Canadian Projects Auchmar House, Clairmont Park, Hamilton, Ontario Jablonski Building Conservation was retained by The to perform stucco analyses and developed replication mixes for four stuccos found at the Auchmar House. Constructed between 1852 and 1854, the home is located on the estate of the Honourable Isaac Buchanan one of Hamilton s most influential citizens. In addition to the stucco analyses, JBC performed a selective finish investigation which uncovered a variety of decorative finishes at both the interior and exterior of this Gothic Revival home. Birk s Clock, Hamilton, Ontario As part of a $200,000 restoration, pieces of Birk s Clock, also known as the Charging Horseman Clock, were examined by Jablonski Building Conservation to determine the original finishes of the bronze and copper elements. Dundern Castle, Hamilton, Ontario Jablonski Building Conservation has worked on multiple projects at Dundurn Castle including paint finish investigations of the interiors, exposure window reveals to gain a greater understanding of the decorative finishes discovered during the initial investigations, and plaster sounding of the ceilings. Dundurn Castle was constructed over a three year period and completed in 1835. Designed by a young English Architect, Robert Wetherall, Dundurn was built around the brick shell of Colonel Richard Beasley's colonial home. Today, Dundurn Castle has been restored to the year 1855 when MacNab was at the height of his career as a lawyer, landowner, railway magnate and Premier of the United Canadas (1854 56). Over forty rooms, above and below stairs, have been furnished to compare the life of a prominent Victorian family with that of their servants.
The Colonial Building, St. John s, Newfoundland JBC undertook several projects in the Colonial Building during the restoration. Completed in 1850, the Colonial Building served as the seat of the Newfoundland Government and the House of Assembly for almost 110 years. JBC produced an extensive finishes report for the heritage rooms of the interior and returned to perform exposure window reveals which discovered multiple layers of elaborate decorative finishes including wood graining, marbleizing, and stencils. In addition, we consolidated the flaking paint along with infill painting of lost paint on the decorative ceilings of the Assembly Room and Council Chamber. Historic Plaster Conservation Services Port Hope, Ontario L1A 1M7 Rod Stewart rod@historicplaster.com JBC returned to the Colonial Building to assess the condition of the interior plaster ceilings of the first and second floor offices and the second floor galleries. While onsite JBC perform additional exposure window reveals in the offices which discovered additional decorative stenciled and wood grained finishes. PHB Group Inc. 7 Plank Road St. John s, Newfoundland and Labrador JBC was retained by Stantec Architecture, LTD to compile the information discovered during the multiple finishes investigations and exposure window reveals and combine it with research of period appropriate finishes and wallpapers to develop an Interior Finishes Recommendation Report to be used in the interpretation of the interior spaces. Report included research on historic colour theory and period appropriate finishes and wallpapers and was illustrated with renderings completed by JBC. JBC was asked to return to the site to perform additional exposure window reveals in the Assembly Hall and Council Chamber to verify stencil appearance and location. Stantec, Architecture, LTD. 141 Kelsey Drive, St. John s NL A1B 0L2 Kerry Gosse kerry.gosse@stantec.com
Toronto Union Station, Toronto, Ontario JBC performed an interior finishes investigation on various elements of the interior of the Toronto Union Station located in Toronto. The goal of the project was to identify the original painted finishes in the station. While most of the finishes were fairly standard, there were decorative finishes found in discrete areas of the station including the Maple Room. Historic Plaster Conservation Services Port Hope, Ontario L1A 1M7 Rod Stewart rod@historicplaster.com Sainte Marie among the Hurons, Midland, Ontario Founded in 1639, Sainte Marie among the Hurons is Ontario s first European community. It was the headquarters for the French Jesuit Mission to the Huron Wendat people. The Jesuits and French lay workers constructed a fenced community that included barracks, a church, workshops, residences, and a sheltered area for Native visitors. JBC performed a series of mortar analyzes that characterized the mortars which helped identify different building periods and assisted with understanding the mortar constituents and how to best repair the mortar. ERA Architects Inc. 10 St. Mary Street, Suite 801 Toronto, ON M4Y 1P9 Gage House (aka Battlefield House Museum & Park National Historic Site, Hamilton, Ontario Constructed in 1796, the Gage House became the headquarters of the invading American troops who occupied the house during the War of 181. JBC was retained by the to perform an interior finishes investigation of each of the nine interior rooms and to complete a paint archaeology to determine the date of additions and alterations. JBC returned to the site to perform exposure window to reveal early 1800s decorative paintings and to remove plaster cores to determine the condition of the historic plaster ceilings.
