Brown Morton moved to Leesburg from Waterford in January because he needed to live somewhere he could get around in his motorized wheelchair.
Brown Morton
But even in his new home on Wirt Street NW, Mr. Morton was essentially trapped until his property underwent some significant renovations.
Blake Landscapes recently completed a brick walkway at Mr. Morton’s new home, enabling him to get from his house to the street and to take advantage of downtown Leesburg’s network of sidewalks.
“Leesburg has a wonderful system of brick sidewalks and curb cuts,” he said. ”I can go anywhere in town!”
Blake Landscapes President Jay Frye coordinated the project.
The Morton house on Wirt Street, prior to walkway construction
“Mr. Morton needed to get his motorized wheelchair from his new house to the street,” Frye said. ”It was also very important him that the architectural standards for the historic district were maintained. So, we installed a 45 degree herringbone antique brick walkway on a newly poured concrete base
“He moved into town so he could get out and enjoy things he could not do in Waterford, so to see how happy he is to use his new walk and do the things he hasn’t been able to do for a long time really makes this project satisfying.”
Brown Morton using his motorized wheelchair on his new brick walkway
Morton, 75, was hurt in an accident 40 years ago but was able to get around with a walker and drive a car until 2011. He and his wife Margaret had lived in Waterford since 1967, but as his disability progressed, he lost his ability to drive. Mr. Morton became isolated in the tiny historic village in western Loudoun . Even in his electric wheelchair, he couldn’t go far on the streets of Waterford.
But the prior residents of the Mortons’ new Leesburg home had accessed it from aging and uneven masonry steps leading up a side door next to the gravel driveway. This method of access didn’t meet Mr. Morton’s needs either. He met with Frye to discuss possible solutions to his problem.
“We went through various design possibilities, and we settled on this one,” Morton said, adding that the approval process with the Town of Leesburg went smoothly and that his neighbors love the new walkway. He also spoke highly of the Blake Landscapes crew, which was led by foreman Alex Sermeno.
Blake Landscapes hardscape foreman Alex Sermeno
“I was impressed with Alex and his team,” he said. “They clearly understood my situation. They wanted to help me, and they went the full distance to give me the perfect solution to my problem.
“They got the job done very well in an organized way,” Morton said. ”There was nobody standing there leaning on a shovel.”
Blake Landscapes staff working on the walkway at Brown Morton’s home
In addition to the brick walkway, Sermeno and his crew built new natural stone masonry steps to the side porch.
Brown Morton is a retired Episcopal Priest and professional historic preservationist. He taught historic preservation at the University of Mary Washington and also worked for the National Park Service. He has an enthusiastic and contagiously joyful approach to life and says he’s taken the motorized wheelchair as far as South Street SW from his Wirt Street NW home.
Mr. Morton is currently working on a book entitled Shaping Tomorrow: The Future of Historic Preservation about integrating historic preservation into city planning.
Welcome to the Blake Landscapes Horticulture Blog. Here you’ll find tips on taking care of your lawn and landscape, horticultural news and updates on what’s happening at Blake Landscapes. Feel free to call us any time at 703.777.5596 to request a quote or just fill out the contact form at right and we’ll get back in touch as soon as possible.
