New construction is expensive enough as it is. Throw in a Landmarks designation and the obligation to fund historic restoration and the costs are no longer for the faint of heart.
ClockTowerTenants have been fortunate in recent weeks to have a team of brick masons repairing our facade. Carpenters have also added salon doors.
But the doors are new and were comparatively easy to install, it’s in the brickwork where the fiddly restoration lies.
Turn of the (last) century brick was made right here in New York State along the Hudson River because of prodigious natural claybeds. Beginning in 1905 a man named Eugene Frost operated brickyards in nearby Croton and also Montrose, New York. This section of the ClockTower was also added in 1905. Coincidence?
Nah. I think we’ve found our supplier.
But modern brick doesn’t match 105 year old brick.
All the mason can really influence is the thickness of the mortar bed.
So it’s up to the skill of the mason--- occasionally skirting into artistry--- to faithfully render the Romanesque details of the era. A grinder for carving helps.
So does custom colored mortar.
But the skill of the mason and his desire to make it all match is what counts in the end.
The plywood form that supports an arch until it sets is called a “template”.
A brick on end and on edge in the wall is called a “soldier”. See how the shoulder is facing you?
A brick on end and on the flat is called a “sailor.” See how it is open like a sail?
And so on, every brick position in the wall has a designated name. This is a bull header.
This position is called a bull stretcher.
There are at least a dozen other positions, the shorthand of brickmasonry.
With time and age, this repair should settle in pretty well. It wasn’t easy, and I enjoyed watching these guys.
I can watch other people work for hours. :-)
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