Old School Restoration with modern Techniques

Street view with a historic courthouse building featuring a white dome and large columns, situated between trees and older brick buildings, with parked cars and a our rig ready to unload in the foreground.

We are officially on-site at the legendary Historic Wayne County Courthouse in Lyons, NY! This building boasts one of the most resilient and dramatic comeback stories in American architectural history.

Originally constructed in 1824, the structure had fallen into serious decline by 1850 and desperately needed major repairs. Before the county could finalize a restoration plan, however, tragedy struck: a massive fire completely destroyed the original building.

Out of those ashes came something truly legendary. From 1853 to 1854, the courthouse was rebuilt by renowned Rochester architect Henry Searle. He designed a masterpiece in the grand Greek Revival style, complete with a crowning silver octagonal dome, soaring entrance columns, and a majestic flight of stone steps. The total cost to rebuild was a small fortune for the era: $43,906.16!

Searle was not just a master architect; he was also a passionate abolitionist leading up to and during the American Civil War. He left an incredible mark on New York infrastructure. In 1849, commissioned by William A. Reynolds, Searle designed Rochester’s famous Corinthian Hall, a space celebrated nationwide for its pristine acoustics. It was on that very stage that Frederick Douglass delivered his historic speech, "What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July?" on July 5, 1852. While Corinthian Hall was tragically lost to a fire in 1898, another of Searle's beautiful iconic designs—the Gothic Revival Chapel at Rochester's historic Mount Hope Cemetery—still stands today.

Now, to bring Wayne County's historic beauty back to life, our team is bringing out the big guns! By utilizing our cutting-edge laser stripping technology, we are meticulously lifting away nearly two centuries of aged varnish and shellac—without damaging a single fiber of the delicate, irreplaceable wood beneath.

The result? An absolutely stunning return to the courtroom's original, breathtaking state. To top it off, we are protecting this incredible historic craftsmanship with a high-durability polyurethane finish that will safeguard the wood for generations to come.

We are incredibly proud to strip back the years and honor the rich history of this magnificent New York landmark!

https://www.waynecountyny.gov/526/The-Old-Wayne-County-Court-House

Wooden double doors with frosted glass panels and ornate trim, leading into an office or official building. A wall with framed photographs and a fire extinguisher are visible nearby.
Inside a building with a staircase featuring wooden paneling on the wall and a handrail. There are large windows with decorative trim, a fire extinguisher on the wall, and a black rubber mat at the staircase entrance.
Interior of a government building with a wooden wainscoting and framed black-and-white photographs and plaques on the wall. The floor has beige tiles, and there are black vent covers near the base of the wall.
Wooden door panel with detailed molding, Test spot completed with our stripping technique , with a tiled floor at the base.
Interior of a room with wood-paneled walls partialy stripped, a wooden door, a large window, and a white radiator . The floor is covered with beige tiles.

We’ve completed the first mockup section for the architect’s review. Stripping away nearly 200 years of old shellac has revealed an absolutely stunning wood grain underneath.

Just finished the first small section of the first stage of stripping, and I am already blown away! This is going to be an absolutely incredible transformation once the entire project is fully restored.

Honestly, this is easily one of the most rewarding projects I have ever been a part of! I can't wait to see it all come together!

Interior view of a room with wooden doors and panels, a sign on the wall, and equipment such as vacuum, fume extractor, and cords on the floor.
Wood-paneled courtroom with a set of doors and a small window. Sign on the door reads, 'All persons entering this courtroom are subject to search.'

June 1, 2026 — We finally got a full day in yesterday and really put the laser through its paces to see what it can do. We definitely have our work cut out for us on this project, but seeing how beautifully the aged oak turned out makes it all worth it. The results are absolutely beautiful, and we're excited for what's next.

