Washington, D.C.
The Sidwell Friends School is a pre-kindergarten through 12th grade Quaker day school. It’s become more famous this year since President Obama’s daughters started attending. Its administration building, Zartman House, was built between 1817-27 on what is now the school’s 15-acre campus. The school bought the historic building in 1955.
WEI cut out the mortar and re-pointed the entire fieldstone exterior, disassembled and rebuilt slate steps, and repaired dislodged brickwork. Because of the many stages of re-pointing evidenced on the building, creating a consistent appearance was an important goal. The contractor created several mortar samples and mock-ups to satisfy the client, replicating the color and texture of the original envelope.
Masons were extremely cautious while working near the majestic wisteria trees on the lawn surrounding the building. Several of them are more than 100 years old and among the first planted on the property. To protect them from dust, debris, or chemical exposure, workers wrapped the scaffolding in plastic to contain any construction waste or spray. Where the trees came very close to the building, workers performed all raking by hand to avoid the dust created by grinders. As an added precaution, crews rinsed the trees down each night in case anything had escaped the enclosures.
Non-masonry work included removing, cleaning, repairing, and reinstalling the surrounding wrought iron fence.
The grand monuments and stately marble columns of Washington, D.C. have made the city’s architecture famous, inviting comparisons to ancient Athens and Rome. Although not as well-known to tourists, many historic masonry buildings throughout the city and surrounding area are just as important to its character.
Preserving these aging landmarks is a priority for Worcester Eisenbrandt Inc. (WEI), a historic building restoration contracting firm specializing in masonry and wood restoration. The Baltimore-based contractor has been restoring and repairing masonry buildings in the Mid-Atlantic region since 1926. WEI’s projects, including those highlighted here, range from small, historically sensitive restorations to multi-million dollar contracts.
Evening Star Building (2007)
