Hayles and Howe, Inc.’s plaster artisans are nearing the finish of a 14-month restoration of the 1850’s-era Sherman Building, located on the grounds of the Armed Forces Retirement Home in Washington, DC. This National Historic Landmark, located within a designated historic district on the National Register of Historic Places, and listed on the District of Columbia Inventory of Historic Sites, is a visual landmark in Washington. Recognized by its clock tower and crenellated parapets, the building’s exterior is unfinished white marble. The August 2011 earthquake damaged the building to such an extent that its occupants were evacuated to safety. Immediate and extensive stabilization measures were taken and a restoration team including Quinn Evans Architects was put in place for returning the building to its former structural and historic integrity on both the exterior and throughout the interior.
Contracted to The Christman Company and under the project management of Marc Berrong, Hayles and Howe’s plasterers have restored ornamental and flat plasterwork and replaced ceilings and walls throughout the building’s nearly 70,000 square feet including the annex and the north and south towers. Additionally, the Hayles and Howe team restored damaged historic stucco on 8 chimneys on two of the soldiers’ quarters near the Sherman Building. This iconic building is once again the stately castle built by Union soldier and architect Barton S. Alexander.