Massey Hall, Toronto, Ontario Jablonski Building Conservation, Inc. (JBC) undertook several phases of work at Massey Hall located in Toronto, Ontario. Completed in 1894, Massey Music Hall has been a major center for musical and public functions over the course of its 123 year history. The interior of the theater was designed in the exotic Moorish Revival style popular during the High Victorian era and early photographs of the interior showed the generous use of decorative finishes. JBC performed a selective finish colour investigation of the main public spaces of the auditorium. Initially one hundred and twenty eight samples were examined. The focus was on understanding the original finish colours for two target dates; 1894 for the theater and 1933 for the lobby which had been re designed in the Art Deco style at that time. Paint archaeology was also performed to date various elements and to develop a chronology for later additions and alterations. The finishes investigation discovered a polychromatic colour scheme of reddish browns, golds, dark greens, and blues for the theater, and dark reds, grayish pinks, black, and gold for the lobby. JBC returned to the theater to perform exposure windows that uncovered multiple layers of stencils on the walls and the presence of faux bois, or faux stone finishes, on the columns. Goldsmith Borgal & Company Ltd. Architects Sharon Vattay: Tel: 416 929 6556 X110 93 Sparks Street, Ottawa, Ontario Exterior paint colour investigation of the copper store front of 93 Sparks Street located in Ottawa, Ontario. The purpose of this investigation was to determine the earliest known finish applied to the copper. JBC identified the original patina and the sequence of paint coatings applied over the copper in later years. Robertson Martin Architects James Maddigan 613 567 1361 x203
Lobby Ceiling, Ottawa, Ontario A finish colour investigation was undertaken in various heritage rooms of a building located in Ottawa, Ontario to identify the earliest finishes. Modern designers of the 1930s used glazes over foundation layers of paint to create rich, textured, two toned wall treatments with depth and nuance. Rags and sponges were often used to apply paint and glazes unevenly. These art deco finishes were found in the building lobby. Working with an excellent Ottawa decorative painter, JBC and the artist were able to recreate the original Art Deco ceiling. PCL Constructors Canada, Inc. Steve Catton SACatton@pcl.com Sir John A. MacDonald Building, Ottawa, Ontario JBC worked with both HPCS and the contractor EllisDon on the restoration of the 1930 s heritage ceilings and plaster ornament in the banking halls and other public rooms of what had been the Bank of Montreal. Our work included paint analysis and working with the firms that were cleaning the ceilings, infill painting, and replicating finishes in areas that had been heavily damaged. A wide range of finishes from paste paints to various types of metallic leaf had to be addressed. Contact HPCS: Contact EllisDon: HPCS and EllisDon Rod Stewart rod@historicplaster.com Nicolas Pinson npinson@ellisdon.com
Whitehern, Hamilton, Ontario Jablonski Building Conservation was retained by The City of Hamilton to perform a finish colour investigation of the interior of the Whitehern National Historic Site. Constructed circa 1850, it was the home of Thomas McQuesten a member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1934 to 1943. The goal of the finishes investigation was to determine the finishes which would have been extant during McQuesten s occupation of the home. JBC returned to the site to perform exposure window reveals which found multiple layers of decorative finishes. Government Conference Centre, Ottawa, Ontario Jablonski Building Conservation was retained by E.R.A. Architects to perform a selective interior finishes investigation of the interior of Ottawa s former Grand Trunk Central Station/Union Station as part of the building s adaptive re use as the Government Conference Centre. Constructed between 1909 and 1912 the Beaux Arts style train station was designed by the Montreal based architecture firm of Ross and MacFarlane with the main departure hall based upon the Great Hall of the Roman Baths of Caracalla at 3/4 th scale. The investigation found decorative glazed finishes and metallic finishes much brighter and lively than those retained in the institutional memory. E.R.A. Architects Sydney Martin SydneyM@eraarch.ca