The exterior renovation of Asphodel is nearing completion.

A completely new copper roof has been installed and is already beginning to turn a beautiful brown/green. The brick walls and windows have all been repaired and brightly painted. The rebuilt shutters will soon be installed.

All of the plaster which had been applied over the original brick has been removed. As the plaster was removed, a number of areas where the brick was damaged was exposed. It is assumed that the plaster was applied both to give the house a new look as well as to cover up the damaged bricks. All the damaged bricks have been replaced with good bricks of the same type and age as Asphodel's original brick (salvaged from a pre-civil war structure in southern Alabama). Asphodel's original brick was all handmade, as was the "new" brick used in the repair.

The original house had been whitewash over brick. In addition to its cosmetic purpose, the whitewash served a protective purpose. It protected the handmade bricks from the elements, and its porous nature allowed the brick to breathe. Sealing in moisture is destructive to these handmade bricks. Such damage was found in several places around the house due to the (improper) application of plaster over the brick. Removal of the plaster was thus important not only to return the house to its original look, but for the health of the brick. Since whitewash is not very practical (it must be reapplied often), a special (white) paint which is designed to have the same breathability as whitewash was applied. This paint not only protects the brick, but also returns the house to its original look.

A number of other efforts contributed to the exterior work. The work was extensive and consisted of:

• Rebuilding of the foundation including a complete new french drainage system.

• The installation of a new solid copper roof, including copper gutters and downspouts, linked to the new drainage system.

• The west side of the house originally displayed an open porch. Over the years, this porch was enclosed and an exterior curved stairway was added. Extensive work was required to restore this side of the house to its original open porch design with traditional Louisiana interior stairway. This design also allowed a significant improvement to the traffic flow of the interior (and much closer to the original).

• The three porches on the east side of the house were completely rebuilt. This included replacing all structural members, flooring, ceilings, and railings.

• Significant work was completed on the windows and doors. This included the repair or replacment of all the sash windows, the addition of twelve new french doors, and repairing all shutters.

• Complete restoration of all brick walls and chimneys.