Historical Window Units:
Project Spotlight: The Jefferson Door Restoration of Congress Hall
This past winter, we were tasked by Congress Hall, of Cape May, to restore 27 Jib Window units back to their original state. The existing window sashes had been replaced with more modern Marvin window sashes over the years. The existing jambs were deteriorating and the existing lower doors were falling apart. The owner of the building, passionate about historical preservation, wanted to restore these units to their original condition. 27 new operable units were fabricated in our work shop. Frames, sashes, and doors were all entirely rebuilt to mimic the original units, which can be seen on the first floor veranda of the hotel. These new units feature solid clear tempered glass sashes, glazed in with glazing putty, and operable by sash weights, pulleys, and sash rope. The upper window sash is fixed, the lower sash operable, as well as the lower doors. These units are located on the balcony rooms of the hotel, overlooking the beautiful beachfront of Cape May.
It was an absolute honor to restore these units back to their original condition, preserving the historical accuracy that existed back when the hotel was re-built in 1879.
Project Spotlight:
The Cape May Lighthouse Landing Window Restoration
Back in 2018, we were recruited by our good friends at Cape May Contracting to restore the windows on the landings of the Cape May Lighthouse. As you could imagine, the harsh salt air and wind driven rain from over the decades wreaked havoc on the sashes, sills, jambs, and interior casing. Some of the windows and trim had been replaced over the years with material that was not time period correct. We replaced the interior trim which was mostly rotten, built 3 new window sashes, repaired one sash, and then put everything back together. We added some new sash keeper hardware as well as brass screws to secure the sash beads. Some of the exterior sills and jambs were replaced. The exterior was primed and painted, and the interior trim was sealed up to prevent rot, then finish sanded, stained, and clear- coated. We lost track of the steps taken to complete this restoration but I think the one day alone almost 200 flights of steps were climbed. We learned to start at the top and work our way down.
I have always had a cool connection to the lighthouse. When I was a kid my mom told me I was a bit obsessed with it. A few years ago, I was married at the top of the lighthouse and I also share the same birthday as this beacon of light.
