Two teams of Hayles and Howe. Inc.’s artisans traveled to western Maryland last week to begin work on the renovations of the plasterwork in the 1866 B’er Chayim Temple in Cumberland. The brick building had undergone an exterior renovation removing white paint and re-pointing its brick exterior nearly one year earlier. Services are temporarily moved to another location in Cumberland, and in order to prepare the interior for its renovation, yards of canvas previously applied to consolidate the plaster were stripped from the walls and ceiling revealing former paint schemes and plasterwork which required more extensive consolidation.
Hayles and Howe’s assiduous plasterers injected solutions of acrylic resin emulsion mixed with lime plaster and water in order to re-consolidate the 3-coat plaster. The second team of plasterers remains at the temple to repair large cracks and patches in order to restore the building to its original beauty.
Meaning Well of Life, B’er Chayim Temple with its beautiful ark and symmetry provide a space for reverent contemplation. The temple is the longest continuously operating temple in Maryland and has a varying history of both Orthodox and Reform traditions. Hayles and Howe are pleased to be part of the renovation of this well-tended place which is listed on the National Register.