Monumental News

 

Historic Washington Monument restoration work continues for Hayles and Howe, Inc. plasterers in the 178-foot column and museum space of the nation’s first public monument to George Washington. Within the towering structure, the walls and central pillar were plastered with natural cement, some of which has been repaired by Hayles and Howe.  The museum space will be plastered with Rosendale cement, a “natural cement” produced by Edison Coatings from limestone mined from an original mine in upstate Rosendale, New York. This cement is made of naturally-occurring limestone which contains about 25 percent clay minerals, and the material was chosen because there was original natural cement used inside the monument. The museum space is comprised of about 5000 sf of natural cement plaster including vaulted ceilings, impost cornice and other moldings and ashlar-jointed plaster walls to appear as stone. The historic record of the construction of the monument specifically indicates “hydraulic cement” which was likely how natural cement was called in 1830. The natural cement used in the monument may well have come from a Maryland producer of which there were at least two during that period. The monument is the centerpiece of Mt. Vernon Place, an area of public park space and cobblestone streets overseen by the Mt. Vernon Conservancy.

During the monument’s restoration, two time capsules including an 1815 time capsule in a cornerstone were unearthed. The cornerstone capsule contained papers from the time period in glass bottles and will be re-buried with the addition of present-day items to include a cast-replica of the George Washington face from the statue atop the monument based on 3-D scans. The restoration of this monument in Baltimore, known as the “Monumental City,” is rich with history, and Hayles and Howe are pleased to be part of it.

 

Award for Excellence in Historic Preservation

The restoration of historic Sherman Building in Washington, DC received an Award for Excellence in Historic Preservation on May 15, 2014 from the District of Columbia Preservation League. This award was received by general contractor for the project, The Christman Company, as well as specialty subcontractors including Hayles and Howe, Inc.  Representing Hayles and Howe were project manager Marc Berrong and site supervisor Marcelo Jiminez. This prestigious award was presented by the DC Office of Planning, The DC Historic Preservation Office and the DC Preservation League. The awards event was hosted by the Daughters of the American Revolution at the DAR Constitution Hall.  Hayles and Howe’s work included interior plaster restoration and historic exterior stucco restoration.   The landmark Sherman Building is located on the grounds of the Armed Forces Retirement Homes.

Union Station Visits Hayles and Howe, Inc.

On Monday the Hayles and Howe shop got a visit from the Union Station Redevelopment team.  Our guys got to show them the ropes and even put them to work. Check out some photos of their visit.

B’er Chayim Temple, Cumberland, Maryland, USA

Two teams of Hayles and Howe. Inc.’s artisans traveled to western Maryland last week to begin work on the renovations of the plasterwork in the 1866 B’er Chayim Temple in Cumberland. The brick building had undergone an exterior renovation removing white paint and re-pointing its brick exterior nearly one year earlier.  Services are temporarily moved to another location in Cumberland, and in order to prepare the interior for its renovation, yards of canvas previously applied to consolidate the plaster were stripped from the walls and ceiling revealing former paint schemes and plasterwork which required more extensive consolidation. Hayles and Howe’s assiduous plasterers injected solutions of acrylic resin emulsion mixed with lime plaster and water in order to re-consolidate the 3-coat plaster. The second team of plasterers remains at the temple to repair large cracks and patches in order to restore the building to its original beauty.

Meaning Well of Life, B’er Chayim Temple with its beautiful ark and symmetry provide a space for reverent contemplation. The temple is the longest continuously operating temple in Maryland and has a varying history of both Orthodox and Reform traditions. Hayles and Howe are pleased to be part of the renovation of this well-tended place which is listed on the National Register. 

Sherman Building

Hayles and Howe, Inc.’s  plaster artisans are nearing the finish of a 14-month restoration of the 1850’s-era Sherman Building, located on the grounds of the Armed Forces Retirement Home in Washington, DC. This National Historic Landmark, located within a designated historic district on the National Register of Historic Places, and listed on the District of Columbia Inventory of Historic Sites, is a visual landmark in Washington.  Recognized by its clock tower and crenellated parapets, the building’s exterior is unfinished white marble. The August 2011 earthquake damaged the building to such an extent that its occupants were evacuated to safety.  Immediate and extensive stabilization measures were taken and a restoration team including Quinn Evans Architects was put in place for returning the building to its former structural and historic integrity on both the exterior and throughout the interior.  

