Old Basilica of St. Louis, King, St. Louis, MO

old basilica of st louis king 3

Client: Catholic Diocese of St. Louis
Construction Budget: Phase I: $127,500; PHASE II: $1.5 Million

Historic Masonry Restoration

Old Basilica of St. Louis was the first Cathedral west of the Mississippi and until 1845 it was the only parish church in the city of St. Louis.  It is truly the “Mother Church” of the City of St. Louis. A bronze plaque on the facade of this historic Church commemorates the founding of the St. Vincent de Paul Society in America. The work scope of Phase I, prepared and executed by Speweik Preservation Consultants (SPC), involved a stone-by-stone survey, condition assessment report, stone and mortar testing, specifications and drawing review, research for stone replacement options, and determine the most cost effective preservation treatments to save the decaying stone façade. A total of eight individual test panels were installed in July 2012 by SPC heritage masons to verify the recommended treatments, proposed replacement materials and workmanship. Historic masonry restoration contractors bidding the project had the benefit of reviewing the completed test panels prior to preparing their pricing. Workmanship complied with the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Secretary Standard for Rehabilitation, No. 5 and No. 6 to established to replicate the original 1831 stone finishes and mortar joint profiles.

Specialized tools and equipment were used to rework the surfaces of the deteriorated stone and bring the stone to its original quarry finishes. The test panel evaluation process assisted the owner and architect in the decisions to develop the most appropriate specification document for treatment. The work included: redressing stone insitu; removing stone, redressing and returning stone to the same location, flush with the existing stone profile edges; stone Dutchman repair; crack injection; removal of all non-original cement mortar from the mortar joints; replacement with a lime putty mortar that matches the original in color, sand gradation, flexibility, porosity and strength. All repointing work was completed in accordance with the Preservation Brief No. 2, “Repointing Mortar Joints in Historic Masonry Buildings”, published by the National Park Service, 1998.

A full report documenting the process of evaluation and test panel approach to the means and methods was presented to the owners and architects upon completion of PHASE I. Phase II was the actual construction phase and was completed in the fall of 2014. This phase included the ASTM E2659-09 Historic Stone Masonry Training Program.

Historic Chalmette National Cemetery, Chalmette, LA

chalmette national cemetery

Client: Pishny Restoration Services
Construction Budget: $250,000 – Headstone Repair; $4.5 Million – Historic Brick Wall Reconstruction

Historical Headstone Restoration

Speweik Preservation Consultants (SPC) was commissioned by Pishny Restoration Services to provide technical support to comply with the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Secretary Standards for Rehabilitation in the harvesting, cleaning, and repair scope for the damaged historic marble headstones. SPC designed and implemented the headstone repair strategy and carried out the necessary testing and research to establish the stone treatment requirements that matched the original historic marble. Pishny masons were trained in the proper tool selection combined with the details of mixing and applying a custom formulated stone repair mortar. SPC also developed a unique stone-stitching and pinning technique to re-attach the missing headstones pieces that were later found after the Katrina water receded. The National Park Service preservation architects and cemetery staff were very pleased at the level of care and workmanship delivered by the Pishny masons. All 74 historic headstones were repaired and the stone treatments blended seamlessly into the historic texture and color of the original historic marble.

Historic Brick Wall Reconstruction

SPC was also commissioned by WW Masonry Restoration & Waterproofing to provide technical support to assist in the development of a replacement mortar formulation that would be acceptable to the National Park Service Architects in the reconstruction of the historic brick wall. The contractor had made several attempts at matching the historic mortar specification requirements himself but had failed repeatedly with his submittals. Frustrations grew and the project was delayed. John Speweik traveled to the site and gathered the samples and information he needed. While there John also offered helpful advice to the masonry contractor on the historic brick inventory sequencing operation as well as more effective methods of historic mortar removal. He returned to Chicago and authored a technical report based upon his testing and research to match the historic mortar, which the National Park Service architects approved the following week.

