Notes from the Museums: Model Home

Phil Rafferty is a model home builder. He’s not a contractor. He’s not a Realtor. He’s a hobbyist who loves historic buildings and loves to learn about them from joists to ridge lines. Then he turns the information into a scale model. His most recent creation is a model of the May-Stringer House.
Phil brought the model over to the May-Stringer on Saturday, August 17th and set it up in the gazebo. He then spent a few hours showing it off to guests and museum volunteers alike. Phil describes the work as being built to a half-inch scale, so it is an impressive size. He says that it took him 325 hours to complete. One of the details that Phil talked about is that he actually made the siding shakes out of cedar…the same material that is on the house. Also, putting a quarter in one of the chimneys will cause lights to flash in the fourth floor tower! Mr. Rafferty has also made models of the Saxon House and Chinsegut Manor.
Well done, Phil!