A small storage enclosed trailer with a wooden floor and plywood walls, containing various tools, equipment, and machinery including a dust collector, a generator, a vacuum, and storage containers.
Outdoor scene with equipment attached to a brick wall, including a vacuum or filtration system with hoses, on a concrete patio next to a white wall and a sliding glass door.
Hallway with wood-paneled walls and tiled floor, pipe or duct on the floor, ceiling lights, and signs on the walls.
Inside an elevator lobby corridor with an elevator door on the left, a decorative wooden wall recrently stripped panel middle, and a mirrored panel with a yellow notice on the right. The floor has beige and grayish tiles.
The image shows a beige tiled floor, wooden paneling on the wall, with a fire extinguisher mounted on the wall and a red fire alarm box nearby. There is a black container on the floor and a wooden chair with a black bag on it to the right.
Wood-paneled wall in a building interior with laser stripped panels on left unstripped on right, a black chair with wheels on the right, and a hallway with a door and a window on the far right.

June 2 2026. - With our new dust extractor/cyclone combo loaded up our trailer is packed. Since there was a board meeting going on up stair this was a good chance to try the laser out on the 1st story and everything preformed perfectly!

A woodworking workshop with a large wooden table, various tools and supplies, a workbench, and shelves with paint cans and hardware. A fume extractor extends over the table.
A wooden workshop table with a carved panel door resting on it, surrounded by various tools and workshop equipment.
A woodworking workbench with black metal decorative items, various tools, and parts arranged on a white wooden board. A cordless screwdriver and a measuring tape are visible, and the background shows a dusty workshop setting.
Empty industrial trailer with wooden flooring and walls, tools, extension cords, and equipment inside, night setting.

June 4, 2026

While yesterday’s scheduled board meeting briefly paused our on-site progress at the courthouse, we pivoted quickly and made excellent headway in the shop.

We successfully stripped and applied the first coat of polyurethane to one of the removed doors. The natural wood grain looks incredible and is really starting to shine. The courthouse this evening was a productive four-hour session, successfully retrieving five more panels for processing. After returing I unloaded the trailer and prepped and applied the 2nd coat of poly to the door,

This weekend, we will also be representing our craftsmanship at the Butternut Hill Antiques Show in Bouckville. The trailer is prepped, and we are excited to feature live demonstrations bringing our new laser equipment, shop vac, and generator. Tomorrow morning, I will finish loading up the shop inventory. We are looking forward to a fantastic event and seeing what great opportunities the market brings!

Empty hallway with wooden paneling, construction tools, a ladder, and a black rubber mat on beige tiled floor. Glass doors with a sign reading 'WAYNE COUNTY COURT HOUSE' are at the end of the hallway, with an exit sign above.
Interior of a hallway with wood paneling and ornate crown molding, with equipment and bags placed on the floor, and ladders leaning against the wall.
A vacuum hose on the floor in front of a wood-paneled wall with a fire alarm and fire extinguisher. There is a window with a blue view and a wooden chair to the right.

June 8th, 2026 Back on-site, we have made significant progress on the architectural restoration by removing three historic doors and completely stripping the surrounding wall surfaces, ensuring a seamless, high-quality finish before reinstallation. I prefer to restore the doors off-site for three specific reasons: laying them flat prevents runs and guarantees a superior finish, removing them allows for unobstructed access to meticulously prep the door jambs, and it enables us to detach and repaint all the original hardware to its authentic, high-gloss black aesthetic. The momentum is truly building, and after stripping a small test area above the doorway to preview the underlying material, I am incredibly excited to see the first fully restored door come together as this project visibly transforms.

An indoor staircase with dark steps and wood-paneled walls on either side, leading up to a landing with chairs and miscellaneous equipment.
The image shows a ceiling with decorative molding, a section of a fireplace mantel made of dark wood with intricate carvings, and two ceiling light fixtures with multiple bulbs and ornamental details.

June 9, 2026: We are steadily working our way down the stairs today, having removed the banister ahead of time to give ourselves much easier access to the workspace. While this particular side threw some stubborn spots our way that slowed progress a little, the laser still managed to do its job perfectly, and we successfully cleared everything out before calling it a night.

