City Hall Council Chamber Ceiling

New York City
Client: Vollmer Associates
Date: 2003

We performed a hands-on conditions survey of the plaster cove ceiling of the City Council Chamber, New York City Hall. The ceiling plaster is deteriorated with extensive areas of plaster showing cracking and loss. The investigation consisted of a visual survey conducted from the main floor, balcony, and a Genie lift. All areas accessible by ladder or Genie lift were also "sounded" to determine areas of blind detachment. "Sounding" or the systematic tapping of the plaster ceiling with an acrylic hammer to determine through reverberation the existence areas of detachment within the plaster coats. Sounding identified that over half of the ceiling area is suffering from blind detachment. This refers to non-visible areas where the finish coat has separated from the brown coat. If no action is taken, loss will continue to advance across sound areas of the ceiling accelerated by the weight of the separated finish coat and previous repairs.

Ellis Island National Historic Site (NPS)

Our understanding of the diverse nature of Nineteenth-Century materials and their conservation methods is represented in our work at The Hospital Outbuilding and Annex, located at The Ellis Island National Historic Site (NPS). Areas of brick suffered from erosion, surface loss and efflorescence. Implications on service-life and treatment possibilities were investigated prior to treatment selection. Treatments included cleaning, stone repair, and repointing.

New Haven City Hall

New Haven, Connecticut
Client: Nelson Edwards Cruickshank Architects LLC
1996

We produced a conditions assessment of the decorative sandstone facade of New Haven City Hall and made repair recommendations. During our on-site inspection, we documented typical conditions on the building's facade, and compiled detailed conditions drawings. JBCI removed core samples from representative areas of the facade for laboratory tests. Tests included compression, absorption and chloride ion testing in order to determine the systemic causes of failure. In addition, petrographic analysis of the core samples was conducted to further identify the masonry composition and deterioration mechanisms. Upon the completion of testing, we produced a comprehensive report, including prioritized repair recommendations and detailed repair cost estimates.

Lower East Side Tenement Museum

97 Orchard Street
New York, New York
1997 - Present

We were retained to provide an array of conservation services for the stabilization and restoration of the first floor hallway and the second floor "Ruin Apartment" of the Tenement Museum. Working in conjunction with the project architects and Tenement staff, we defined the scope and methods of conservation treatment, intended to enhance the interpretive value of this museum property. JBCI coordinated the restoration of decorative painted roundels in the hallway and restoration of wood and plasterwork. We also executed the in-situ stabilization of the decorative wall covering and plaster throughout the hallway to prevent further deterioration.

New Jersey State House Annex

Trenton, New Jersey
Client: STV Incorporated

2001

JBCI has performed interior and exterior conservation work at the New Jersey State House Annex. We surveyed the rooms of the New Jersey State House Annex to determine the location and extent of water damage and make recommendations for the repair of the finishes. In order to repair the roof, major shoring had to be undertaken and ceilings were opened. Working with the Engineers, JBCI developed and designed a protection system for the finishes, determined where best to place openings, and supervised finish repairs. JBCI worked with the New Jersey State Historic Preservation Office to shepherd the project through the necessary approvals and also with STV to redesign a failing water shedding detail.

Anderson Street Station

Hackensack, NJ

Bradley Beach Train Station

Bradley Beach, NJ

Broad Street Station

Newark, NJ

Camino de Animales, P.S. 5

New York, NY

Concert Grove, Prospect Park

Brooklyn, NY

Croton Point Park

Croton Point, NY

Federal Reserve Bank of New York

New York, NY

Flushing Town Hall

Flushing, NY

Gould Memorial Library Auditorium

Bronx, NY

Krueger-Scott Mansion

Newark, NJ

Madison Train Station

Madison, NJ

Netherwood Rail Station

Plainfield, NJ

New Haven City Hall

New Haven, CT

Orchard Beach Bath Houses

Bronx, NY

Park Slope Branch, Brooklyn Public Library

Brooklyn, NY

Prospect Park Pergola

Brooklyn, NY

P.S. 1 Contemporary Arts Center

       Brooklyn, NY

Rutherford Train Station

      Rutherford, NJ

St. Felix Street

Brooklyn, NY

Southeast Town Hall

Brewster, NY

59th Street/Columbus Circle Subway Station

Jablonski Building Conservation, Inc. is currently working with the MTA at this historic station. The project is in the preliminary-design phase, and we have just completed the Historic Materials Assessment of the station. We will be working with both the New York State Historic Preservation Office and The New York Landmarks Preservation Commission as the design develops to gain the necessary approvals for the proposed work.

