Projects

PROJECTS

Since our founding 30 years ago, we have completed more than 700 individual projects

— many of them for repeat customers. Some projects have been on a large scale, such as our award-winning restoration work at Eastern Market on Capitol Hill or the 86 windows we restored at the Egyptian Ambassador's residence on Massachusetts Avenue. Yet, our business is not all about "the grand scale." Some of our best and most satisfying work may involve a single, meticulously restored door, a beautiful mahogany bookshelf appropriately styled to fit a living room, or a sitting area in a quiet outdoor garden. In fact, our love of material, process, detail, and historical context often shows up better in more intimate projects.

We hope this project gallery gives you a sense of the varied scope of our expertise.

WASHINGTON D.C. LANDMARKS

Click on an image to enlarge. Hover over image to learn more.

CARNEGIE LIBRARY FOR APPLE, 2018

c. 1903 — Window and door restoration and reproduction, 100 doors and windows

I think after 115 years, this building has found its ideal app. Vibrant in the mid-century, automobile traffic soon isolated it from pedestrian access. In 1977, the library was moved to what is now an important landmark building as well, and since that time, various museum plans have come and gone. This Beaux-Arts structure is honestly not the best built monumental building we have helped restore in this town, but a good cleaning and good fix-up have wiped the slate clean and I think now this will be one of Apple’s best stores.

North elevation—we reproduced all of these windows that had been basically destroyed through neglect and bad insulating glass retrofit.

The front doors revealed the building’s challenged history. Somewhat ill-fitting modern design was modified and repaired over the century so that restoration was no longer sensible. We generated new details and design after a careful exploration of the existing door’s components. New doors are 2 1/2” solid oak hung on the original bronze hinges.

For its vintage, I was surprised the building contained plain sawn red oak and not the then widely available chestnut. The laminations that comprised this overly wide bottom rail had failed, replacement was the only reasonable option.

Existing doors revealed a plywood core likely from the year 2000.

The window frames on site were severely compromised in the 2001 restoration/destruction. Wrong materials and techniques had rendered the original millwork not just dysfunctional, but basically not improvable. This image displays the destructive techniques necessary to remove the reglazed sash. We replaced this jamb and 100 more with reproductions of the actual original.

Modern sealants are amazing materials and essential to the flush conditions of modern architecture. They should however be used with discretion on historic buildings. The misuse of this polysulfide sealant at Carnegie contributed heavily to the destruction of historic fabric. Sometimes too good is just that.

The center pivot sash were easy and charming to use. We had looked forward to operating our reproduction sash by remote control through your Apple iPhone. However, owners decided to leave sash fixed.

Center pivot bronze hardware at Carnegie. More on this unusual hinge in our hardware segment.

CANNON HOUSE OFFICE BUILDING, 2016-22

c. 1903 — Window and door restoration, hardware refinishing, refinishing of 1000 doors and 3000 windows

Beaux-Arts design circa 1903 — a beautiful neighbor to the Capitol Dome, Cannon was the first structure built to house offices for congress.

The Cannon renewal is planned for eight years in four phases. We will restore 1,000 windows and nearly 8,000 window sash for this project.

The rotunda at Cannon is beautifully detailed and not over-scaled.

After 115 years of maintenance and neglect, the doors came to us in many shades of brown. These handsome solid mahogany doors will certainly endure another 100 years after our restoration.

DUMBARTON HOUSE, 2016-20

c. 1800

Built in 1803 and moved in 1905 to make room for the Buffalo Bridge, Dumbarton House is well managed by the colonial Danes of America.

The large basement space behind these doors was designed and built in 1992. Pictured here are the doors and windows we fabricated to replace the failed millwork, just 25 years old. The original doors were made of modern-growth pine and badly detailed. Our first impulse is always for restoration, however, the original doors here were junk.

I think unique to the Craftsmen Group is that we install almost everything we make and we only install what we make. This keeps all levels of the process more responsive to the whole. Here pictured are the original doors. Note, the heavier mullions for true divided light insulating glass.

ADA operators and panic bars are not common in traditional architecture. Where required by code, we handle our installation in our restoration work.

We did all aspects of design fabrication, installation, and finishing. This project required permitting from the Old Georgetown Board which we administrated from our office.

These new solid Mahogany doors could likely last 100 years.

Handling installations in-house allows us to respond quickly to any required changed in the millwork or architecture.

Rear elevation of the original block of the house — this year we will design and fabricate a door for the center opening which actually responds to the building’s original design.