A workbench with black decorative cast iron frames, some with ornate designs, and metal hardware. Items include metal hinges, a screwdriver, and other small parts, with a spray can, a black speaker, and cardboard boxes in the background.
A decorative black metal wall plaque with ornate scrollwork and a rectangular center featuring a circular attachment point.
A wooden door lying on its side on a concrete garage floor, with a quilted mat underneath. The cabinet has two paneled doors and is in a workshop or garage, with tools, cans, and shelves visible in the background.

June 12th 2026: Progress continues on the courthouse restoration. We’ve successfully finished and prepped the upstairs closet door for installation, but the two main courtroom doors are proving to be a much bigger challenge. Years of improper prepping and thick layers of paint/varnish have made the stripping process difficult, but we are 75% of the way there. The goal is to finish stripping on Monday and apply the first coat of finish. While cleaning the hardware, a beautiful, hidden copper ring had been buried under layers of paint for decades. Once the enamel fully cures, we’ll seal them with a clear coat to prevent future tarnishing. It’s these historic, unique details that are going to make this project truly stand out when everything is put back together.

Three wooden dressers with glass tops, blue painter's tape along the edges, and a mattress underneath, in a workshop or storage room.
An interior space under construction or renovation with wooden wall paneling, windows, a chair, and a ladder.
Interior of a room with wooden wall paneling, a large window with a wooden frame, a step ladder, and construction tools, indicating ongoing renovation or construction work.
Interior hallway with wooden wainscoting and decorative trim, ceiling with ornate plaster molding, hanging light fixtures, and cleaning equipment such as a large vacuum hose, orange cones, and a water bottle.
Close-up of a floor register with crown molding details and a black decorative vent below, set on a tiled floor.
Close-up of antique wooden furniture with black decorative metal vent at the bottom, on a gray tiled floor.

June 15-17th The upstairs main courtroom doors are finally stripped, along with the door to another office. These doors have been extremely difficult to strip; I believe they had multiple layers of different coatings applied over the original finish, which made the process take much longer than expected, but they are done and one side is officially finished! While on site tonight, we were able to strip one of the windows previously blocked by an AC unit, as well as one of the massive architraves. This presented some unique challenges we will need to adapt to, as the laser does not like to run upside down; the blasted-off coating creates a wall of dust between the beam and the dust/fume extractor nozzle. We also installed our first finished door, which leads to a closet just before the main courtroom, and reinstalled one of the register return vents that we stripped to bare metal and painted with a baked-on enamel—a big improvement from its previous condition. Tomorrow, I hope to finish the courtroom doors. We will then be back on site Thursday to prep the upstairs now that everything is fully stripped and finally begin applying the finish.

A room undergoing renovation or cleaning with wood-paneled walls, a chair, construction tools, and blue painter's tape along the ceiling edges.
Wooden kitchen cabinets with blue painter's tape along edges, partially open door, and visible floor.
Wooden cabinet with a rectangular shape, panel doors, and crown molding, positioned against a wall with a blue painter's tape along its top edge, and a red fire alarm pull station mounted on its surface.
Wooden doors with black handles, in an indoor setting. Part of a person and a piece of equipment are visible at the bottom right corner.

June 16–19 The doors are finally finished and the hardware is ready to be reinstalled. Between scuba diving and spending some time on the lake I hope to have all the hardware installed by Monday. I cannot wait to see what they look like fully assembled. We spent the evening of the 18th prepping the upstairs by sanding every last nook and cranny down to make sure every last bit of old shellac had been removed. Today, the 19th, we applied the first coat to the upstairs, and wow, did it really wake that room up! Our plan is to finish this room completely, then reinstall the doors with all the completed hardware, which will fully complete the upstairs renovation.

A disassembled vintage mechanical lock mechanism with springs, levers, and a square key opening inside a black rectangular metal casing.
The image shows the inner mechanism of an old mechanical lock, with visible metal parts, springs, and screws, placed on a textured surface.
Close-up of a black decorative finial on a wooden furniture piece with a tray underneath, in a room with a window and outdoor scenery in the background.

