Restoring the Porch at Eaves Ferry: Rebuilding the Steamboat-Inspired Original

One of the most iconic features of the S. S. Eaves House is its grand wrap-around porch—an architectural statement that reflects the home’s Steamboat Gothic design. This style, inspired by the ornate structures found on 19th-century river steamboats, emphasized sweeping lines, decorative trim, and the feeling of standing on the deck of a vessel gliding across the Tennessee River.

Over the last several months, our team has worked carefully to bring this distinctive porch back to life. The original structure had suffered significant damage from decades of exposure, neglect, and vandalism. Despite these challenges, enough historic material remained for us to faithfully reconstruct the porch exactly as it once stood.

Restoration in progress

Today, we are excited to share that the porch has been meticulously restored, board by board, to match its 1909 design. Every spindle, rail, column, and trim detail was researched, measured, and recreated to honor the home’s unique architectural heritage and was expertly restored by master craftsman Daniel Hutchinson. Where possible, original components were salvaged and preserved; where rebuilding was necessary, materials were custom-crafted to mirror the historic pattern and scale.

Standing on the restored porch, it’s easy to see why the Eaves House was considered one of the most impressive residences in Meigs County. The porch doesn’t just wrap the home—it frames it, bringing back that steamboat-inspired sense of elegance and motion that defined the house more than a century ago.

This restoration represents one of the most significant milestones in our multi-year effort to preserve the Eaves Ferry property. We look forward to sharing more updates as we continue bringing this remarkable home back to life.

If you have photos, documents, or stories about the Eaves family, we would love to hear from you. Your contributions help ensure that the legacy of this remarkable family and their home is preserved for generations to come.