Bronx, New York (1950) To Remove or not to Remove? That was the Question.Widespread delimination of the gypsum plaster skim coat from the cast concrete ceiling presented a safety problem in this school built in the 1950s. Two remedial options were considered: 1. Scrape off the existing plaster and then re-plaster; or 2. Re-adhere the … Read more
New York City, New York (1948) Restoration in the Nick of TimeThis elegant and brilliantly designed church with a ceiling that looks like the hull of a ship was closed and abandoned in 2001 when a crack in the east wall became irreparable. As demolition crews arrived and began smashing the antique stained glass windows, … Read more
Brighton, Massachussets (1929) The Building: St. Gabriel’s Monastery, built in the Mission style in 1909, is a Boston Landmark, surrounded by historic structures and landscape features. The entire 11.6-acre site had been abandoned for about 30 years until 2016 when Cabot, Cabot, and Forbes proposed a bold redevelopment, which includes the construction of four new residential … Read more
Yonkers, New York (1752) The Building: This historic church in the Getty Square neighborhood of Yonkers was originally constructed in 1752, with an addition in 1859 and modifications to the facade in 1874 by noted architect Edward Tuckerman. It is constructed of rough gray fieldstone with red brick on the corners. It is cruciform in plan, … Read more
Boston, Massachusetts (1899) The Building: St. Leonard’s Church is a Roman Catholic church located at the corner of Hanover and Prince Streets in the north end of Boston. Founded in 1873 and completed in 1899, it is one of the oldest churches built by Italian immigrants in the United States. Construction of the current building, designed … Read more
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (1897) The Building: A notable landmark in Pittsburgh, overlooking the city from the top of Mt. Washington. A New Alternative Treatment Method for Stabilizing Plain Face PlasterAn up-close inspection of the surface side of the ceiling revealed significant areas of plain face (vernacular) plaster in danger of falling. Particularly loose areas of the ceiling, … Read more
Toronto, Ontario (1848) The Building: Designed by renowned architect, William Thomas, St. Michael’s is the cathedral church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Toronto and one of the oldest churches in the city. Project Synopsis: HPCS has a long-standing relationship with +VG Architects-The Ventin Group, a Toronto-based firm that brings an enlightened and progressive approach to … Read more
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (1859) The Building: St. Paul of the Cross Monastery and Church, designed by architect Charles Bartberger, is a historic landmark complex of buildings that stand on a hilltop overlooking the south side of the City of Pittsburgh, just a few minutes from the city center. Project Synopsis: HPCS USA was called in to inspect the … Read more
Croghan, New York (1902) The Building: On April 24, 1902, a fire consumed 21 buildings in the Village of Croghan, including the previous St. Stephen’s Catholic Church, which had been built in 1879. Project Synopsis: It didn’t take long for the resilient people of Croghan to spring into action. On August 22, 1902, the rebuilding of St. … Read more
(The Church of Our Lady of the Scapular & St. Stephen)New York City, New York (1854) The Building:Historic church featuring a 22,000 square-foot rib-vaulted wood lath and plaster ceiling and fresco paintings by the renowned Constantino Brumidi. An Innovative Solution to a Strange and Challenging Problem:The ceiling was in a terrible state of dilapidation made … Read more
Washington, D.C. (1879) The Building: Saint Teresa of Avila is the Mother Roman Catholic Church of Southeast Washington, DC. The St. Teresa of Avila parish was formed when a need for a church east of the Anacostia River became evident to a growing Uniontown community. Built in 1979, the building features a beautiful mural painted on … Read more
Tassie Hall, Galt Collegiate InstituteCambridge, Ontario (1852) The Building:A Collegiate auditorium Project Synopsis:The 200-seat high school auditorium, added in the 1930s, has a vaulted ceiling, comprised of expanded metal lath and cement-based plaster, which had been severely damaged by continued water infiltration. A survey conducted by HPCS indicated that if we could consolidate the plaster … Read more
New York City, New York (1868) The Building: Built in a combined Victorian, Byzantine Revival and Romanesque style by Henry Engelbert, The Church of Our Lady of Sorrows served as the national parish for the many thousands of German families who arrived in New York after 1948. The building features an ornately decorated domed ceiling, along … Read more
Brooklyn, New York (1929) The Building: Formerly Loew’s Kings Theater, Kings Theater is a movie-palace type theater in the Flatbush neighborhood of Brooklyn. The theatre was designed by the architectural firm of Rapp and Rapp, with the interior decor designed by Harold Rambusch. The massive structure has 3,676 seats and was closed in 1977, eventually suffering extensive … Read more
Ottawa, Ontario (1833) The Building:Since 1967, Rideau Hall has been the official residence of the Canadian monarch and the Governor General of Canada. Originally built as a stone villa, the building has undergone significant expansions over the years, and is now comprised of 170 rooms totaling 102,000 square feet. Project Synopsis:An assessment by Historic Plaster … Read more
New York City, New York (1920) The Building: Times Square Theater was built in 1920 by the Selwyn Brothers based on a design by Eugene De Rosa. The theater has been vacant since 1990. For its centennial celebration, Stillman Development International (Developer) began the adaptive reuse development of the landmark-quality historic theater in the heart of … Read more
Newtown, Connecticut (1870) The Building: Trinity Episcopal Church is a Gothic Revival structure in the heart of Newtown’s historic district. The 1870 church, with its sandy yellow walls and ornate stenciling in plum and teal, saw its last major renovation in 2000. Project Synopsis: Extensive cracking could be observed on the surface side of the plaster 40 … Read more
Toronto, Ontario (1927) The Building:Canada’s largest and busiest train station. Project Synopsis:Union Station is undergoing a $250 million renovation scheduled to be completed in 2020. Historic Plaster Conservation Services is the project’s plaster conservator, working with a large team, including Dima Cook the lead heritage architect for FGM Architects (FGMDA). One of the principle issues … Read more
HPCS was the heritage plaster consultant and carried out the plaster consolidation work on the award-winning project West Block Rehabilitation Project.
New York, New York (1912) The Building: The historic landmark Woolworth Building in New York City is undergoing a major renovation to convert the top 20 floors into high-end condominiums. Project manager, Alchemy Properties, came up with the highly commendable idea to not only preserve the extraordinarily beautiful fibrous plaster coffered ceiling in the 40th floor … Read more