June 22 The doors and hardware are finally complete, with everything installed and awaiting their final home at the courthouse, which we will be delivering June 24th. Something about metal and wood combined really compliments each other. Especially that brass ring!

The latches were quite difficult to get working after years of buildup and, after further inspection, missing parts. You can see the fully intact one vs. the one that’s missing the locking mechanism. I believe it was removed on purpose to prevent being locked in. Either way, I have a couple of different sources to get these back to fully functioning; in the meantime, they can go back on as they were.

You never know what you'll find in these old doors until you start digging!

Wood-paneled staircase after laser stripping with vinyl stair treads, wooden wainscoting, and a wall-mounted light fixture.
Wood-paneled staircase with a small landing, chairs, and a cone-shaped safety sign.
Interior of a room with wood-paneled walls and a closed wooden door. Blue painter's tape outlines and frames around a set of glass cabinet doors and parts of the walls. A smoke detector on the ceiling and an air purifier on the floor are visible.
Wooden office partition with doors, painted blue painter's tape along the edges, and a sign that reads 'Board of Supervisor Chambers.' Beige tiled floor and a wall with white paint and a black outlet at the corner.

June 22-25. Half of the stairs are completely stripped. These were a little changeling since your obviously working at odd angles. We were able to get the doors installed. A couple more coats of poly on the rest of the room and we can put this one to bed!

Interior of a room with wood-paneled walls and cabinets, a window with a shade, a fire alarm on the wall, and construction supplies on the floor, indicating ongoing renovation.
Interior of a stairwell with wooden paneling on walls and crane framing a window, with blue painter's tape along edges and a fire alarm on the wall.
Wood-paneled staircase with carpeted steps and a black handrail, blue painter's tape along the edges of the paneling, and a window at the top of the stairs.
Wooden staircase with a decorative wooden wall panel on the left and a window on the right, with blue painter's tape along the edges of the wall and stairs, and some construction items on the stairs.
Wooden staircase with blue tape along the edges of each step and wooden wall paneling on the side. Construction tools and cones are placed at the top.
Wood-paneled staircase with wooden walls, a window at the top letting in natural light, and a brass wall sconce, with protective blue painter's tape along the edges of the stairs.

June 26th We made our way down the stairs and applied the first coat of polyurethane really showing the grain of the wood. The second coat was also applied to the up stairs room. One more coat and we can call the room complete. After getting to this point we’re starting to see the light and coulde’t be happier how everything is turning out!

Interior of a building with decorative wooden molding around a doorway, a ceiling with ornate crown molding, and a chandelier with multiple lights.
Wood-paneled staircase corner with railing and a fire alarm nearby.
Wooden wainscoting panels with crown molding and a brass wall sconce with two tapers
Wood-paneled elevator with beige walls, a window, emergency alarm, and a metal threshold at the bottom.

29th and 30th. It has been a busy couple of days over June. We ran into a major roadblock with one set of panels where the finish was extremely difficult to remove, taking us over eight hours to strip just five panels when we normally average 45 minutes to an hour per panel. On the bright side, one side of the upper staircase and landing is completely done, featuring a finished banister and freshly painted hardware! Although I really wish we could have sprayed the finish, a little extra time and care ensured that you cant even tell it was brushed on. We wrapped up tonight by stripping one of the large archways; we have four left to go,… and while they are hands-down my least favorite part of this project, the results make the effort entirely worth it. Since the guys have limited availability due to the upcoming holiday, I am hoping to take a couple of the doors back to the shop to work on so we can finally start finishing the downstairs area.

