181: From Grange Halls to Sprung Floors
In this minisode, Stacy and guest co-host Steve Jordan follow a road-trip-inspired rabbit hole that starts with the Grange and leads to dancing—and the ingenious floors, dating back to the 18th century, that made it possible.
They talk about how rural communities actually spent time together, Grange halls, gatherings, and yes, dancing, which leads straight into Steve’s niche obsession: sprung dance floors.
Steve literally wrote the book on them, and they were once fairly commonplace in grand ballrooms, taverns, dance halls, and other community spaces. Long before modern metalworking and the kind of springs we think of today, builders came up with surprisingly clever ways to give a floor enough flex to carry a full night of dancing.
Then, Stacy and Steve spend a few minutes chatting about the State of Restoration project. Steve has more than 30 years in historic preservation, and he shares what he’s seeing, especially in Rochester, New York. The interest in saving old buildings is strong, but the number of skilled tradespeople who can actually do the work is another story.
Steve is one of those people who has a deep well of knowledge and isn’t afraid to use it.
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Until next time,
