However, 154 years later, when a dehumidifier was blamed for a fire in the stone basement of the farmhouse along Washington Road in Upper St. Clair Township, it was the employees of G.S. Jones who restored the house to its original condition.

No one was inside the historic building when firefighters were alerted to the fire by an alarm system. The blaze was contained to the basement, causing minor damage to a ceiling joist. It was the upper two floors that suffered smoke and soot damage and G.S. Jones' expertise was required throughout the house.

Matt Poole, an estimator for G.S. Jones, said crews began the intricate restoration project Sept. 4.

"The first step was cleaning to prevent the soot from causing further damage," Poole said. "That's a two-day process, then the structural cleaning began.