Tom's McLean Service The Great Remodeling; Part VI, The Final Countdown Spring, 1991     The interior shots of the main building shown here are dated "Spring, 1991", and were probably taken some time between March and April of that year. The interior of the main building was essentially gutted, as most all of the mower repair parts were moved to the new room on the north side (under the new roof section). The staircase to the attic, which was built by Jack Wright and myself around 1982, was relocated, being nailed to the west wall. The door to "the freezer" was boarded up, and entrance to that room would be from the new parts room (see Part V). The parts counter, which was about the only other structure held over from the old setup, was moved parallel with the north wall, the aisle behind it leading to the side entrance. A door to the parts room was made in the middle of the north wall. Thereafter, customers entering the front door would walk through a small equipment showroom, the first in Tom's history, towards the counter at the back of the room. Interior, northwest corner, what was once the Toro parts aisle, being walled up Work on the interior, east wall, looking towards front door. Insulation(!) was being added. Narrow staircase to attic was shifted 90-degrees and attached to west wall, over the former door to "the freezer". Before remodeling, area shown here originally contained the Briggs, Tecumseh and Lawn-Boy parts shelves Northeast corner, Jeff Culpepper walking towards side entrance. The sheetrock ceiling above the loft was installed during the 1989 remodel. (May, 1991) The main building completed, with a new roof and brand new fence around the yard (May, 1991) Doc Murnan even had the grounds landscaped. The County could at long last close the "complaints" file on Tom's McLean Service. (May, 1991) The new fence was set back farther, all the way to the side entrance, leaving an outdoor display area (May, 1991) I doubt there was ever a greater transformation of a property in McLean, without tearing down existing structures. It was still Tom's, but a Tom's from an alternate universe The formerly white house retained its distinctive arched overhang, dating from the 1930s View of the house from Beverly Road, looking great with landscaping and spring foliage Closer view of the east side of the house North side porch: Our landscaping looked better than the section owned by adjacent office building View of the east side of the house, and new enclosure covering the garage door from the former Poplar Place entrance (now Beverly Rd.) RETURN TO THE TOM'S McLEAN SERVICE PAGE 7/18/2021 © 2021 All Rights Reserved