White Plains Road IRT line

We provided conservation and preservation services for the MTA at six elevated stations on this line in the Bronx : East Tremont Avenue , Freeman Street , 174 th Street , Simpson Street , Prospect Avenue and Jackson Avenue Stations. Our work at the White Plains Road IRT line stations involved the assessment of existing conditions, and recommendations for the restoration the control houses, platforms, and canopies.

Morristown/Madison Stations

JBCI was retained in 2002 to examine the exterior building envelope. Based upon our examination, we determined that the hipped tile roof and associated elements were the main locations of water infiltration and therefore the elements most deteriorated. JBCI provided the client with a detailed report on both of these deterioration mechanisms and recommended specific repairs to restore the building envelope to a sound state. The prioritized repair list has allowed New Jersey Transit to continue with the next phase of work.

Brick Church, South Orange, and East Orange Train Stations

We have performed comprehensive materials characterizations of the cast stone, terra cotta, concrete and brick masonry on these three stations. JBCI assisted in the production of specifications for the restoration of these stations.

Rutherford Train Station

JBCI was retained by NJT to provide an array of conservation services to assist in the restoration of this 1897 train station. Wide spread efflorescence and extensive deterioration of the exterior brick were a cause of concern. Based on a survey of both the station's interior and exterior JBCI developed a set of prioritized treatment recommendations designed to restore the station. We also performed paint color investigations, mortar analyses and developed replication mixes.

Yonkers Train Station

JBCI surveyed the exterior and interior of this station in Yonkers, New York. Information gained from the inspection allowed JBCI to identify areas of concern and deterioration patterns. Our survey, together with materials testing allowed us to develop repair recommendations and assist with the development of specifications that were quickly accepted by the State Historic Preservation Office and Metro-North.

New Jersey Transit Stations

JBCI has worked on approximately 15 projects on this system.

Radio City Music Hall

1932
Edward Durrell Stone, design architect

The Palladium

1928 - William Fried, architect
1985 - Arata Isozaki, design architect

El Museo del Barrio

(formerly Hecksher Children's Theater)

Former Hudson Theater

(Originally Savoy Theater)
1904 - JB McElfratick & Co., Israels & Harder, architects

Memorial Hall, Pratt Institute

1927 - John Mead Howells, architect

The Selwyn Theater

1918 - George Keister, architect
Owners representative for the interior restoration of this landmark Broadway theater.

The Lefferts Homestead Museum

Leffert's Homestead, now located in Prospect Park, Brooklyn, New York is one of a small group of surviving wood framed Dutch Colonial houses. JBCI completed the Historic Structure Report on this house. Extensive materials analyses were performed to determine the periods of construction and alteration. A comprehensive probe investigation, including sampling of nails, and a thorough investigation of the framing and the finishes assisted us in dating various portions of the house.

The Matthewis Persen House

The Person House, originally a square fieldstone dwelling built prior to 1720 in Kingston, New York . In order to understand the extensive alterations, materials testing was performed to assist in dating various periods of the house and understand remnants of surviving historical finishes.

The Hendrick I. Lott House

The Lott House, Brooklyn, New York is one of a group of wood framed Dutch Colonial houses that date from the Eighteenth and Nineteenth Centuries. JBCI wrote the Historic Structure Report on this house. Extensive materials analysis was performed to determine early paint and wallpaper finishes as well as the original mortars and siding. An extensive sampling of nails assisted us in dating various portions of the structure, as did the thorough investigation of the framing of the three periods of construction.

The Old House

The Old House in Cutchogue, New York is a National Historic Landmark reputed to date from 1649. Choices made during the 1940 restoration and subsequent repairs have led to deterioration problems in the framing and exterior envelope. JBCI designed the exterior envelope restoration and Robert Silman Associates designed the framing repairs that were implemented in the fall of 2001.

The 1762 Boykins Tavern

One of the few remaining Virginian taverns on the green, located in Isle of Wight, the Boykins Tavern had fallen into severe disrepair. JBCI was contacted by Paul Knapp Architects to perform a selected color investigation of interior and exterior finishes. We are also asked to assist in understanding the various components of the house and the period to which they dated.

