Baltimore City row home cornice

[Chris Pasko]

Hey guys, just figured I'd post a little bit of the work I do here and there since I haven't had much time for fine furniture yet=).

Here is a city rome home in a historic section of town which needed to have the cornice re made. It was in a fire and it burnt off. I could not find anyone anywhere to make one like the original for any price. After two weeks of work this is what I came up with. I made everything between the two furthest out vertical pieces (including the two center main vertical pieces).

http://www.precision-aquatics.com/gallery/albums/album02/cornice.sized.jpg


Here is what is was before hand:

http://www.precision-aquatics.com/gallery/albums/album02/1112_Harlem_Ave.sized.jpg

Here is a high res link:

http://www.precision-aquatics.com/gallery/albums/album02/cornice.jpg (Here)

[David Fried]

Looks great! You'd never get me up there to install it!!

The buildings on the right and left need your services too.

[Andrew Ault]

Nice work! You're doing a valuable service to the city as well.

[Jim Becker]

Great work, Chris! I really admire restorations like this...there is so much panache to design in these buildings that almost never gets done on new construction today. Thanks for sharing!

[Wes Bischel]

Fantastic job Chris! It is unusual to see these details restored especially after a loss such as this. My hat's off to you for making it happen.

Just this last weekend, I stripped and painted a window on the second floor of my house - I think my knees have finally stopped knocking.:o I would never have made it up onto that scaffold!

Wes

[Dan Forman]

Chris, what an absolutely astounding job you did on that!

Dan

[Alan Turner]

Nice work. Increasingly over the last year I have come to appreciate architectural millwork, including the making of it. Both Baltimore and Philadelphia have so much of this rich history that should not be lost to expedience.

[Vaughn McMillan]

Beautiful work, Chris. As others have mentioned, I wouldn't be too good up on that scaffold, but I'm pretty sure I couldn't duplicate the cornice in the first place, so no real risk of me having to install it. Well done and hats off to you for the great restoration.

- Vaughn

[John Hart]

Wow Chris!! What a great opportunity and wonderful results!

[Chris Pasko]

Thank you all so very much! It was a good bit of trouble, much more then what most ppl in the area of town do unfortunately. I love the old city architecture so much I do what ever I can to preserve it when given the opportunity.

Installing it was pretty rough =), ontop of the scaffold I has a 8' ladder I had to work off or which added another level of fun! Especially when the wind blew hehe.

Here is the good time you guys missed:

http://www.precision-aquatics.com/gallery/albums/album02/cornice1.sized.jpg

[Richard Wolf]

Great work, love to see it.

Richard

[Ken Shoemaker]

BRAVO!!! A wonderful save...

[Alden Miller]

I like it! You wouldn't catch me on the scaffolding though (unless you wanted to see a grown man clinging to scaffolding in terror).

I see the neighbor has formstone, are you going to do that also?

-Alden

[Maurice Ungaro]

Gorgeous stuff Chris! True craftsmanship indeed.

[Paul B. Cresti]

Beautiful work Chris! It is great to see someone out there saving some of our Architectural History

[tod evans]

nice job!!!!!!!

[bob gugerty]

Nice job glad to see you also took the paint off the brick. lived in Balt. for meany years and never understood why some brick houses where painted.
what street in Balt?

[Andy Hoyt]

Looks great Chris. Well done.

Is it safe to assume that you tried to get the neighbors to have you fix their cornices up too (or at least paint) and they cheaped out? Sure would have made sense to me were I a neighbor.

[Troy Wilkins]

First of all, great job on the restoration work. All of the comments about the scaffolding reminded of some pictures I have the would make OSHA cringe. Also, the pictures remind me why women live longer than men.

http://www.troywilkins.com/images/Hosting%20Pictures/scaffolding1.jpg

http://troywilkins.com/images/Hosting%20Pictures/scaffold2.jpg

http://troywilkins.com/images/Hosting%20Pictures/scaffold3.jpg

http://troywilkins.com/images/Hosting%20Pictures/scaffold4.jpg

http://troywilkins.com/images/Hosting%20Pictures/scaffold5.jpeg

[Richard Wolf]

Troy, great pictures. Was my laugh for the day.

Richard

[Andy Hoyt]

Here's one more reason

[Chris Pasko]

Thanks guys!

Alden, no they aren't my properties and are just renters, this isn't the highest end area of town, so they aren't taking the form stone down just yet, though I would. I hate that stuff.

Paul, thanks I wish others around Baltimore city and other history rich areas would. There is such beautiful architecture around here and no one saves it.

Bob, ya! I hate paint on brick and remove it when ever its in the budget to do so. Its a pretty good bit of money to get a wall stripped and re pointed. Its worth it in the end though! This house is on Harlem Ave, the neighborhood is starting to really come up and has some of the most awesome architecture in Baltimore city.

Andy, thanks. I didn't try to get the neighbors, they are just renters and judging from the condition of the buildings the owners wouldn't be interested in that work. They should def be serviced =(.

Wow Troy, that is insane! I was fearing for my life up on that scaffold, I couldn't imagine what they have set up hehe.

[Bruce Page]

Wow! I am constantly amazed at the level of craftsmanship at SMC. That is a superbly beautiful restoration.