Lincoln Museum Flood in DC

[L Verge]

I feel their pain after what we have gone through for the past six months at Surratt House after what we thought was a simple toilet leak brought down a parlor ceiling, caused mold remediation, and required a complete re-do of the modern bathrooms in the historic house.

I'm sure that the NPS will make quick work of cleaning up because Ford's is one of the big draws as far as historic sites go.

Few people stop to think what frigid temperatures can do to water pipes - especially in elderly buildings that are not well-insulated. My staff has spent the last week to ten days opening closets where water pipes are hidden and setting out space heaters at key points each night to avoid problems. And then, they reverse the procedure every morning before we open to the public. I was raised in the days of space heaters, but warned constantly to not leave them running unattended. It has been very difficult for me to turn one on at Surratt House, walk out and lock the door with it still running...

My hat is off to those of you from the land of ice and snow. The older I get, the more I'm convinced that I will never settle anywhere above the Mason-Dixon Line. I am happy to put up with the two months of heat and humidity for which the D.C. area is famous. Right now, it's in the teens and there is still about four inches of snow outside. I'm envisioning myself as Scarlett O'Hara - standing in the snow drifts with her arm raised in defiance and declaring, "I'll never be cold again!"