Contracted to The Christman Company and under the project management of Marc Berrong,  Hayles and Howe’s plasterers have restored ornamental  and  flat plasterwork and replaced ceilings and walls  throughout the building’s nearly 70,000 square feet including the annex and the north and south towers.  Additionally, the Hayles and Howe team restored damaged historic stucco on 8 chimneys on two of the soldiers’ quarters near the Sherman Building.  This iconic building is once again the stately castle built by Union soldier and architect Barton S. Alexander. 

Employee Feature: Joselin Martin

Photo courtesy of MACPA

Tom Hood (CPA, MACPA CEO), MaryBeth Halpern (MACPA), Larry Kamanitz (CPA), Joselin R Martin (CPA), Allan DeLeon (CPA), Adrianne Gonzales (Columnist, Going Concern), Anoop Mehta (CPA), Marianela Del Pino-Rivera (CPA)

Hayles and Howe's US Financial Manager keeps H&H on the front line of professional opportunities in the construction industry.  Joselin R Martin is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and is an active member of the Maryland Association of CPAs (MACPA). She currently serves on the MACPA Board of Directors, as a member (and immediate past chair) of the Business and Industry Committee, and as an appointed representative to the Governing Council of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA).  In these roles, she stays current on professional issues, develops relationships with her peers, and represents not only the MACPA but H&H to state and national elected representatives.  Joselin was also in the first group to receive the CGMA (Chartered Global Management Accountants) designation, a joint venture of the AICPA and CIMA.

For construction-related issues, Joselin has been active in the Construction Financial Management Association (CFMA), ultimately earning her Certified Construction Industry Financial Professional (CCIFP) designation.  The CCIFP requires past and continuing education, work experience, and successful completion of an extensive exam covering not only accounting and reporting, but also legal, technology, risk management, and human resource issues in construction.  Joselin is the current vice-chairman of the Institute for Certified Construction Industry Financial Professionals (ICCIFP), the organization that oversees the CCIFP designation. The annual CFMA conference is 3 days of connecting with national peers, learning best practices, and previewing the latest technology.

Through active association membership, Joselin keeps the US finances running so the craft professionals can do what they do best: make the highest quality product in the plastering industry!

Plastered in Charleston !

Hayles and Howe’s Mark Mordhorst, Jim Meade, and Robert Johnson, trekked down to Charleston, SC, in a van loaded full of plaster materials to spend their weekend…plastering (a regular busman’s holiday!).

The weekend of September 28, 2012, Hayles and Howe participated in the 16^th Annual International Preservation Trades Workshop (IPTW 2012), put together by the Preservation Trades Network (PTN).  The Preservation Trades Network (PTN) is a 501(c)3 non-profit membership organization founded to provide education, networking and outreach for the traditional building trades. (www.ptn.org/index.htm)  The event was unique this year because it was a joint conference with The Association For Preservation Technology (APT).  APT is a cross-disciplinary, membership organization dedicated to promoting the best technology for conserving historic structures and their settings.  (http://www.apti.org/)

Seasoned IPTW presenters Mark and Jim, along with rookie IPTW presenter Robert, assisted historic preservation students applying plaster to the historic Old City Jail in Charleston.  Students came from all over the country, many from  the North Carolina region.  The Old City Jail is owned by the American College of the Building Arts (ACBA), and is a “living classroom” for students.  Our craftsmen and students worked together as they spread traditional three-coat lime plaster in a corridor.  They applied the plaster directly onto masonry, as the building was originally plastered.  Other trades offering training included masonry restoration with Andy deGruchy and his team from LimeWorks as well as  Ken Uracius of Stone and Lime Imports. Ken’s company manufactures the only authentic natural cement from the Rosendale limestone quarries in Rosendale, New York. 

Until the ACBA acquired the property, the Old City Jail sat vacant for some 60 years. The school has been working on the preservation of this building ever since.  Hayles and Howe was grateful to be a part of  training students in traditional skills and saving another old building that helps tell the story and legacy of American history.

Our craftsmen spent a busy Friday and Saturday working on the jail, but were able to sneak in a lecture on natural hydraulic lime and natural cement by Gerard Lynch, PhD, “The Red Mason”.  (Ok boys, get ready for your quiz!)  During the off-workshop hours they were able to catch up with old friends and make new ones, and have yet another great time at one more annual IPTW!