Page 27 - March 2024 SRG Flipbook

Slippery Rock Gazette
April 2024 | 27
Continued from page 26
Natural Stone Institute Member Company
Rugo Stone
Lorton, Virginia
Stone Supplier/ Fabricator/Installer
Project Team Member
O’Brien & Keane Architect
Stone
Bianco Carrara marble Red Jasper marble Stauario marble
Natural Stone Institute Member Company
Lorton Stone LLC
Springfield, Virginia
Stone Restoration / Fabricator/Supplier
Project Team Member
Architect of the Capitol Historic Preservation Architect
Stone
Lee marble Cockeysville Marble Vermont marble Georgia marble
Renovation / Restoration
US Capitol South Exterior Restoration, Washington, D.C.
Renovation/Restoration
Saint Dominic Parish, BrickTtownship, New Jersey
Completed in the fall of 2020, the exte- rior stone restoration of the US Capitol South saw quality craftsmanship at the highest level. While the general cleaning, specialty cleaning, and restoration activities performed on the building were noteworthy, the replacement of the deteriorated carved elements were exemplary.
Hundreds of intricately carved scrolls, large and small acanthus leaves on the col- umn capitals, flutes on the column shaft, as well as rosettes, pendants and brackets on the cornice that were deteriorating and fail- ing were replaced using matching mate- rials. Finish work was performed by hand by highly specialized teams of carvers from Europe and the US, who persevered for seemingly endless hours in extreme con- ditions. Repair and replacement work at the extremely fragile pediment sculptures, though challenging, was completed with precision.
Replacement stone used for repairs matched the existing stone, which included Vermont marble, Cockeysville marble, Lee marble, Georgia marble, and a few different granites. Existing mortars on the building were analyzed to formulate repair mortars that matched the original in composition and color, and seamlessly blended with the rest of the stone on the building.
Numerous mockups were performed
IN
Spirit Catholic Church in Asbury Park, NJ, which was once a thriving Irish Catholic parish started in 1880. It later declined and eventually closed.
This historic church had a massive and elegant white marble sanctuary, which the client wanted to dismantle, modify, and move to Saint Dominic Parish in Brick Township, NJ.
In August 2022, Rugo mobilized at Holy Spirit and created a detailed as-built set of drawings for the entire sanctuary. Their skilled crews then meticulously disman- tled the marble rear altar, altar of sacrifice, side chapels, statues, and the monumental altar rail and gates.
Rugo created an onsite cleaning and cat- aloging facility, and as the stone elements were dismantled, they carefully cleaned, patched, and restored the marble. Once all the stones were catalogued, crated, and placed in storage. This dismantling and cleaning process took 9 weeks working 12-hour days, 6 days a week. Not a single piece was broken in the process.
March 2021, Rugo Stone was called
to inspect the 142-year-old Holy
The reinstallation process in Brick Township, NJ began January 26, 2023, and was completed April 27, 2023.
Rugo’s team installed all the CMU and red brick masonry support, along with the vast amounts of heavy and fragile marble. Their fabrication studio worked tirelessly to produce a new sanctuary floor made from Bianco Carrara and Red Jasper mar- bles. The various side shrines, wainscot, and altar rail pieces were dry set in the shop to make selective and precise cuts needed to re-fit the elements to Saint Dominic’s available space.
The restoration of the bas relief of the Last Supper involved carving of some del- icate missing or damaged elements such as fingers, facial features, and a 2-inch tall statue head.
before products were approved for use on the building.
Despite multiple challenges like night- time working hours, noise, operational con- trols, planning and logistical constraints, and a very constricted schedule, the perse- verance and dedication of everyone on the team ensured that the façade of the building was restored to its original appearance using materials, finishes, techniques, and seamless repairs, resulting in a successful restoration project.