The Texas State Preservation Board, caretakers of the Texas capitol found that while the granite used on the 150 year old building was holding up well, the Oak Hill Limestone was not. In addition to the weathered stone, some had been removed years earlier. The Board commissioned Stromberg to recreate the carved stone that was badly deteriorated or missing at the State Capitol. The Capitol building was built in the late 1800s by Italian stone carvers who came to America specifically for that purpose. We worked with the historians to retain the original style and feel of the carvings. Utilizing some of the original architectural drawings and sepia photographs, we were able to create new cast pieces for the fountains, stairways and stone that matched the original stone perfectly.

Because the new pieces are stronger and more weather resistant than the original stone, they should last well beyond the next 120 years. The restoration was a monumental success, yielding rave reviews from historians, preservationists and the public alike, and has won numerous awards. Today you will see visitors and tourists enjoying the capitol as it originally appeared. We are delighted and honored to have been a part of this historic restoration project.

Some of the items manufactured for this project:

• Stair treads
• Bands
• Sills
• Pool Coping
• Bases
• Urns
• Carriage Steps
• Caps
• Fountains

Stromberg's GFRC and Cast Stone can be customized to match any natural stone in color, finish, and design.

About Historical Restoration and Replication Castings

The Basics

We start with a respect for our clients' goals and expectations. It is our job to educate ourselves about the historic nature of the building and what our clients want to accomplish with the historic restoration. We then communicate with the client and team exactly what can and cannot be accomplished within the limitations of technology, budget and schedule. As technical and design consultants we provide the project architects the critical information and insights they need to ensure the success of the project.

Competence

We have experience and skill in the replacement of historical stone, terra cotta, bronze, cast iron and hammered copper. We have supplied restoration castings for projects include some of the best known and most treasured historical architecture in the world. As examples of our skill at reproducing exact duplicates, we have reproducing everything from delicate million year old museum fossils and exact duplicates of Stone Age artifacts to massive domes and building façades covering hundreds of thousands of square feet.

Commitment

We bring a passion to our work. From our shop craftsman to our draftsmen, artists and project managers, you will find a team of talented individuals who are as committed to the success of your project as you are.

Historic Restoration, Reproduction or Rehabilitation.

Historic Reproduction

When the historic original is partially or entirely missing we can replicate the piece. The reproductions are based on historic photographs or drawings or the remains of existing works. Since our reproductions are generally indistinguishable from the originals, documents are archived for the benefit of future generations, detailing which pieces have been reproduced and which, if any, are original. We can assist the design professionals and owners with drafting specifications for the reproduction elements.

Historic Restoration

Historic restoration is the process of bringing historic architectural elements back to the way they originally looked. In the process of cleaning and refinishing, repairs are often needed and missing elements will need to be made to complete a work.

Historic Rehabilitation

Most preservation work is "Rehabilitation". The US Department of Interior defines Rehabilitation in "The Standards for Rehabilitation" as: "...the process of returning a property to a state of utility, through repair or alteration, which makes possible an efficient contemporary use while preserving those portions and features of the property which are significant to its historic, architectural and cultural values."

We offer Historic Casting Services!

Preconstruction Services

• Budget estimates
• Material development
• Samples and mock ups
• Scale models and maquettes
• Value engineering
• Art direction and design assistance

Production and Construction Services

• Shop drawings and engineering
• Custom sculpting
• Models
• Molds
• Casting
• Installation

About Historic Work

Stromberg has been honored to work on some of the finest historical architectural treasures. If you are an owner, architect, contractor or anyone involved in a historic restoration, we are here to help. We can provide preconstruction assistance with costing, design details, value engineering, art direction, mock ups, simplified attachment and custom finishing methods to make your job easier.

Other historic projects include The Pentagon, Empire State Building, White House, Texas State Capitol, US Capitol, St. Anthony Cathedral, St. Peters Catholic Church, Rosenburg Mansion, Smithsonian Institute, Idaho Falls 1st Presbyterian Church, Blodgett Building, St. Louis Federal Reserve Building, Yale University, North Texas State University - Terrell Hall

Call us today to learn how we can help you make your historic restoration as spectacular as this one.