The third phase of restoration was bid in 2005. The work on the Isabelle R. Martin House will consist of work on the roof and chimney, exterior balconies and stucco, window systems, exterior trim, drainage, electrical system, radiators, basement, and fire/intruder alarm systems.

The roof work will consist of that over the dining room and the entire second floor. The existing roof is made up of several layers of conventional asphalt shingles and possibly a replacement cedar shingle as well. Unfortunately, between the layers of shingles, a roofing cement was used by the Piarist fathers, owners of the property for nearly fifty years, to patch leaks when they occurred. The cement mains asbestos which requires removal by a qualified hazardous paste removal team at a significantly higher cost than a standard roof removal. This work will be contracted by the Conservancy before the general contractor begins work, although in coordination so that the house is exposed to the elements for the shortest period of time possi­ble. When replaced, the roof will match that of the porte cochere and Boiler house, a red stained wood shingle with geometric patterns at ridges. The roof will be what is known as a cold roof. That is, the attic be vented with outside air to minimize snow and ice melting and thereby reduce ice damming and roof leaks. This system was introduced on the porte cochere and has performed well. The porte cochere was commonly seen with icicles that stretched from its eaves to the ground with its former roof. With the restored vented wood shingles the only ice dams are those that are formed by the second door roof above. This damming should be eliminated when the upper roof is given a similar treatment.

The main chimney is to be restored as part of this phase as well. The chimney contains flues for each of three fireplaces, as well as the current furnaces and hot water heater. The chimney is made from limestone originally brought up from the beach by teams of oxen. Many visitors inquire about the orange staining on the chimney as well as the steel bolts visible on its walls. It is apparent in early photo­graphs of the house interior that the chimney leaked from the start.

The bolts are believed to date from the late 1940s when the Martins' son, Darwin R. Martin, likely had the chimney stuccoed in order to stop the leaks. It does not appear as if this was successful. The bolts are the remnants of masonry anchors that attached a steel mesh to the chimney in order to hold stucco. The stucco was removed from the chimney by the Piarist fathers in the early 1980s. They repointed the mortar joints between the stonework at the time, but the chimney con­tinues to leak. A new cap and wall flashing are expected to finally solve the leaking. Each of the anchors will be removed in this work and the hole patched with a material that matches each stone in color. The patch material will expand and contract at the same rate as the stone in order to assure it is not dislodged in the future by the freeze/thaw cycle of our winters. The orange staining on the chimney was not from the rusting masonry anchors, however. In fact, it was an effect desired by Frank Lloyd Wright to color the mass of stone. The limestone found or the beach and carried up for construction was pan of a layer of stone that is continuous throughout the site and exists about ten feet below the surface. As it is naturally found, a thin layer of iron is fused to its bottom edge. Initially, Wright specified the masons to lay stone hori­zontally in a wall, as it was found in nature. After several site visits by Wright, the masonry technique was modified to expose the fused iron, creating the orange cast we see today. Based on this history, the orange cast will be retained in the restored masonry.

The buildings at Graycliff contain six balconies. All of those balconies will be restored during Phase Ill. Surprisingly, four of the six exist on the Foster House, which was originally intended as a servants' house. It is not surprising, though, that when faced with the Stock Market crash in 1929, the Martins chose not to build the five bedroom guesthouse Wright had designed for the property in 1928, but decided to convert the apartment over the garage to guest facilities (the Foster House).

The larger of the two Isabelle R. Martin House balconies is that which Mrs. Martin shared with the original guest room facing the lakeshore. This balcony evolved in a series of designs by Wright before­ its final form was established. One version of it, discovered in a set off drawings now at the Library of Congress, featured a cantilevered roof covering part of the section adjacent to Mrs. Martin's bedroom. Under the hip roof was to be an inglenook and exterior fireplace. The exterior inglenook/fireplace was to mirror the configuration of the interior of Mrs. Martin's bedroom. The design was revised several' more times before the present plan was adopted. The Library of Congress drawings actually show the main house with four balconies.­ The Martins were continually enlarging the house as the design progressed. The two balconies eliminated became Mr. Martin's sleeping porch at the west end of the land side of the house, and a second trunk room at the land side of the servant's end of the house. With the square footage of the house continually growing, it was not only due to Wright that the original eighteen thousand dollar budget was greatly exceeded.

Only portions of the original seamed copper roof are exposed today, generally those parts which were enclosed by the Piarists. The non-­original enclosure over the exposed copper was removed by the Graycliff Conservancy when tours of the property began. It had been added by the Pianists in an attempt to lessen the effects of the winter winds on the lake side of the house on the second floor. With the Martins occu­pying the home from April through October only, they would have been unconcerned about this condition. The remaining portions of the bal­cony have a series of tar-based built­up roofs over the copper. The cop­per roof will be replaced in its entirety as part of the project. Luckily, the Piarists retained a section of the ductboards for the balcony, wood slats that elevate the walking surface above standing water when it rains. The ductboards will also be recreated from the original section. Part of the balcony wall will also be reconstructed as it has deflected over the years, although structural engineer Robert Silmon assures the Conservancy it is only from wood rot as opposed to deterioration of the supporting steel. Supplementary drains will be provided and directed through the masonry piers of the house to insure ice does not do future damage to the balcony. These drains will connect to an underground system designed to dry the perimeter of the house in a way similar to the one Wright suggested, only using superior modern materials. In general, materials that will be hidden from view are to be replaced with the most durable alternatives available today

The steel windows will be restored on the Isabelle R. Martin House during this phase. The steel will be stripped of the many layers of paint, coated with a rust inhibitor specified by restoration consultant, John Eifler. Eifler is working as part of the restoration team, bringing the Conservancy the benefits of his extensive experience restoring other Wright properties including Wright's model for Graycliff, his own home, Taliesin. Broken panes will be replaced as will missing hardware and concealed overhead screens.

Visitors to the property have noticed trim is being returned to the original moss green color Wright specified. In order to accomplish the task, a lead abatement contractor must first remove the lead based paints applied to the trim in the 1960s. Most of the original cypress wood trim has been reused in earlier restorations at the property.

New electrical services will be installed, along with new wiring to any concealed space exposed during the work. Full replacement of remaining wiring will be preformed in the next phase when the interior of the main house is restored.

Visitors on Saturday Architectural Tours have experienced the damp basement and crawlspace. The crawl­space will have drainage, moisture barriers, and a concrete slab installed to minimize the effects of moisture on the structure. Water that currently flows into a large sump in the basemen: will be diverted to a concealed system outside the house to lower the humidity below the house.

Several radiators will be returned to service to replicate the system originally installed, including their Wright-designed wooden covers. The Piarists removed the radiator system in the 1950s based on the advice of a friend, but found the forced air heat installed to be less effective than Wright's original system.

This begins a two year-long project which will bring the structures back to their 1930 appearance. It leaves future phases to restore the interior of the Isabelle R. Martin House, and to furnish the buildings.