JFK home renovation castoffs are transformed into artworks

Artist Richard Neal talks about his pieces at the John F. Kennedy Hyannis Museum. Associated Press

HYANNIS PORT, Massachusetts - What once were pieces of John F. Kennedy's home are now pieces of art.

Floorboards, window panes, shingles, electrical fixtures, faded wallpaper, rusted nails and even a metal hook that once held a porch swing are among the ordinary items salvaged during an overhaul of JFK's Cape Cod home and transformed by local artists into mixed media artwork inspired by the assassinated former president who was born 100 years ago this month.

When not in Washington, JFK, Jacqueline Kennedy and their two young children resided in the nine-bedroom home with stunning ocean views from 1958 until his death in 1963.

Known as the "President's House", it's one of three homes comprising the Kennedy compound in Hyannis Port, where the family famously gathered to spend afternoons walking the beach, sailing or playing touch football, or sharing their grief in times of tragedy.

The house gradually fell into disrepair, prompting current owners Ted Kennedy Jr. and his wife, Kiki, to undertake a major structural renovation in 2011. Tearing into the home, designer and builder Mark Grenier realized it was no ordinary remodeling job.

"It became difficult for me to put these pieces of history into the dumpster," he said.

In a trailer behind the home, Grenier began saving items that would typically be discarded as construction debris. A plan was hatched for preserving the materials.

"The thought was to take advantage of the extensive art community on Cape Cod," said John Allen, executive director of the John F. Kennedy Hyannis Museum, about 2 miles from the compound.

One artist, Richard Neal, spent considerable time pondering how to use the items.

"It took me a while to take in that these were artifacts from the Kennedys," said Neal, who was 8 when JFK died. "I loved the Kennedys and I miss the Kennedys. Seeing their objects was very emotional for me."

Associated Press