The Lewis Latimer House

A simple Queen Anne style wood frame house in Flushing, Queens, was the residence of Lewis Henry Latimer, an important American inventor and an African American. The house served as his laboratory and residence during an important period in his career. JBCI was engaged to identify surviving architectural elements from Latimer's period of ownership, determine the original room configurations through various probes, and to determine original interior and exterior paint finish schemes.

Chateau du Sailhant

This chateau is one of the oldest surviving chateau-forts in France. Located in the Auvergne region, the chateau has evolved from a stronghold to a distinguished residence. JBCI performed a limited interiors finishes investigation in the summer of 2000. A variety of early finishes were found including small remnants of a fresco and plaster finish paints.

Rehabilitation of Three Bridges on the landmark Merritt Parkway in Connecticut

In 2003 we consulted on three concrete bridges and their rehabilitation. As part of our scope we assessed existing conditions and developed replication concrete mixes for the restoration of these bridges.

This project built on our past Merritt Parkway experience. We were the conservators on the design team for the study of the study that resulted in the "Rehabilitation Guide and Guidelines for the Merritt Parkway Bridges."

Congregation Shearith Israel

JBCI performed a hands-on visual inspection of the building to determine causes of stone deterioration. We mad repair recommendations were and assisted the Architect and Construction Manger in prioritizing repairs, defining the scope of work, and estimating the cost of repairs.

Our Lady of Perpetual Help

Brooklyn , New York

Jablonski Building Conservation was retained to carry out a visual inspection of the deteriorating masonry facade of this Sunset Park church, and to conduct tests on the limestone and mortars. Visual inspection from an aerial boom allowed for in-depth conditions assessment and determination of the extent of stone deterioration. The petrographic analysis enabled us to pinpoint the cause of limestone failure and recommend appropriate action.

Metropolitan Community United Methodist Church

New York , New York
Originally St. James Methodist Episcopal Church, 1871

We completed a comprehensive survey of existing conditions of this 1871 Norman Gothic Revival style church. Elements surveyed included the roof, the brownstone exterior facing, the cement parging, the attic and structural members of the church, the windows and doors, gutters and other components of the water shedding system, the foundation, roof framing, and the plaster ceiling. The existing conditions survey was done on a stone-by-stone basis from an aerial boom secured and operated by Jablonski Building. We drafted a scope of work for emergency repair items, contacted qualified masonry contractors, conducted walkthroughs and coordinated bids for Phase I of the Construction project, exterior masonry repairs and emergency tower stabilization.

St. Peter the Apostle Church

Shrine of St. John Neumann, Philadelphia
JBC conducted a comprehensive conditions survey to identify building failure problems, and provided the client with detailed masonry conservation recommendations.

Additional sites:

Church of the Holy Martyrs; New York

Bright Temple AME Church; Bronx

Church of the Ascension; New York

Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church; New York

Kane Street Synagogue; Brooklyn

Metropolitan Community UMC; New York

Nantucket Methodist Church; Nantucket, MA

Our Lady of Grace Church; Hoboken, NJ

Our Lady of Perpetual Help; Brooklyn

Park East Synagogue; New York

St. Peter's Roman Catholic Church; PA

Saint Philip's Church; New York

Shearith Israel Cemeteries ; New York

Temple Sharey Tefilo-Israel, S. Orange, NJ

Trinity Church, New York , NY

Washington Sq. Methodist; New York, NY

PS 116, Brooklyn , NY

PS 29k, Brooklyn , NY

PS 251, Brooklyn , NY

PS 370, Brooklyn , NY

PS 340, Brooklyn , NY

PS 94, Brooklyn , NY

PS 242, Brooklyn , NY

PS 269k, Brooklyn , NY

PS 1, Brooklyn , NY

PS 100, Brooklyn , NY

PS 132, Brooklyn , NY

PS 9, Queens , NY

PS 3, Queens , NY

PS 99, Queens , NY

PS 45, Queens , NY

PS 15, Staten Island , NY

PS 1, Staten Island , NY

PS 107, Bronx , NY

PS 119, Bronx , NY

PS 60, Bronx , NY

PS 28, Bronx , NY

PS 5- Camino de Animales, Manhattan, NY

Abraham Lincoln H.S., Brooklyn, NY

Evander Childs H.S., Bronx, NY

The Trinity School, Manhattan, NY

Regis High School, Manhattan, NY

McKinley School, North Bergen, NJ

Lincoln School, North Bergen, NJ

Horace, Mann School, North Bergen, NJ

Dickenson H.S., Jersey City, NJ

Lawrenceville School, NJ

Pomfret School, CT

Columbia University

The limestone clad Low Library at Columbia University had stone deterioration problems with the dome, and its monumental windows. JBCI tested the building materials including the limestone, finishes, and mortar. We assisted the architect in designing repair recommendations and specifications and supervising the construction.

