In the last weeks of November scaffolding appeared and restoration work on the south facade of the Old Naval Hospital was begun. No one seemed to know what was happening and who was doing the work. Once again, the Office of Property Management failed to inform anyone in the community of this work.
Here is a summary of what is known right now. The Friends will be monitoring the work on a weekly basis and photographing the work as it progresses.
Just after Thanksgiving, workers started working on the south facade windows on the first and second floors, removing the air conditioning units and the windows themselves and sealing the window openings with large panels. They then proceeded to do some work on the pointing and on the basement windows, which are casement windows and in very poor shape.
Inquiries uncovered the following: All the wooden windows on the south facade are to be removed and restored. Where air conditioners had been inserted in the window space, those windows will have to be replicated and replaced. That will be done under strict restoration rules using hand blown period replicated glass and identical wood frames and muntins. The contractor is currently working with a materials scientist experienced in paint analysis for preservation, to assure that the color and paint is correct. The frames are also being cleaned and will be painted. No restoration work is being done inside of the window itself (ie. on the framing).
The casement windows in the basement, were determined to be unrestorable and will be re-fabricated along historical preservation lines. They will use insulated glass as the replacement glass for those windows.
The contractor will also do some pointing where the water damage has gouged out major parts of the mortar from the bricks. They will use a lime mortar, in line with period mortar, to do this job.
The contract scope of work for the above work can be found elsewhere on this site under “South Facade Scope of Work”.
These subcontractors will also restore the first floor door (portico door) and replace the basement floor door, below the portico, which was deemed beyond restoration and possible not original.
(See “Additional Work” below for work to commence at some later date.)
Contacts:
DC Office of Property Management: Aimee Occhetti (Overall Project Management)
202-724-4141
Elena Rocha (Construction and Engineering)
202-676-2804
General Contractor: SJC Construction Jose Santos (Project Manager)
202-561-4011
Sub Contractor: Worcester Eisensbrandt: (This company is actually doing all the work)
Astrid Maas (Project Manager) 443-695-1136
Naser Husadzinovic (Foreman) 443-695-1139
Architect: BELLArchitects: David Bell (Principal) 202-548-7570 x-201
Scott Knight (Field Manager) 202-548-7570 x-209
The south portico and stairs are also to be restored, but the subcontracting work has not yet been let. It is expected to be let in the near future.
This work entails the complete restoration and, where necessary, the refabrication (duplication), of the cast iron stairs, replacement of the gas lights with period lights (this is currently being researched by the architects), the restoration of a badly deteriorated basement level undertray for the stairs and portico and the complete restoration of the balustrade and entire portico structure and cover.
When this subcontract is let and the scope of work becomes available, that information will be posted on this site.
All the work described in this paper are slated to be completed by the end of March – weather permitting (possibly a big “if”).
We will report on the progress of this work on at least a monthly basis and more often if necessary.
This site is sponsored by the Friends of the Old Naval Hospital
Last updated November 11, 2008