North and South Hall, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI

150 year old north south halls

Client: University of Wisconsin – Madison
Reference Contact 1: Project Manager – QA, Division of State Facilities
Reference Contact 2: Project Architect, Isthmus Architecture
Construction Budget: $4.5 Million

Masonry Restoration and Preservation

The University of Wisconsin – Madison Campus, North and South Halls, ca. 1851 in Madison, Wisconsin.Speweik Preservation Consultants (SPC) was asked to provide a stone-by-stone survey to identify the preservation treatment approach and restoration plan according to the specification requirements. SPC assisted the architect in establishing the drawings and specifications for the Madison sandstone restoration treatments on both buildings. A full and complete test panel was installed prior to contractor bidding. This allowed the owner an opportunity to pre-approve a section of the wall to establish the workmanship standards. A reliable budget was established from this preconstruction test panel and bidders were introduced to the level of quality the architect and owner expected prior to submitting their pricing.

Historic sandstone preservation treatments included: redressing stone insitu; removing stone; redressing and returning to the same location; removal and replacement; consolidation of sandstone with injection grout; substitute stone repair; dispersed hydrated lime crack injection; mechanical and non mechanical Dutchman stone repair techniques; and repointing mortar joints with lime putty mortar. The project started February 2010 and was completed in October 2011. An American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) E2659-09 Historic Stone Masonry Training Program was developed specifically for the historic sandstone preservation treatments which corresponded to the requirements of the Department of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation.

The ASTM E2659-09 Historic Stone Masonry Training in the Removal and Replacement of Sandstone.

Skilled masons make repairs to 150-year-old North, South halls | Wisconsin State Journal

Masons working on North Hall, a National Historic Landmark, had to undergo a rigorous training program led by Chicago masonry preservation specialist John Speweik. The workers are being careful to preserve as much of the original stone as possible.

Two of UW-Madison’s oldest buildings are being painstakingly restored this summer with historic masonry work that has drawn crowds. The university is spending $2 million to make repairs to North Hall, built in 1851, and South Hall, built in 1855. North Hall, the first building on campus, originally housed the entire university — classrooms, labs and dorm space — until South Hall was built. Today, North Hall houses the political science department and South Hall is office space. But both buildings were in trouble.

Wide cracks had erupted in the walls; water accumulated behind the faces of the stones, and holes had opened. Over the years, the buildings had been repaired using a type of cement that damaged the original stone, said Laura Davis of Isthmus Architecture, who was asked to assess damage and oversee restoration work. Since North Hall is a National Historic Landmark, its restoration and that of its neighbor, across from it on Bascom Hill, were priorities.

“We decided we wouldn’t just look at the lowest bid,” Davis said. They wanted to find (masons) “who could prove they have the skill and the conscientiousness to work on buildings like this.” She turned to Chicago historical masonry preservation specialist John Speweik, who has worked in post-Katrina New Orleans. “This kind of work is totally different than putting up block walls,” Davis said. “There’s a vast difference between old and new building materials.” Masons who were to work on the buildings were required to go through rigorous training programs led by Speweik, who then evaluated their work before letting them loose on the buildings. “We did whatever we could to save the original stone,” Davis said. That included saving the carved graffiti in the sills, which dates to the 1870s.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA

Central Entry to Main Group

Client: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Reference Contact 1: MIT Facilities Program Manager
Reference Contact 2: Senior Project Manager, Department of MIT Facilities
Construction Budget: Phase I: $1.8 Million; Phase II: $12 Million

Masonry Preservation and Restoration

A stone-by-stone detailed analysis of the historic limestone façade was undertaken by Speweik Preservation Consultants (SPC) for the Main Group Building No. 2, ca. 1916 at Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The building is three stories with 2 Pavilions, a ziggurat roof and over 32,500 square feet of façade limestone including the parapet walls. The types of stone include granite and Indiana Bedford limestone. A full and complete survey of the test panel (mock-down area 36’x36’x60’) was accomplished with supportive documentation, specifications and digital image reports provided.

