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Eagle Scout Project Spruces up House
The Provencal-Weir House underwent a terrific face lift
this fall, thanks to the hard work of Life Boy Scout
Stephen Detwiler and a diligent group of Historical Society
members led by Tom Singelyn.
Stephen, age 16, working toward his Eagle Scout ranking,
embarked on a project to “restore and beautify the
Provencal-Weir House.” Together with nine scout mem-
bers of Troop 96 (Grosse Pointe Memorial Church) and
three non-scout friends, he organized an extensive, multi-
task work effort last fall.
The project included:
• Painting the entire brick foundation of the house;
• Resetting the bricks with slag and grid lock under the
back door steps and herb garden in the backyard;
• Painting the Provencal-Weir House sign, mailbox, and bell
stand, and adding copper caps to the sign and mailbox;
• Removing all varnish finish on two teak benches and sand-
ing all surfaces to return the wood to its natural state;
• Removing stones and cement blocks from the southern
fence line; and
• Leveling the ground along the driveway and foundation
around the house.
“The Boy Scouts worked diligently and put in many hours
and many sessions,” said Singelyn. “The result is out-
standing.”
Before beginning, Stephen had to write up a detailed
description of his Eagle Project which included a project
description, benefits from the project, materials needed,
and thorough outline of safety precautions.
“What was key to complete this project on time was being
well-prepared each day for the tasks at hand, having the
right supplies, food and able workers,” said Stephen. “The
experience taught me a lot about myself and how I work
with others. I hope the volunteers enjoyed the cama-
raderie of the friends and felt a sense of accomplishment.
“The project would not have been successful without
donations from Shelby Paint, Soulliere Landscape, Ace
Hardware, Subway and Jerry’s Club Party Store, and the
help of my parents, troop advisor, and the GPHS represen-
tatives.”
New Porch Built
The Provencal-Weir House finally got a badly-needed
new front porch. Historical Society members Norm
Johnson (professional carpenter and foreman) Debbie
Grafius, Gary Collette, Paul Sloan, Herm Mozer, Peter
Nyboer, Valerie Dodenhoff ,and Tom Singelyn got togeth-
er one early October morning to disassemble the old,
rotting one.
After that Norm and Tom began construction started on a
new porch deck made of specially treated wood designed
to withstand the elements. The design of the decking
slants away from the house and will shed water toward
the lawn. It will be stained next summer after a drying
out time.
Funding for the new porch came from the Rose Terrace
Questers #1438, Fox Creek Questers #216, and Pear Tree
Questers #193.
Provencal-Weir House Receives Exterior
Refurbishments