RAYBURN HOUSE OFFICE BUILDING DOORS, 2018

c. 1962 — Historic door reproduction, hardware procurement, fabricated 110 reproduction doors

Rayburn House Office Building, built in the early 1960s had a curious and somewhat unusual tack on modernity reflected in its doors. These first two photos show the varied door faces, one with panels and bolection molding and the other completely flush. The architect of the capital had the original drawings where this type was called unbalanced, and I agree. A strange aesthetic to reinforce hierarchy. Only the door faces used by a member of Congress were elaborated and other faces flush. It seems having a relatively fancy face and a simple one makes the door only half difficult to fabricate, but indeed, it is twice as difficult.

A handsome 60s take on door panel treatments. This too, more difficult than traditional raised panels.

These stave cores were specified by AOC to be solid wood, not particle board. The quality difference is something they know. The long-term durability of real wood is for them, proven. These cores go into a small segment of the 120 doors we made for Rayburn that would be flush on both sides.

Precise machining, correct sequence, and a modern surface sander are keys to flush door production. Everyday thousands of these doors are produced by large manufacturers. Here, it was our job, because the face veneers were required to be 1/8” thick by the AOC. Veneer this thick must be sawn and not sliced, so few woodworking facilities produce doors of this quality.

Here the premium walnut thick sawn veneers are grain matched and laid out for gluing.

Premium American black walnut mostly goes to veneer mills. Just sourcing this 100% heartwood free of pin knots in board stock took a bit of looking.

This veneer, 1/1000th of an inch thicker than an 1/8 of an inch.

This door core with a coating of Titebond veneer-grade glue is ready for the press.

The foreground shows, as does the item being coated, a sawn walnut veneer 1/8” x 36” x 84”. This is the maximum thickness most wood species would still act as a veneer and not take on the characteristics of board stock itself.

Sequence and coordination drive efficiency, as does technology. This pneumatically driven vacuum press is a beautiful and simple, effective device.

The veneer press relies on the column of air above every square inch of this planet. That column of air weighs about 14 pounds. If you take the air out from under that column, you have 14 pounds per square inch pressing on your veneer.

Blue box below draws a vacuum through a compressed air driven venturi pump. Jake helps settle in the bag.

We sawed and laid up over 5,000 square feet of 1/8” thick veneer for this project. The planer in the left-rear handles 37” wide materials. It was built in the 1920s and restored here.

This run of 126 doors fills the corridor and offices on the ground floor at Rayburn. These new spaces will be the temporary offices for those congressmen displaced by the four-phase renewal at the adjacent Cannon House Office Building.

The rails and stile are our sawn veneers. In the panel field, the government specified sliced veneers. The distinction here is strong on the finished door, less so.

Without hand sanding as the last step, evidence of swirl and cross-grain sanding will always present through the finish.

Scrutiny from AOC was plentiful both during the process and upon completion.

SUlGRAVE CLUB, 2016

c. 1908 — Last of Dupont Mansions, historic sash restoration, bowed sash, hardware restoration

The elegant interior at Sulgrave Club, said to be the last of the Dupont Circle mansions in original condition.

Often our work involves complete envelope restoration. Here we worked with masons and roofers during the window restoration.

Ten more years and these oval sash would not be restorable. Delicate work to revive.

Our sash steamers provide the most gentle means possible to remove paint from delicate historic fabric.

One of the few common mistakes in traditional building fenestration, this provide decay occurs because despite the curved linear nature of the window, there is no slope at the sill. All this decay starts at the very center bottom of the window frame. This problem was wide-spread at the Eastern Market as well.

Full safety gear and nice scaffolding make for efficient work.

TUDOR PLACE, 2016

c. 1815 — Window restoration

OCTAGON MUSEUM, 2015

c. 1803 — Rare and delicate pre-Industrial Revolution sash and glass, historic window restoration, reproduction, and hardware refinishing

A wonderful building and the only left of this type near the Mall. Most all of the doors and windows are original. Circa 1800.

Octagon hardly describes the shape of this building.

In this photo one can perceive the delicate window component parts indicating the building’s construction before the Industrial Revolution.

On this project like many, we operate the bottom sash and fix the top sash. We return to each opening for a final sealant bead on that top sash after installation.

This pulley is handmade. The replacement rope is the wrong material and wrong weave. The Octagon Museum pulleys revealed four primary stages in the evolution of industrial technology in the 19th century. Here is the first one — a blacksmith with saw and file.

