Historical

Expert Construction for Historic Buildings

Preserving the original look in a historical building while upgrading it to meet today’s needs and safety standards is a balancing act the Five Oaks Associates team is familiar with. From sourcing materials that match the period-correct finishes to managing costs and timelines, it all is part of construction work in historical buildings. Our construction professionals have experience in this type of construction and meeting our clients’ expectations each step along the way.

When working with historical renovations, we work carefully to maintain the historical fabric of each structure. We understand the historical significance of the building materials and put our problem solving skills to good use to figure out how to keep the historic integrity of the structure. We work with owners and architects in assisting project archeologists by recording and securely storing historical artifacts uncovered during construction. Five Oaks Associates has worked on University of Missouri Columbia’s Hickman House in New Franklin, Simmons’ Stable in Mexico, the Senate Chamber in Jefferson City, Ellis Library at the University of Missouri, the Blind Boone House in Columbia and the Governor’s Mansion in Jefferson City.

Governor’s Mansion

Elevator Upgrade

The Missouri Governor’s Mansion is a building that serves numerous purposes. It is the home of the governor and sometimes their family. Known as “The People’s House,” it is also open to the public for tours and private events. The mansion’s elevator, while an addition since the building’s original completion date of 1871, was outdated. A new, larger elevator that would be up to current ADA code was needed.

The new elevator required a new, larger shaft to be drilled where the existing elevator shaft was in the center of the historic building. The shaft was 60-feet deep, and the soil conditions were clay over rock. The drilling took approximately a week as our team worked to overcome challenges such as mobilizing a drill head on the steel structure, drilling through rock while being careful to not crack or damage the plaster walls with vibrations, and removing the spoils through the building. Matching finishes and trim were selected to finish the project as historically correct as possible.