Neil,
        I'm involved with the restoration of an 1868 grist mill in Wisconsin, which was on the verge of collapse when our non-profit group formed in 1990 for the purpose of saving it from ruin.  The main timber structure is original, but we had to jack the building up, pour new concrete footings below grade, and redo the limestone foundation.  Several lean-to additions were beyond repair, and those have been reconstructed.  Our practice all along has been to make everything appear original if it will show- for instance, we use square cut nails- but that doesn't necessarily mean we use vintage tools.  Most of our carpentry has been done with Skil Saws, disc grinders, power drills, etc.  We are careful that modern-looking sawcuts don't show, even when they are cast into concrete forms.  With a few exceptions all our work is done on a volunteer basis.  To hire it out would have cost ten times what we've spent, and it wouldn't have been done to our exact wishes.  The trade-off is that it takes a lot longer.  We are fortunate in that many of our volunteer workers have considerable experience in carpentry, engineering, and draftsmanship.  My opinion is that if the reconstruction itself is the exhibit- that is, if the public is invited to view the progress- then using vintage tools and methods would greatly increase the interest.  However, if the goal is to have the restoration or reconstruction look authentic after it is finished, there is no compelling reason not to use modern equipment, particularly if it's capable of producing nearly identical results. 

Steve Frevert   

-----Original Message-----
From:   Noel Poirier [SMTP:[log in to unmask]]
Sent:   Tuesday, March 09, 1999 12:20 PM
To:     [log in to unmask]
Subject:        Historic Building Reconstructions

Is anyone of aware of any museums in the US, UK or Ireland that are
currently undertaking historic reconstructions or renovations which are
open to the public ? I am interested in learning about policies of other
institutions towards the use of traditional workmanship versus modern
practices.

Thanks,
Noel Poirier