Over the past six years Jablonski Building has worked on almost 100 architectural conservation projects at Columbia. We have worked for the Office of Facilities Management, The Office of Institutional Real Estate and for Contractors such as SOHO Restoration, Henry Restoration and Pizzo Brothers. We have consulted to Helpern Architects, Robert A.M. Stern and Beyer Blinder Belle Architects on Columbia Buildings. We have performed more than 45 finishes investigations, analyzed and replicated more than thirty mortars and performed exterior cleaning test projects on more than ten residential structures. Our firm has worked on Low and Butler Libraries, Fayerweather, Chandler and Wein Halls. More complex projects have included the mitigation at 565 West 113 th Street and Lobby Restoration at 454 Riverside Drive.

Yale University's
School of Management

This building was built as the Henry Pitkin Norton residence in 1849. Architect Henry Austin designed the house after a published villa design by Andrew Jackson Downing. The brick masonry construction is covered with pinkish gray stucco scored to resemble ashlar masonry. Additions and deterioration had damaged the stucco. JBCI analyzed the stucco samples and developed replication mixes for the repair and replication of the original stucco. Other buildings we have worked on at Yale include: Philip Johnson's Kline Biology Tower, the Osborne Laboratories, Peabody Museum , Sheffield Sterling Strathcona Hall and Sprague Hall.

Barnard College

JBCI assisted in writing the conservation section of the recently won Getty Grant for Barnard College. In the first phase of work, we have investigated interior finishes of Milbank Hall. Also in progress is the investigation of finishes in the Tiffany designed, Ella Weed Room.

Monmouth University

JBCI performed a masonry conditions assessment of two limestone and concrete buildings here. Limestone and concrete elements were tested and analyzed to assist in designing the repair recommendations which are underway at this time.

Pratt Institute

Spalling brick on the exterior walls of the south wing of Higgins Hall at Pratt was so extensive that the Architect retained JBCI to perform an analysis of the brick and to examine the exterior of the masonry wall. The goal was to determine the cause of the efflorescence and spalling brick. Through a series of tests we determined that the brick itself was the source of the efflorescence and repairs were designed with this limitation.

C.W. Post College

The diverse materials on the Administration Building at this college required an extensive examination to identify deterioration mechanisms and the possible repair solutions. Working with the Architect, we were able to devise repair methods that would not adversely affect adjacent materials.

Additional universities we have worked at include Princeton, Hofstra University , Vassar College, University of Indiana, Kean College and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Kaufmann Conference Rooms
Institute of International Education
809 United Nations Plaza
New York, NY
Alvar Aalto, Architect, built 1965
Finishes investigation.

Edward A. Norman House
124 East 70th Street
New York, NY
William Lescaze, Architect, built 1940-41
Finishes investigation.

Rockefeller Center
New York, NY
Conservation and stabilization of two Corning glass sculptures.

Radio City Music Hall
New York, NY
Lower Level Ladies’ Lounge
Our investigation of the existing murals revealed that they were painted over the original 1932 murals by Witold Gordon.

Rockefeller Apartments
17 West 54th Street
New York, NY
Harrison & Fouilhoux, Architects, built 1936
Finishes investigation of the interior hallways.

The Palladium
New York, NY
Documentation, Survey of Surviving Elements and Recommendations for Fresco Stabilization,
Removal, and Storage.

Essex County Courthouse
Essex County, New Jersey
Finishes investigation of several 1930’s metals and restoration recommendations.

Battery Park Monument Relocation and Rehabilitation Project

This multi-monument project involved the study and documentation of ten monuments in Battery Park, NY soon to be relocated to form the Heroes Walk. The monuments are made of bronze, marble granite and other materials. As part of our scope we assessed existing conditions and developed technical specifications for the careful removal and restoration of each monument.

Theodore Roosevelt Memorial

We produced a conservation assessment and treatment recommendations report in November 2000 for this monument in Tenafly , New Jersey . The memorial is a two-side, fourteen foot high, carved limestone relief, flanked by two life sized limestone bears. This report was used by the Client, the Tenafly Historic Preservation Commission, to apply for a Save Outdoor Sculpture! Conservation Treatment Award which they won. Construction will commence this summer, 2004.

