Historic Preservation Projects

Jul 9, 2011 by Editor    Comments Off    Posted under: Historic Preservation Projects

Denver Firefighters Museum

Olde English Masonry recently restored the brick and stone facade at Denver’s former Fire Station No. 1. Masons tuckpointed the fine mortar joints, known as butter joints, that typify the masonry of that time period. They also installed custom stone veneers to deteriorated stone bases on either side of the front door. The building, on the National Register of Historic Places, was built in 1909, when firefighters were still using horse-drawn apparatuses. Overseeing the project was Denver’s Avenue L Architects. The project, owned by the City of Denver, was funded in part by the Colorado Historic Fund.

James Fleming House

1510 S. Grant St., Denver, CO

Masons at Olde English Masonry cut and finished openings in interior brick walls as a part of the restoration of the James Fleming House in Denver. They also filled in the bases of several exterior door openings to create windows, installing new stone veneer in the process. The mansion, built in 1882 using a volcanic stone called rhyolite, will serve as a community space and headquarters for The Park People, a nonprofit that advocates for Denver’s parks and open space. The masonry renovation was completed in May of 2011, with Spectrum General Contractors, Inc. as the general contractor and Hoehn Architects PC as the architect.

JCRS Isaac Solomon Synagogue

1600 Pierce St., Lakewood, CO

At the JCRS Isaac Solomon Synagogue, crews cleaned, tuckpointed and replaced damaged brick on the interior and exterior of the building. They also patched areas of terra cotta and concrete at the one-story brick and stucco synagogue, built in the 1920s in a distinctive Moorish style. The synagogue was the heart of the Jewish Consumptives’ Relief Society campus, which functioned as a sanitarium for tuberculars of all faiths. The masonry restoration was completed in June of 2011, with the Sequoia Company serving as the general contractor. Funding was provided in part from the Colorado State Historic Fund.

Hiwan Homestead Museum

4202 S. Timbervale Drive, Evergreen, CO

Our masons replaced the old, mismatched and deteriorating mortar on the Hiwan Homestead Museum, a rustic-style log structure in Evergreen. They used a lime-based mortar to repoint all of the exterior stone walls and chimneys at the 25-room mountain retreat.

Construction of Hiwan Homestead began in the 1890s, when a widow and her daughter bought a hay barn and set out to refurbish it. They hired a Scottish carpenter named John Spence to lay the groundwork for an expansion that would span decades. The lodge, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, now serves as a local history museum run by the Jefferson County Historical Society.

Work on the stone walls was commissioned by Jefferson County Open Space in 2010 and will be completed in 2011. The project was funded in part by the Colorado State Historic Fund.

Crow Luther Cultural Events Center

1302-1304 S. Maine St., Eads, CO

As a part of the Crow Luther Cultural Events Center renovation, Olde English Masonry repaired, repointed and rebuilt the tops of walls and parapets of the buildings that will make up the center. The nonprofit CLCEC is working to save the historic Plains Theater in Eads, and renovate three historic buildings for a cultural events center. When completed the facility will offer movies and various community events. Masonry work on the parapets of the city-owned buildings was completed in January of 2011. The project was designed by Denver’s Marc Diament Architecture PC; Milton Watts Construction of Eads acted as general contractor.

Dept. of Veterans Affairs Medical Center

2360 E. Pershing Blvd., Cheyenne, WY

Olde English Masonry tuckpointed and repaired brick facades at the sprawling Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Cheyenne, WY. The facility, which opened in 1934, was renovated with funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. Tusca II, Inc. managed the project, designed by Pouppirt Architects. Masonry work was completed in August of 2010.

Rehder/First National Bank Building

8th St. and Lincoln Ave., Steamboat Springs, CO

Olde English Masonry restored the walls of native sandstone and red brick on the Rehder/First National Bank Building in downtown Steamboat Springs.

The Rehder Building, constructed in 1905, is a rare example of Romanesque Revival style, with round arches atop window and door openings. The building  in the heart of the central business district once housed a successful banking operation. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Restoration of the city-owned building was completed in October of 2009, with funding from the Colorado State Historic Fund. Holmquist-Lorenz Construction Co. acted as general contractor and Humphries Poli Architects, PC, was the architect.

Logan County Courthouse

Our masons restored and rebuilt two limestone entryways at the Logan County Courthouse at 315 Main St. in Sterling, CO. Limestone slabs were cut and finished to match the texture and design of the original stone stairways, which had been painted in recent years.

Built in 1910 at a cost of $100,000, the courthouse showcases the Classical Revival style, with white-pressed brick and white stone trimming. Designed by John J. Huddart, the domed building is on the National Register of Historic Places.

Restoration of the structure is ongoing, under the management of Wattle & Daub Contractors. Plans were designed by A-E Design Associates PC. The second phase, completed in October of 2009, was funded in part by the Colorado State Historical Fund.

Chautauqua Park Stone Arbor and Trolley Stop

9^th and Baseline, Boulder, CO

In the fall of 2009, we repointed the historic stone walls, entry arbor and a shelter that once served as a trolley stop at Chautauqua Park in Boulder. The National Historic Landmark, designed as a cultural retreat, maintains 67 historic buildings for active use. The architect for the masonry repairs: Marc Diament Architecture PC. Funding for the project came from the city of Boulder, which owns the 14-acre property.

Churches Ranch Barn and Silo Restoration

7999 W. 60th Ave., Arvada, CO

Built in 1864, the barn on John C. Churches’ homestead used sandstone collected by Ralston Creek. The adjacent silo was constructed of terra-cotta block. Masons at Olde English Masonry restored the structures, rebuilding and tuckpointing areas of stonework and patching and replacing terra cotta units. Work was completed in November of 2008, with Colon-Collawn LLC as the general contractor and Andrews and Anderson as the architect. The Colorado State Historical Fund helped fund restoration of the longtime ranch, which also served as a way station along a route to the gold camps during the 1860s.

Polar Star Historic Mill

111 Chase St., Black Hawk, CO

Work on the Polar Star Historic Mill in Black Hawk included repairing fractures, tuckpointing and rebuilding portions of exterior stone walls. Olde English Masonry finished the project in 2006, working with general contractor TC2 and PEH Architects. The repairs were funded by the Colorado State Historical Fund.

Clark Building

Central City

On the Clark Building in Central City, masons tuckpointed, repaired and cleaned historic brick facades. They also rebuilt the parapet of the building, completing work in 2006. The general contractor on the project was TC2, based in Evergreen, and the architect was Humphries Poli Architects, P.C., of Denver. The owner of the building, the State of Colorado’s Division of Gaming, funded the project through its Limited Gaming Fund.

Colorado State University Statistics Building

Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO

Olde English Masonry restored and replaced units at the Colorado State University’s Statistics Building, using custom-made, rock-face cement block. Sun Construction and Design Services, Inc., was the general contractor for the project, completed in 2005. Funding came from the Colorado State Historical Fund.

Hygiene United Methodist Church

Winner: Historic Boulder Inc. 2004 Award of Merit

7542 Hygiene Rd., Longmont, CO

At the Hygiene United Methodist Church, masons removed and rebuilt the chimney and removed and rebuilt parapet walls on bell tower. The award-winning project was completed in 2004, with Sun Construction & Design Services, Inc., as the general contractor. The project was funded in part by the Colorado State Historical Fund.