Tag Archives: Massachusetts

Fitting a New Hardscape to a Mature, Existing Landscape.

Posted on September 30, 2015 by

Hardscape solutions sometimes look raw and imposed upon the landscape. The viewer may say, “it will settle in,” and, of course, with time enough, it eventually does. Concord Stoneworks of Concord, Massachusetts strives to make new work “fit” the landscape … Continue reading →

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Recreating Thoreau’s Eighteenth Century Birthplace, Piece by Piece

Posted on September 30, 2015 by

The birth place of Henry David Thoreau in Concord, Massachusetts was in very poor condition, though it did retain many early 18th century elements as well as later Federal and Georgian upgrades. The intent was to turn it into a … Continue reading →

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Steel Dragon Sculpture Comes to Life Full Size

Posted on September 29, 2015 by

John Graney, of J.F. Graney Metal Design in Sheffield, Massachusetts, applies artistry and technical mastery every day to producing custom ornamental iron gates of the utmost beauty and flawless performance. For this commission, however, they brought a 100 year old Cambodian Dragon … Continue reading →

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Restoration of 1670 Plank Frame Window Sash

Posted on September 28, 2015 by

The Thomas Pellet House in Concord, Massachusetts was constructed in 1670, shortly before King Phillip’s War. According to Kim Cleary, of Cleary Window Restoration Inc. in Waltham, Massachusetts, these plank framed windows were built before pulley and counterweight technology came into … Continue reading →

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Keeping Costs Down in High Places – – the Steeplejack Option

Posted on September 25, 2015 by

Forbidding, archaic, daunting in scale, the high places of the built environment, like any extreme habitat, have produced their own community of niche restoration specialists, the steeplejacks.  These artisans have made this world truly their own by developing minimalist rigging … Continue reading →

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A Last Look at Historic Wood Windows.

Posted on September 24, 2015 by

Wood windows are perhaps the most vulnerable of historic elements, with many millions being dumped in landfills each year.  Their conservation is a worthy goal from an historic and environmental perspective, but is it reasonable to expect owners to subsidize … Continue reading →

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Learning Traditional Woodcarving from a Master

Posted on September 21, 2015 by

Guild Member Dimitrios Klitsas and his art are heir to a classical lineage of many styles which draws upon a long refined tradition.  This lineage has not generally prospered in our time but nonetheless has come to a vigorous flowering … Continue reading →

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Bringing Life to Architecture through the Classical Art of Hand Carved Ornament

Posted on September 21, 2015 by

Expressive ornament is risky to execute whether it is architectural or a tattoo.  It had better be well conceived or it will not wear well.  According to Guild Member Dimitrios Klitsas, master wood carver, the piece is an expression of the … Continue reading →

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Cost and Performance of Calamine Windows

Posted on September 14, 2015 by

The performance of 345 historic double hung calamine windows in the 1917 wing of the Massachusetts State House in Boston raised questions about the ability of calamine windows to extend the life of a wood window. The cost of reproducing … Continue reading →

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