This bowed window is in the lobby at Octagon Museum. Almost every step is more difficult in bowed work. Here, care is taken while installing the weatherstrip.

ST. JOHN’S COLLEGE MCDOWELL HALL, 2015

c. 1984 — Large-scale refurbishment project

McDowell Hall was a principle building at this school’s founding in the 17th century. It burned badly in the early 20th century. What we restored and what you see here is an approximate of rebuilding of the original building.

The windows were overpainted and under-repaired. There were many function and fit issues throughout, but relatively little serious decay. This project was a good candidate for our refurbishment process . By not stripping all paint and putty unnecessarily, we could save the college nearly 30% from the restoration budget.

The new McDowell Hall, though with many quotes from the original structure, forwards the influence of Georgian-style academic architecture.

OLD POST OFFICE PAVILION / TRUMP INTERNATIONAL HOTEL, 2014

c. 1890 — Sash and jamb restoration, reproduction, hardware cleaning, repair, and refinishing, 1000 Windows restored — Washington Building Congress Craftsmanship Award

The Old Post Office updated in the mid-80s failed to attract interest in the 21st century. The building was almost demolished in the 60s and made obsolete only 20 years after its erection due to competition from Union Station and Postal Square.

One thousand windows, each floor with a different design, by 2014 all were in need of heavy work.

I’m not sure the two words belong in the same sentence, but Donald Trump seemed nearly humbled and a bit exhausted, grateful to have this project finished at the commemoration.

All the original millwork was Chestnut, painted likely in the 1920s. It was decided that removing all paint would be too costly and so these window surrounds were sanded and prepped to deliver a finish likely better than they ever have.

The mock-up process at OPO revealed the sash could be restored, while the glass needed replacement. This information conflicted with the 1,000-page report done to determine the status of the windows. The change in plan revealed by the study/mock-up saved much money and historic material.

We cut all the glass for this job in-house. The original glass was 1/4” thick, flat as modern glass, but badly scratched, stained, and edged throughout.

These sash are 125 years old. Note, the modern sealant just below the glass. This modern material serves as bonding agent to hold the heavy glass while the putty takes nearly a month to cure.

Reproduction sash for OPO first floor — a sash cart full of Bondo for wood by 3M. We never use these polyester resin outside or to remediate decay of any kind, but at the Trump Hotel, this fill that bonds tenaciously and sands well, allowed us to bring much of the existing millwork up to hotel standards without stripping all the interior paint.

With little reasonable means to access the upper floor exteriors, the decay at the Old Post Office was impressive. Had this been millwork made from modern pine, the window units would have melted away.

New reproduction parts in Sapele Mahogany will endure like the original pine.

I wish the hotel success and I imagine it is the views through the windows that are as beautiful as the views within.

Every window on every project goes back in the opening.

Sash steamer keeps the dust down, protective gear makes this lead safe work.

The original millwork at the Old Post Office was not on par for the period. This and the following photo are from under the window sill and show the connection of the sill to the weight pocket. Sadly, the sill was not supported at this joint. The result is a sill that slopes negatively, back towards the building. We went under the sill of every window and supported with blocking so this could not ever happen again

Wow, almost like driftwood at this point, this original growth pine can decay, but only after what I estimate is 70 years left unpainted.

Inventory sheets like this establish basic condition and the absence or presence of window components. On larger projects, we do this inventory and an inventory of conditions after elements are stripped of paint.

I understand the martinis available at the bar, where this mound of dirt was, are quite good.

Each condition of the glass expresses its iron content, more green means more iron, a trace element added to silica to decrease brittleness. This original glass from the Old Post Office, folks think, was etched on its surface due to the original coal-fired furnace.

Ruined conditions on the first floor of OPO.

Scaffolding at OPO was a mix of systems type, seen here under scrim , mast climbers and man lifts.

I think the Old Post Office found its ideal 21st century application as hotel.

The building expresses a profound commitment of a government to its postal service. Every single piece of granite here was cut in Vermont, numbered, and shipped to the site. This building could be Washington’s Ponte Vecchio in 1,000 years.

JACKSON ARTS CENTER, 2013

c. 1880 — Historic window restoration and reproduction, 70 school windows

MARET SCHOOL, 2013

c. 1806 — Pre-Industrial Revolution structure, historic sash and jamb restoration and reproduction — National Building of Congress Award of Craftsmanship