Close-up view of wooden custom cabinetry with detailed molding, in a room with a large window and a staircase. The cabinetry is partially taped, indicating ongoing renovation or finishing work.
Indoor staircase with wooden paneling, two large windows, and a chandelier fixture on the wall at the top of the stairs.
Interior view of a room with a large wooden doorway, ornate wood trim, and a ceiling with patterned tiles and a hanging light fixture.
The image shows a wooden doorway with ornate molding and a mirror attached to the top part of the frame. The ceiling is decorated with intricate plasterwork, and there is some blue painter's tape around the edges of the doorway. Through the mirror, a ceiling with white ceiling tiles and a lighting fixture is visible.
A person fixing or installing a light fixture on the ceiling in a hallway with wooden wall paneling, using a ladder and surrounded by tools and boxes.
Interior of a building with a wooden wainscot and decorative trim. There are chairs, a yellow rolling cart, and an elevator in the background. Blue painter's tape outlines the base of the wall and some objects on the floor.

July 6-8. After enjoying the holiday, we're back at it. The staircase upstairs is almost finished. We were able to get one coat on the wrap-around section, really tying everything in. Another archway has been stripped, leaving us with three to go. We switched gears and began applying finish to about two-thirds of the downstairs panels and one of the archways. It’s amazing how much they shine with just one coat. We hope to wrap this week up with a final coat on what we started, then resume stripping on Monday.

Interior of a room showing a large, ornate wooden doorway with decorative molding. Through the doorway, a window with a small potted plant on the windowsill is visible, letting in natural light.
Wood-paneled wall inside a building, with a partially open glass door to the right showing the outside. There is a YETI tumbler on the floor near the wall.
A portable air purifier with a flexible black tube hose attached, positioned in front of a wooden-paneled door marked with the number 102 and a mail/copy slot. Signs on the door warn against visiting. In the background, chairs are arranged along a wall near a corridor with an elevator sign.
A hotel lobby with a tiled floor and wood-paneled walls on either side, leading to a glass door entrance. There are ceiling lights and some construction or cleaning supplies on the floor near the entrance.

July 8–9: Moving right along! We got the final coat on the downstairs panels and half of the archways done. Everything is pulling together beautifully. This is definitely the best part of any project—leaving the 90% prep grunt work behind and hitting that final 10% where everything starts to really shine! This was a great break up and help build all of our moral since next week will be back to grunt work strip the remaing 20% of the building but the finish line is in site!

Wooden staircase with handmade wainscoting on the walls, a brass wall sconce with two candles, and a small window at the top of the staircase letting in natural light.
A wooden furniture piece with curved edges, panel detailing, and a natural finish, placed on a tiled floor.

July 14th. Tonight, we brought in the big guns to maximize efficiency. We had one team member scraping the flat surfaces while the other two followed closely behind with the laser to handle all the delicate trim work. This approach alone has dramatically sped up our progress. With this setup, I believe we will complete the project well ahead of schedule, which is fantastic news for everyone involved!

Wooden doorway with a glass window; inside an office with a desk, plant, and computer monitor.
Wooden panel on the wall with two mirrors and a door, in a room with beige walls and tiled floor, with traffic cones and a fire extinguisher on the floor.
Interior view of a building under construction showing a partially finished wooden wall, construction cone, and a glass door with signage, and some construction debris on the floor.
Wooden staircase inside a building, next to a large window with sunlight coming through, and a view of the street outside.

July 16-17th. Keeping steady progress, we were able to make our way up the stairs with only the molding left to do. We were also able to set up a ladder jack system to reach one of the highest windows. I've been putting this off trying to come up with an idea, but Bob was able to get the ladders set just right so we could reach it safely. Two more doors were installed, and we stripped the final archway. We're seeing the end in sight and hope to finish up the interior next week, or at least be at a point where everything is stripped.

A ceiling window with a wooden frame, showing a clear blue sky and some trees outside.
View of a window with black trim showing a blue sky with some clouds and green trees outside.
A workbench with various disassembled black metallic and brass hardware parts, screws, and tools, with a pegboard above containing additional hardware, in a workshop or garage setting.
View of the inside of a garage looking outward, showing a trailer filled with tools and equipment, with a driveway, greenery, and trees outside.

