Period
1885 – 1889
Rochester City Hall
Location
Rochester, New York
Notables
National Register of Historic Places
Notable Architects
Harvey and Charles Ellis
HISTORICAL LEGACY
Rochester City Hall was constructed in 1885 to 1889 as a federal courthouse and post office, designed in the Richardson Romanesque style by Harvey and Charles Ellis in association with federal architects (and Architects of Record) Mifflin E. Bell and Will A. Freret. Located in the center of downtown, it is one of the contributing historic structures in a city with a rich architectural heritage.
RESEARCH & DOCUMENTATION
MCWB was hired to undertake the restoration of the stone masonry facades. A comprehensive exterior stone survey of the main building was conducted, with each stone inspected using acrylic hammers for sound resonance, along with visual observation. Core samples were extracted to perform laboratory testing including stone petrography and mortar analysis. The condition of approximately 12,000 stones on the building were translated to survey information sheets diagramming a series of levels of deterioration.
RESTORATION
The restoration process included the selective replacement of cornices, windowsills and arches. Decorative band courses were replaced and fabricated from new St. Matieu sandstone. The sandstone was sourced from a quarry located in Quebec, Canada and provided superior durability and longevity compared to the original stone material.
A pigmented mineral stain was used to color match the new stone to the original, maintaining the monochromatic scheme of the building. The original stone rooftop loggia that held the building’s exhaust system was removed and reconstructed during the restoration phase. Other areas of the facade restoration included re-tooling many areas of existing sandstone and re-pointing the entire building.
