Wheatleigh Estate

Restoration of the Wheatleigh Estate gates was a unique challenge. Entrance to a  Frederick Law Olmsted-designed estate made this an important historical restoration. Advanced deterioration of the decorative lattice, cornice and other architectural pieces presented a project where few if any original pieces could be saved for reuse.

Since the original clay fired units were over 100 years old and likely made in Europe sourcing replacements was very difficult. It was then that I suggested re-creating each architectural piece in molds. This way solid pieces could be made to exact original characteristics. As well they could be made solid instead of cored which caused the original structure’s failure in the new england climate.

First both pillars and adjoining entrance walls were removed and evaluated. All architectural pieces from sills to  lattices and missing floral leaves were touched up, cleaned and sealed. Wood molds were hand-built and using a rubber-urethane mixture eight “originals ” were made one at a time. Over the course of the next three months, occupying the front lawn of the estate, 44 architectural pieces were casted to later assemble in a new Wheatleigh entrance.

Brick suppliers in Boston matched existing brick by halving larger buff utility brick. White masonry cement  was the last component needed to “match existing”. Now all of the elements were in on hand and it was was time to re-assemble and rebuild.

This restoration was as much an studio art  project as a work of masonry. Like most restorations Wheatleigh required us taking a step back and exploring different approaches for a creative solution. It also managed to turn a stonemason with basic mold making skills into one with a much better understanding of it. And it showed how much more time this type of projects requires.