7/22/26. Another set of door and hard-ware ready to be striped and repainted. One more set after this and will be ready the tackecle the exterior doors that will really set off the entrance.

A curved wooden reception desk with detailed paneling in a building lobby. There are stairs and a carpeted floor area nearby, along with a small orange traffic cone.
Wooden staircase with dark brown steps and a decorative wooden wainscot wall paneling along the side, with a section of a white wall and ceiling visible.
Interior of a building with wooden trim and large glass windows, a ceiling with ornate molding, and a view outside showing trees and a parking lot.

July 24- We we able to finalize the right hand side of the lower stair case along with one of the arch ways. We have just a few finshing touches to but on the interior then we will work are way to the outside to finalize this project!

Two workers installing or repairing wooden stairs and wall paneling inside a building, with one climbing a ladder and the other standing on the stairs holding a tool.
A man working on wooden stairs inside a home, with ladders leaning against the wall, a window to the left, and a vacuum cleaner nearby.
Wooden double doors with glass panels, an adjacent glass entrance door with an 'EXIT' sign above, and a glass window showing a chandelier and ceiling details inside the building.
A wooden door with a black ornate door handle and lock.
Wooden double doors with glass panels covered by white curtains, a sign on the right door indicates the room is available by appointment only, located inside a building with a tiled floor.
Wooden double door with curtains and a mirror at the top, white walls, a small plaque on the wall, and a red trash can in the corner.

July 30- We wrapped up the stairs today, with the exception of one handrail that I will be stripping and refinishing at my shop this weekend. The conference room doors turned out great and are fully reinstalled and operational. Our next focus is the vestibule and exterior door, which will require some veneer repairs to address years of neglect.

A wooden window frame with glass panes, part of a storefront or office with the words, "WAYAN COURT" and "COU" visible on the window. A small yellow Davidson level is on a shelf or ledge below. The ceiling has peeling paint and decorative molding, and a black metal frame is on the right.
A person kneeling on the floor assembling or repairing something in a room with a large window, wood-paneled lower wall, and two wall sconces. There is a wooden table with a monitor, keyboard, and mouse in the foreground, and a wooden chair with a curved backrest nearby.
Inside a building, a person is on a ladder cleaning or repairing a wooden doorway or window frame near the glass door. An illuminated red 'EXIT' sign is visible above a glass entrance door. The glass door has text that reads 'WAYNE COUNTY HUNTY' and ‘22’. Seen through the glass door are parked cars and a parking lot outside. The interior has wooden finishing and a round mirror on the wall.
Wooden door with glass window at the top, decorated with ornate white molding above, inside a room. Two red exit signs are above and to the left of the door. A fire extinguisher hangs on the wall to the left of the door, and a wooden table with a black device and cords is to the right. A small window vent is in the wall to the right of the door.
A room with wooden paneling on the lower walls, large window with purple curtains, and a wall clock showing 2:11. Wooden tables and chairs are arranged in the room, with a computer monitor and microphone on one table. The room appears to be a formal meeting or conference room.

June 14th-This week was all about courtroom work! After removing the front doors to have the veneer replaced off-site, we shifted focus inside.

Because of the tight space, we couldn't bring in our standard dust extractor, forcing us to get creative to manage the mess. Our custom setup worked perfectly—everything stayed clean, and the final result turned out flawlessly.

Love it when a plan comes together!

August 8th- The dreaded vesibule is finally stripped… decadeds of backed on schelac made it almost impossible to remove but were able to get every thing clean will a small army of wire brushes, scrappers, sanders and of course our laser. Next week will be removing the front doors, finishing the vestibule and putting the last piece to this puzzle together.

Interior of a room with a large window, wooden wainscoting, and a beige wall. There are purple curtains and a balcony visible outside, with brick buildings. A wooden railing is in the foreground, and a computer with a black monitor and desk lamp are on the left. Blue painter's tape lines the floor.