New Hope, PA Job
Job Description:
Job Location: The Benjamin Parry Mansion, Home of the New Hope Historical Society located at 45 South Main at Ferry Street, New Hope, PA deGruchy Masonry did a very high level of masonry conservation work at this important building in Bucks County, PA. All inappropriate Portland cement and mis-matched lime mortars that were used since 1784 were removed and discarded. The original lime mortar that was only damaged was removed and saved. The salvaged mortar was then crushed up and sieved to reclaim the creek sands so that these sands which make up a key component to the original historic fabric could be reconstituted back into the replacement lime pointing mortar. Simulating the color, texture, tooling and most of all the composition of the replacement mortar was of utmost importance to the stewards of the trust. Having some of the original sands helped to achieve this. The New Hope Historical Society, one of the oldest in PA is run by folks who, some being local merchants dealing in art and antiques, know that to fully repoint and replace what is not broken does not keep with the mind-set of a good art or architectural conservator. They approved of deGruchy Masonry's suggestion to leave the 60% of the original 1784 mortar which was not loose and was intact, alone. deGruchy Masonry just repaired what was broken or missing with a 'like to like' repair material that complemented the surrounding regions which remained so that the repair materials came close to being indistinguishable to the aged 1784 mortar. This type of work is very difficult since one's eye can pick up the slightest variation in side by side work. It is the type of work that artisans must do and most masons would not want to tackle. deGruchy Masonry, however, has at its disposal the LimeWorks.us laboratory which could produce many simulation tiles in order to nail the hue of the surrounding aged regions. The good news is that the service is available from LimeWorks.us to restoration masons, conservators, building owners and architects who want to tackle this approach on their next high level conservation project. If you are ever in New Hope and visit the Captain Benjamin Parry Mansion, take a look at the full repointed area under the entire rear porch which was the only large section that was of a later era which needed wholesale renewal to all of the pointing. You will see how the weathering technique used upon inverted ''V'' style joint has made the joint work appear very old. Listen to the the story of this job: | View Next Job Back to Topics |
Customer Comment:
Wonderful, competent teamwork. Incredible craftsmen.
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20 Years later we received another comment:
As the owner of this property, I can affirm that having Andy do this project was the best investment we made in rejuvenating our house. The craftsmanship and attention to detail continue to be evident to all that view the result.
Steve, Rob and Jeremiah transformed our old painted-stucco-over-fieldstone home into a beautifully pointed dwelling beyond our dreams. These men are very focused and thorough; their work habits are of a high standard. Unanticipated problem areas were dealt with patiently, carefully and expertly.