Arlington House began a major conservation and restoration effort. A modern HVAC system was installed to help prevent moisture and mold damage to the house and its contents, and conservation and restoration of its structural elements also occurred. The effort was due to end in 2012, but the August 2011 earthquake resulted in moderate structural damage to the house. The back wall separated from the mansion, requiring the rear passageway and conservatory to be declared off-limits. The second floor is also closed to visitors. The National Park Service says it has no idea when the house will reopen, as most NPS money is going for repairs to the Washington Monument.

Arlington House was built by George Washington Parke Custis, adopted son of George Washington, in 1803. George Hadfield, also partially designed the United States Capitol, designed the mansion. The north and south wings were completed between 1802 and 1804. but the large center section and portico were not finished until 1817.

George Washington Parke Custis died in 1857, leaving the Arlington estate and house to his eldest daughter, Mary Custis Lee -- wife of General Robert E. Lee.

Front Door with stained glass panels fitted

Image by Ken Doerr
New front door with hand made leaded glass panels fitted to sides. The exisiting leaded light to the right of the door was the basis for the pattern and colour.
Each stained glass panel was assembled within an 8mm stainless steel angle frame, which had previously been tailored to fit the reveals and welded together. Although not mechanically rigid on their own, the frames would help produce a panel that could be manipulated without risk of damage during fitting. This also allowed the glazier to work independently on the panels to the exact size and shape required.
The finished panels were tamped into place over the existing, frosted double-glazed panels, as they were a transition fit in the reveal. A bead of black silicone was then applied for weather-proofing and final finish.
The panels were made using traditional methods by local artisan Glyn Akroyd (www.gildedsplinters.net). From a site visit, Glyn made up a number of design options that referenced the colours and patterns of the panel fitted adjacent to the door, a piece that had been reclaimed from another building. Everything asked of Glyn, including the exacting dimensional standards, was delivered in the finished product. The final pattern choice compliments the new door and sits well with the other stained glass panels in the house.

The Front Door

Image by MissTessmacher
This is the front door, which Frank Lloyd Wright designed to be inconspicuous. Our guide told us that one reason was to discourage unwanted visitors. Those who were invited would know where to go.

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