City's historic Old State House gets a face-lift
By James Vaznis
Globe Staff / May 15, 2008
Built in 1713, the Old State House has withstood the War of Independence, at least two major fires, and the construction of a subway stop in its basement.
But the onslaught of development in downtown Boston over the last several decades has taken a toll on the red-brick Georgian-style building. The towering skyscrapers have created an urban wind tunnel from Boston Harbor with a direct target on the tiny Old State House.
"During a northeaster, the rain and wind roar up State Street, and the Old State House takes an incredible beating," said Donald Tellalian, a principal of Tellalian Associates Architects & Planners. "It's like putting the building through a car wash."
Now the historical landmark - suffering from numerous leaks, substantial rotting wood, and mold - is in the midst of a $10 million restoration and maintenance project. Since March, workers have been carefully peeling away layers of the white wooden tower, gradually revealing angled beams that date to 1748.
All the while, preservationists probe answers to one of the more critical challenges of the project: Which pieces should be saved, and which ones should be replaced. Ideally, preservationists want to maintain as much as they can. They do not want the Old State House to suffer the fate of a much revered grandfather's ax, which may have had its head replaced three times and its handle twice.
"Is it still your grandfather's ax?" said Tellalian, whose firm is leading the restoration project, a preservation of American history.
The Old State House is considered one of the most significant public treasures of Colonial America and is the oldest public building in Boston. John Adams once wrote that the building is where "independence was born." It was within its chambers that Colonial leaders plotted revolts against the British. The Boston Massacre unfolded just below the State Street balcony, and later the Declaration of Independence was first read to Bostonians from that balcony, on July 18, 1776.
"This building played a remarkably important role in the American Revolution and the subsequent direction the country took, particularly in the ideas that are the foundation of American government," said Brian J. LeMay, executive director of the Bostonian Society, a historical society that operates the Old State House for the City of Boston.
Damage from fierce wind and rain reached a crisis level nearly three years ago, when Hurricane Wilma tore through downtown Boston, causing water to pour through the masonry and the tower. The leaks jeopardized the building's structural integrity and the historical Revolutionary War era collections inside.
The first phase of restoration, which was completed two years ago, shored up the brick masonry on the northeast corner. Now, the second phase aims to preserve the building's ornate tower, including the 1831 Simon Willard clock.
In many cases, the deterioration of the tower is noticeable only from up close, Tellalian said. Poking a screwdriver into the paint-covered rotting wood, he said, sometimes causes water to squirt out. To pinpoint every leak, they had to spray the tower with water and painstakingly trace each drip.
Two weeks ago the tower's 1882 arch windows were removed and sent to Lawrence for refurbishing. The tower restoration also includes new wood siding, new copper roofing, a new chilling unit for the building's air conditioning system, and new railings for the balustrade. However, the balusters themselves are in such good shape they will remain.
The work is scheduled to be completed by the city's Fourth of July celebration this year.
But workers will return at a future date. Another phase of the project will restore the Washington Street door as the main entrance and make the building accessible to the handicapped. A glass-encased elevator may be installed as well.
The goal is to have all major repairs complete by the building's 300th anniversary in 2013. Some of the $10 million will go toward establishing a permanent fund for maintenance projects.
The Old State House has been through several renovation projects throughout the centuries. In 1747 an extensive fire destroyed the interior and parts of the brick walls, prompting what appears to be the building's first major restoration, according to the Bostonian Society's website. In 1905 a subway stop was added under the basement.
The most recent massive renovation took place from 1990 to 1992.
The Bostonian Society is chronicling the current work in a blog on its website. In an entry on March 21, as the building prepared for the erection of scaffolding, Rainey Tisdale, director of the Old State House Museum, reflected on the building's evolving place in Boston, noting that in the 18th century, the Old State House was among the tallest in the city, offering views of ships in the Boston Harbor.
"Nowadays, there are many skyscrapers up and down State Street that afford a higher view, but looking out at Boston from the Old State House tower is still a singularly breathtaking experience," he wrote. "It reminds me what an island of continuity this little building is, amid a sea of change."