Stone Masonry Restoration Training

Forensic investigation was used through the use of nondestructive testing equipment and techniques to understand the original mode of construction and the stresses that have developed in the wall system over time. Hands-on Historic Stone Masonry Training was developed by SPC using the framework of ASTM E2659-09. It was included in the scope to train the masons in the proper means and methods of application in regards to the recommended stone restoration treatments. Work scope and onsite training consisted of replacement, redress insitu, cleaning, substitute stone repair, DHL crack injections, Dutchman repair, remove and replace, and repointing mortar joints using lime putty mortar.

The project involvement consisted of existing materials analysis for matching procedures. Hand tools were fabricated by experienced stone masons from SPC in order to facilitate the correct specified approach. The project included long-term monitoring of the performance of the remediation and temperature and humidity monitors were installed in the test wall area to better understand the thermal and moisture conditions in the walls. The initial project started in April 2010 and was completed in February 2011. The limestone restoration program was completed in the fall of 2013.

The ASTM E2659-09 Historic Stone Masonry Training in Redress Insitu can be seen at: http://www.youtube.com/user/SpeweikPreservation#p/u/2/-tWSj6Ct9no

Arlington National Cemetery | Arlington, VA

Arlington National Cemetery

Client: US Army Corps of Engineers
Reference Contact: Historic Preservation Officer
Construction Budget: Phase I: $45,000; Phase II: $360,600; Phase III: $2.3 Million

Historic Stone Masonry Reconstruction

The six stone columns which formed the principal elements of the Ord-Weitzel and Sheridan Gates were originally erected in the portico of the Old War Department Building in Washington, DC in 1818. When the building was demolished in the 1870’s, the columns were moved to Arlington National Cemetery to be used in the construction of two of the principal gateways. In the late 1960’s a new Master Plan for the cemetery was developed and the gates were deconstructed and the components stored in a remote portion of the cemetery grounds. Under the auspices of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, reconstruction of the gates at the cemetery is now underway. 

The initial phase of the program was the assessment of the condition of the stone components; which have been stacked on the ground, unprotected and exposed to the elements for the past 50+ years. The principal concern was the condition of the base, columns, and large entablature (Sheridan) and pedestal, columns, and funereal urns (Ord-Weitzel). To enable the evaluation of the stone (Phase One), a designated examination area was set-aside at the cemetery. 

Each stone was carefully strapped and supported, lifted by crane, placed on individual pallets on a flatbed truck, transported to the investigation area, off loaded via a fork lift, and placed in the investigation area. Speweik Preservation Consultants personnel were onsite to oversee the handling, transport and positioning of the stone.  The placement of the stone was designed for the execution of the forensic investigation, as well as to facilitate the conservation treatment of each stone

The forensic investigation phase was completed by SPC. The assessment was performed using a suite of state of practice nondestructive and minimally invasive investigation technologies. These included ultrasonics, impact echo, ground penetrating radar, microscopy, and the unique SINT DRMS drill resistance measurement system that graphs resistance to penetration of a 3mm drill bit operating at preset rates of rotation and advance. This system was developed in Florence, Italy for use on the Leaning Tower of Pisa and the Cathedral of Florence and allows for the determination of the depth of exfoliation, extent of spalling or delamination, and indirect compressive strength of the stone.

Historic Masonry Preservation

Based on the results of the investigation, a concise plan and budget for the conservation of the stone has was developed by the SPC project team. The treatments include cleaning, paint and graffiti removal, stone retooling, Dutchman installation, crack injection and creation of replacement stone.

Each treatment required for each individual stone was color-coded in the evaluation report to guide the conservation process.

