David Hayles Presentation IDAL

Hayles and Howe company founder and world scagliola expert David Hayles has been invited to present scagliola techniques at the 25th Annual IDAL Convention & Exposition July 23 in Portland, Oregon. The International Decorative Artisans League (IDAL) is an international non-profit organization dedicated to the promotion of art stenciling and decorative painting. Although scagliola is not a painted finish, the pigmented plaster technique that has many interior decorative applications.

National Academy of Science building

Hayles and Howe, Inc. have been engaged by Gilbane Corporation to perform historic plaster restoration in the National Academy of Sciences building on Constitution Avenue in Washington, DC. Both flat and decorative plasterwork are in the scope of work, and the architects for the project are from Quinn Evans Washington, DC office.

Boldt Castle: The Ongoing Restoration of an Abandoned Labor of Love

Hayles and Howe, Inc. have been contracted by the Thousand Islands Bridge Authority for the third time to replicate and install decorative plasterwork in Boldt Castle, located on Heart Island in the St. Lawrence River near Alexandria Bay, NY. Because work can only be in progress when there is no ice on the river, the plaster restoration in this historic castle happens in yearly warm-season phases. The plasterers at Hayles and Howe have replicated and installed plaster cornices in Mr. Boldt’s Suite as phase one; in Mrs. Boldt’s Suite and Bathroom as phase two; and in early June as phase three, they installed replicated cornices in Miss Boldt’s Suite, Miss Boldt’s Reception Room and the large corridor into which the aforementioned rooms open. Building of the 6-story, 120-room edifice was begun in the early 1900’s by George Boldt for his wife Louise, who died suddenly during its construction. Upon Mrs. Boldt’s death, construction was halted, and the castle stood vacant until 1977 when it was acquired by the Thousand Islands Bridge Authority. The castle was opened to the public and the revenues from the castle operations have provided for the building’s restoration.
George Boldt was the proprietor of the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York City. His castle, meant to be a display of love for his wife, stands among the Thousand Islands as a monument to architectural grandeur and as a gift of beauty to its many visitors. More information about the castle can be found on the website at http://www.boldtcastle.com/. Hayles and Howe is pleased and proud to be a part of this generous project.

Westminster Abbey Boss

Above is an image of a plaster cast boss from Westminster Abbey. The photograph was taken by Henry Bedford Lemere. The original albumen print is in the A. D. White Architectural Photographs colection at the Cornell University Library.

Below is an image of one of our ceiling rose centers. A smaller and less intricate version of the boss above, it still holds the same ideas in design and technique.

They’re extinct. We’re not!!

It seems many persons believe that traditional plasterers no longer exist. They seem to think plastering is a lost trade. I can’t tell you the number of times that when I tell someone I work for an ornamental plastering company, they say to me in reply “There aren’t any people that do that intricate detailed work any more.” Well, we here at Hayles and Howe do just that and can help anyone with finishes for homes or commercial buildings. We can make old plaster look new, or we can design for new construction “from scratch.”

Here is a list and some images of the kinds of work “no one does anymore,” but is still done right here at Hayles and Howe, Inc.

Architectural & Ornamental Plaster
Cornice Moldings
Ceiling Medallions
Wall Friezes and Ceiling Plates
Corbels and Brackets
Decorative Panels
Jacobean Strapwork Ceilings
Domes
Fire Surrounds
Columns
Enrichments
Scagliola

Flat work:
3-coat plaster on wood, rock or metal lath
2- coat veneer plaster
Venetian plaster and other Italian plasters
Clay plaster for LEED projects
Any specialty troweled finish
Acoustical plaster

Hayles and Howe Inc. Sponsors Preservation Events

In late May and early June, Hayles and Howe, Inc. have sponsored two significant events for local historic preservation organizations. On May 20th and 21st, Preservation Maryland held its annual Preservation and Revitalization Conference in Easton, Maryland. The yearly conference features notable speakers, workshops, classes and exhibitions related to all aspects of historic preservation. This year, Hayles and Howe, Inc. supported this useful and informative event as bronze level sponsors. On June 11, Baltimore Heritage celebrated 50 years of preserving Baltimore’s beautiful historically significant architecture and noteworthy sites with a gala held at the Garrett-Jacobs House on Mount Vernon Place in Baltimore City. Hayles and Howe were pleased and proud to sponsor the gala and to celebrate this organization. As plaster and scagliola restoration and conservation specialists, Hayles and Howe welcome opportunities to promote and thank non-profit organizations such as Preservation Maryland and Baltimore Heritage for their devotion to restoring and preserving beloved Maryland and Baltimore landmarks and for their recognition and appreciation of the skills of the artisans at Hayles and Howe, Inc. who have had a part in restoring many of the venerable interiors within those landmarks.

Expanding our Brand

With its solidly-established foundation of gypsum plasterwork experience throughout the United States, Hayles and Howe, Inc. is always open to new and modern ways to utilize the skills of its master craftspersons. The company is a certified installer of two “green” plaster systems in response to the demand for more environmentally-friendly building materials which can contribute LEED points to building projects. American Clay Plaster us a non-toxic plaster finish utilizing local clays, earth pigments and re-cycled aggregates. It is shipped in re-usable bags, and comes in a wide array of beautiful colors. It can be applied in commercial or residential settings, and helps to regulate heating, cooling, and air quality by means of its moisture retention and release. BaswaPhon is a mineral-based sound-absorbing panel and plaster system which is effective in large public spaces. It can be implemented in historic buildings as well as newly constructed ones.

Image of BASWAphon vaulted ceiling installed by Hayles and Howe

Hayles and Howe, Inc. is proud of its beginnings in England, equally proud of its establishment and development in the United States, and looks forward to further expansion in the American market.

About Hayles and Howe Inc.

Hayles and Howe, Inc. is located in Baltimore, Maryland on the east coast of the United States. In the late 1980’s, two senior craftsmen from England’s Hayles and Howe Ltd. were contracted to restore the scagliola in the New Jersey Statehouse in Trenton, NJ. Because of their superior work, more projects were contracted, more craftsmen were sent to the US from England, the Hayles and Howe reputation grew until it became clear that a United States plasterwork and scagliola company would flourish.
In 1990, Hayles and Howe, Inc. was incorporated and under the leadership of Graham Banks, the company has grown steadily in reputation, in workforce, and in a consistent workload of prestigious projects. From its beginnings as a British/American company, Hayles and Howe Inc. has become even more international, now employing many fine artisans from Central and South America. The company workshop and offices have made progressive moves to three locations in the Baltimore area where the present office spaces are resplendent with the company’s own ornamental plasterwork and the workshop space is ample for any size and combination of projects.
All artisans are trained by Hayles and Howe, Inc. to its standard, and to sustain interest in the traditions of plasterwork for historic restoration as well as new and modern applications, the company offers educational opportunities: university student workshop tours, continuing education credit presentations to architects and designers, and classes designed for graduate student independent study. Originating in the heart of the finest European ornamental plasterwork and scagliola traditions, the Hayles and Howe, Inc. sensibility broadens the American understanding of the practicality and beauty of plaster finishes and decoration.
Hayles and Howe, Inc. offers design, drafting, mouldmaking, running, casting and installation of ornamental plaster; lathing and application of gypsum, clay and acoustic plaster smooth finishes; and design, fabrication, and installation of marezzo and traditional scagliola. The company specialists are equally comfortable with historic restoration and new design, and they are always available for consulting.