Pomfret School

The sundial monument located on the main lawn of this private boarding school in CT. school was badly deteriorated. JBCI was retained by the School to provide conservation services for the rehabilitation of the fossiliferous limestone monument. Services provided included a conditions survey, masonry cleaning tests, as well as mortar analysis and replication. Based on results from these investigations, treatment recommendations and a cost estimate for future work were provided.

Heinrich Heine Memorial Fountain

We provided an array of conservation services for the restoration and relocation of the monumental fountain. JBCI conducted historical research, carried out a conditions assessment survey and defined the scopes of work for the project. Approval was secured from the New York City Art Commission for the project, after which we supervised the dismantling, conservation, and relocation of the fountain. Throughout the process, JBCI worked closely with the Municipal Art Society's Adopt-A-Monument Program and the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation to ensure an appropriate restoration of the heavily vandalized marble fountain.

Wisdom with Light and Sound

This glass and limestone sculpture is located above the entrance to 30 Rockefeller Plaza. The 240 unit screen was designed by the sculptor Lee Lawrie and produced by the Corning Glass Works. By 1999, the glass was heavily soiled and its joint filling material was failing badly. JBCI teamed with an objects conservator and a structural engineer to devise and carry out a treatment plan for the restoration of the monument. Treatment included disassembly, removal of non-original coatings, unit cleaning, glass fills, and re-erection of the screen with new joint materials.

United States Military Academy at West Point

Repeated staining of a light colored marble base under a large bronze monument was a cause for concern at the Academy. JBCI was retained to perform a nondestructive fiber-optic probe investigation of the 1914 French Soldier Monument in order to determine the cause of the staining. We were able to identify the cause of the staining and recommend a treatment to correct the corrosion problem and specific methods for metallic stain removal from the marble without the costly disassembly of the monument.

The Rocket Thrower

a large bronze sculpture designed by Donald De Lue for the 1963-64 Worlds Fair in flushing Meadows-Corona Park , Flushing Queens had deterioration problems of major concern. The most severe problem was cracking in the bronze plinth. We performed a thorough inspection that included the use of a boroscope to examine portions of the armature allowed for an understanding of the as-built compared to the design drawings. Working with an objects conservator and structural engineer, JBCI devised treatment and repair recommendations.

New York Marble Cemetery

New York , New York 1832
Client: Robert Silman Associates, P.C.,
April, 1997

We served as coservators for the restoration study for New York 's first non-sectarian cemetery. This important cemetery serves as the burial grounds for some of New York 's oldest families, including publishers Uriah & Charles Scribner, Mayor Aaron Clark, and Congressman James Tallmadge. The site is surrounded by a monumental rubble wall which contains a three-tiered system of marble plaques set into the walls marking the location and owners of the 156 marble vaults. This landmark suffers from conditions ranging from collapse to superficial biological growth. We diagnosed material-specific masonry deterioration problems, assembled an existing conditions assessment, wrote both general and phased recommendations for the treatment programs and worked up cost estimates for the upcoming work.

Shearith Israel Historic Cemeteries

Chatham Square, West 11th Street and West 21st Street
Client: Congregation Shearith Israel
New York , New York
Summer, 1995

Congregation Shearith Israel retained Jablonski Building Conservation to conduct a walk-through survey and assessment of conservation needs for its three historic cemeteries in New York City. The oldest of these cemeteries, at Chatham Square dates from 1682 and represents one of the oldest European-built sites in Manhattan, while the most recent cemetery remained in use until 1851. As part of the investigation we examined existing markers, walls, fences and landscaping at each cemetery and assembled site-specific recommendations for conservation. Issues addressed incuded masonry conservation, graffiti removal, site drainage, landscaping, and documentation needs.

Rossville A. M. E. Zion Church Cemetery

Staten Island , New York
Client: Rossville A. M. E. Zion Church
Staten Island , New York
November, 1997 to August, 1998

During the summer of 1997, vandals toppled 26 stone grave markers at the landmark Rossville A. M. E. Zion Church Cemetery . Following this attack, the Church retained Jablonski Building Conservation to conduct a conditions assessment of more than 70 stone grave markers at the Cemetery, and to develop a plan for the stabilization and restoration of these markers. Based on visual inspections of the granite and marble markers, we recommended methods of repair, including resetting and pinning procedures. The following summer, Jablonski Building carried out repairs on 10 marble markers, in the cemetery. Repairs included resetting stones, blind pinning, repointing, and cleaning.