Reconstruction of the Ord-Weitzel Gates was completed in November 2022. SPC provided the historic stone masonry specifications and worked with the architect on specific design details. The historic urns were severely damaged in 1970 during deconstruction. Many architectural details were lost and missing. SPC stone carvers carefully restored the missing features using Dutchman techniques and historic photographs.

Technical support was provided to the contractor on the assembly details. The Army Corps of Engineers worked closed with SPC historic masons to ensure the proper protection of the Aquia sandstone was preserved for future generations.

Perry’s Victory and International Peace Memorial

perrys victory and international peace memorial

Owner: National Park Service, Denver Service Center
Contractor: Coon Restoration and Sealants, Inc.

Historic Stone Masonry Preservation

Speweik Preservation Consultants (SPC) completed consultation work in 2017 on this monumental historic stone memorial column constructed of granite. The project is located on South Bass Island, Put-in-Bay, Ohio. The project involved removing sealant from between the granite joints and replacing it with mortar, and also removing stains from the granite surface. SPC worked with the architect and specified a mortar that was very dry to maximize compaction during installation and to prevent shrinkage cracks from occurring as the material cures.

Custom Masonry Restoration Tools

This mortar condition made it extremely difficult to install the mortar into the head joints as the material would not stick to the repointing tool. The contractor simply wanted to add more water to the mortar to fix the problem. SPC did not allow this for the technical reasons mentioned. Instead, SPC fabricated a new tool at the project site.

The new tool was used and was a contributing factor to the success of the project. Four miles of mortar joints were carefully inspected by SPC during the construction phase. Similar to the requirements for the Texas Old General Land Office project, SPC was hired to provide an ASTM E2659-18 onsite training program, review material testing, oversee test panel installations, provide technical documentation on installation methods, and provide Quality Assurance Inspections with detailed field reports. All training was in compliance with the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Secretary Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties.

Historic Masonry Preservation

Historic Masonry Preservation

Historic Masonry Preservation
Presented By The Belvedere School
September 15 & 16, 2018

Historic Masonry Preservation is a fun and intense, two-day, hands-on learning experience. The stone, brick and mortar being preserved will be done in accordance with The Secretary of the Interiors Standards for Rehabilitation. You will be part of a team of students performing the foundation preservation on the circa-1859 Lamb-Munger Mansion in the Central Park National Historic District in Hannibal, Missouri.

This is a tuition-based class with a limit of 12 students. You will be working side-by-side for two days with instructor John Speweik. We are honored to have John back for his second workshop here at the school. John is a 5th generation mason and is internationally recognized as one of the top experts in hand-on historic masonry preservation training. He is an author and conference speaker on historic stone, brick and lime mortar preservation techniques.

This will be an intense, learn-by-doing opportunity. You will learn: stone repair; brick repair; mortar repair; removal of deterred mortar; mixing lime mortar; matching historic mortar; preparing mortar joints; mortar joint profiling; proper tool selection for repointing; repointing do’s and don’ts. At the end of the two days you will know from beginning to end how to remove, match and repoint mortar joints in historic stone and brickwork. At the completion of the class each student will receive a “Certificate of Completion.”

Homeowners, small contractors, preservation staff, preservation commission members, hp students and historic building owners will all benefit from this hands-on, traditional training event. All skill levels are encouraged to enroll. This is a hands-on workshop so you will be getting dirty. Bring work gloves, tool belt and eye protection.

Tuition for this two-day workshop is $695 and includes fresh ground morning coffee, snacks, beverages and lunch. Space is limited to 12 students in each session and pre-registration is required to retain a spot in the class.

Affordable hotels as well as bed & breakfast inns are available for out of town students.Our inn, The Belvedere Inn may have rooms for early registrations at a student discount. For more information or to pre-register call Bob Yapp, 217-474-6052 or yapperman@msn.com

The Belvedere School for Hands-On Preservation
521 Bird Street, Hannibal, Missouri 63401
September 15 & 16, 2018

Discover how the experts at Speweik Preservation can help with your historic masonry architecture preservation project.