Today was the day we’ve been waiting for and it did not disappoint. The crews arrived early and were all set up to go by 10 am. A few neighbors and friends were on hand to witness the big move. There were a few hiccups but overall we were pleased to see how easily the old house moved across the landscape and came to rest by the new foundation. Bravo to the men who made it happen. Thanks to Jeff Blake of Fox & Sons and Brian Payne of Payne Building Movers.
Here’s how it got there.
Almost as soon as the house started to move, it stopped. A brace on one of the four dollies needed to keep the wheels pointing forward came loose and it swiveled 90 degrees. The crew shifted the house’s considerable weight to the other three dollies and they straightened out the wheels and braced them. Onwards!
The groaning noises and the creaks came from the dollies, not the house! It was a tight squeeze by the barn.
Once Payne’s crew got the house going, it went surprisingly smoothly and quickly. There was relatively little for Fox & Sons’ crew to but stand back and watch the action, which is exactly what Norwegian crew member Thor is doing in this shot.
The genius of the system is in Payne’s dollies, four sets of eight wheels, each carrying about 50 tons.
All went swimmingly until the truck pulling the house reached the area in front of the new foundation which was covered in sand, put there by the excavator for better drainage. The truck’s wheels hit the sand and got stuck there. The house came to a halt.
To get the truck unstuck, Payne needed help from Fox & Sons. Jeff maneuvered his utility truck into a position ahead of the house and hooked a winch cable to rig. One crew member scrambled into a John Deere bucket truck and moved it behind the house. Another jumped into a bobcat and joined him. Jeff pulled and the others pushed the house to within five feet of its destination.
Problem solved. Move seemed to go by in no time.
A view from the south of the farmhouse in its new position.
Over the next three days, Fox & Sons will be sliding the house onto cribs above the new footings. Watch for our next posting on Friday.
14 responses to “Post 16: The Big Move”
Amazing!!! Thanks so much for your careful documentation. It’s incredible to see this project taking shape. Congratulations on the big move. ☺️
Truly astounding teamwork and videos!
How incredible! Can’t help but admire the whole process. Thanks for sharing.
What an adventure!! 🎉
Amazing work!
Congratulations!
Great news! A book is forthcoming: “The Adventures of an Old Red House!”
It must have been nerve-wracking, though.
What a huge house!! A tad larger than your wee flat in Primrose Hill. What an undertaking to move it. Nail biting watching. Im looking forward to a virtual tour of the house.
Nils’ videos told the story much better than the still shots I took. It was truly amazing to see the whole operation, including getting stuck in the sand. The remarkable movement out of the sand was historic.
This is amazing !! I love the blow by blow and being able to hear all the sounds too! The house is alive! The last slide of the house in its new position is breathtaking. So unique.
Holy Moly!! It has been exciting to watch the journey of ‘This Old House’ from it’s beginning to final destination. I look forward to its transformation.
Splendid combination of imagination, know-how, and machinery.
Nils and Becky! Excellent documentary footage. Fascinating. Now you have to add the voice over and turn it into a short film for the Maine Film Festival! Or Old House shown with Maine Preservation or Greater Portland Landmarks.
Incredible! Puts a whole new meaning to “moving house”. Hope you are now enjoying the new views.
Amazing! Well done to everybody involved – poignant reminders for me of my old schoolhouse and church in Australia being taken away on the back of big trucks.