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By James Vaznis
Globe Staff / May 15, 2008
Built in 1713, the Old State House has withstood the War of Independence, at least two major fires, and the construction of a subway stop in its basement.
But the onslaught of development in downtown Boston over the last several decades has taken a toll on the red-brick Georgian-style building. The towering skyscrapers have created an urban wind tunnel from Boston Harbor with a direct target on the tiny Old State House.
"During a northeaster, the rain and wind roar up State Street, and the Old State House takes an incredible beating," said Donald Tellalian, a principal of Tellalian Associates Architects & Planners. "It's like putting the building through a car wash."
Now the historical landmark - suffering from numerous leaks, substantial rotting wood, and mold - is in the midst of a $10 million restoration and maintenance project. Since March, workers have been carefully peeling away layers of the white wooden tower, gradually revealing angled beams that date to 1748.
All the while, preservationists probe answers to one of the more critical challenges of the project: Which pieces should be saved, and which ones should be replaced. Ideally, preservationists want to maintain as much as they can. They do not want the Old State House to suffer the fate of a much revered grandfather's ax, which may have had its head replaced three times and its handle twice.
"Is it still your grandfather's ax?" said Tellalian, whose firm is leading the restoration project, a preservation of American history.
The Old State House is considered one of the most significant public treasures of Colonial America and is the oldest public building in Boston. John Adams once wrote that the building is where "independence was born." It was within its chambers that Colonial leaders plotted revolts against the British. The Boston Massacre unfolded just below the State Street balcony, and later the Declaration of Independence was first read to Bostonians from that balcony, on July 18, 1776.
"This building played a remarkably important role in the American Revolution and the subsequent direction the country took, particularly in the ideas that are the foundation of American government," said Brian J. LeMay, executive director of the Bostonian Society, a historical society that operates the Old State House for the City of Boston.
Damage from fierce wind and rain reached a crisis level nearly three years ago, when Hurricane Wilma tore through downtown Boston, causing water to pour through the masonry and the tower. The leaks jeopardized the building's structural integrity and the historical Revolutionary War era collections inside.
The first phase of restoration, which was completed two years ago, shored up the brick masonry on the northeast corner. Now, the second phase aims to preserve the building's ornate tower, including the 1831 Simon Willard clock.
In many cases, the deterioration of the tower is noticeable only from up close, Tellalian said. Poking a screwdriver into the paint-covered rotting wood, he said, sometimes causes water to squirt out. To pinpoint every leak, they had to spray the tower with water and painstakingly trace each drip.
Two weeks ago the tower's 1882 arch windows were removed and sent to Lawrence for refurbishing. The tower restoration also includes new wood siding, new copper roofing, a new chilling unit for the building's air conditioning system, and new railings for the balustrade. However, the balusters themselves are in such good shape they will remain.
The work is scheduled to be completed by the city's Fourth of July celebration this year.
But workers will return at a future date. Another phase of the project will restore the Washington Street door as the main entrance and make the building accessible to the handicapped. A glass-encased elevator may be installed as well.
The goal is to have all major repairs complete by the building's 300th anniversary in 2013. Some of the $10 million will go toward establishing a permanent fund for maintenance projects.
The Old State House has been through several renovation projects throughout the centuries. In 1747 an extensive fire destroyed the interior and parts of the brick walls, prompting what appears to be the building's first major restoration, according to the Bostonian Society's website. In 1905 a subway stop was added under the basement.
The most recent massive renovation took place from 1990 to 1992.
The Bostonian Society is chronicling the current work in a blog on its website. In an entry on March 21, as the building prepared for the erection of scaffolding, Rainey Tisdale, director of the Old State House Museum, reflected on the building's evolving place in Boston, noting that in the 18th century, the Old State House was among the tallest in the city, offering views of ships in the Boston Harbor.
"Nowadays, there are many skyscrapers up and down State Street that afford a higher view, but looking out at Boston from the Old State House tower is still a singularly breathtaking experience," he wrote. "It reminds me what an island of continuity this little building is, amid a sea of change."
Link