Foundations, Ground Water Management, and More
Sunday, February 9, 2014 at 7:00 pm
Alameda Architectural Preservation Society presenrs- Lecture John M. Jameson Construction:
Foundations, Ground Water Management, and More
Sunday, February 9, 2014 at 7:00 pm
Immanuel Lutheran Church: 1420 Lafayette Street, Alameda,(Parking available at the corner of Chestnut Street and Santa Clara Avenue.)
Free for AAPS members; $5 for non-members
Restoring Our Architectural Heritage From The Ground Up
John M. Jameson Construction specializes in the repair of
foundations and structural repairs of residential homes and
commercial property. Located in Alameda, they serve all
neighboring cities within the Bay Area and Northern CA.
The company believes that top quality work and service are
a must with every job. Customer satisfaction is guaranteed.
John Jameson, born in San Francisco, came to Alameda as a baby and has lived here ever since. He attended Franklin School, Haight School and was in the last graduating class attending the Historic Alameda High School. Growing up, he lived in a Joseph A. Leonard Queen Anne on Clinton Avenue. As it happens, John and his family still live in a historic Joseph A. Leonard Queen Anne on Clinton Avenue, but that’s getting ahead of his story. John’s historic preservation credentials were established early in his life, and they continue today.
John attended Laney College, and then began a twenty-year career as a Union iron worker, Local 378. He worked on construction of the BART system, the new Cypress structure, the Federal Building in downtown Oakland, and the 580/680 BART/Freeway interchange. These massive structures are, in a sense,the historic architecture of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries.
Eventually John applied his talents and the skills he honed in heavy construction
to the preservation and restoration of Alameda’s historic legacy. From 2001 to 2003,
John worked for Alameda foundation pioneer Ken Gutleben. In 2004 John started his own
general contracting firm, which he owns and manages today. Although his specialty is
foundation and structural work, he has completed many restorations, including 1837
Clinton Avenue, for which John was personally honored with a 2010 Preservation Award
from AAPS.
Well beyond just foundation replacement, this project demonstrated the extraordinary
skills of John and his team. They removed the stucco cocoon that had buried the
Victorian details of this magnificent house, and restored the surviving original
details. They removed a misguided 1950s era kitchen remodel, eliminating a
lowered ceiling and inappropriate aluminum windows. While honoring the Victorian
surroundings, the new kitchen also created a fully functional modern gourmet food
preparation space— a combination often difficult to achieve.
During the construction period, John’s wife, Jill, often visited the work. As the
restoration progressed, John and Jill fell in love with the emerging Joseph A.
Leonard masterpiece. Once the interior had been completed, they leased the house
for their own family, including three teenagers and live there today. We are so
pleased that John will share his experience in preserving Alameda’s architectural
heritage, literally from the ground up.
Jameson Contractors
2515 Santa Clara Avenue, Ste. #206
Alameda CA, 94501
No comments:
Post a Comment