TEXARKANA, Texas -- While the Ace of Clubs House hasn't been structurally watered down by the passage of time, drainage and moisture problems surrounding this historically unique domestic domicile continue to take their toll.
Texarkana Museums System Board President Velvet Cool said the last major repairs to the 136-year-old home were conducted when the system first acquired the property in 1980. However, she added that in the last 40 years both drainage and moister problems have gradually become the home's two most paramount threats.
"We really need to focus now on a drainage system that can handle the moisture issues through both landscaping and duct work," Cool said. "The roof also needs to be checked and shorn up in some spots. We've also had more rain then we've had in the recent past, and without proper drainage, this is taking a toll on the building's foundation -- which is also affecting the plaster inside the house."
Cool said that a new drainage system for the Ace of Clubs could run upwards of $20,000.
"We will need to have some internal and external painting done, but until we get the drainage and moisture problems taken care of first, nothing else really matters," she said
Texarkana Museums System Curator Jamie Simmons agreed, adding that within the past 10 years, the drainage and moisture problems have caused leaks between the home's original bricks, which is causing some wood rot of the home's original window frames, in addition to serious interior wall paper and paint pealing.
"We've estimated that in addition to the need to cure both the drainage and moisture problems -- which are the root causes of the wood rot and paint pealing -- the entire rehab project will cost at least $500,000," Simmons said. "But in addition to finance, we will be glad to have donations of renovation supplies and materials, like paint, wood and wallpaper as well as in-kind labor.