01 Jun s.a. maxwell building facade restoration nearing completion with installation of recreated cast stone piers
exterior restoration of adler and sullivan’s 5-story s.a. maxwell loft building (later known as the jewelers’ building) is nearing completion with the installation of recreated sullivan-designed cast stone panels on the building’s storefront level load-bearing berlin sandstone piers, which were badly damaged around the turn of the century when the building’s interior and exterior were altered to accommodate new tenants shortly after s.a. mawell moved out.
the ornamental cast iron columns were removed altogether and the surface ornament adorning the sandstone piers was picked off to accommodate a flat stone veneer and signage favorable to the harmony cafe, which occupied the first floor.
with the damage fully exposed after removing any and all previous modifications, it was necessary to take molds from the single surviving pier on the north side of the building. while the sandstone pier and its design elements remained intact, the ornament was severely compromised when the façade underwent a deep clean in the 1970s, which included the ornament being sandblasted. consequently, sullivan’s ornament loss a good amount of detail which transferred over in the newly made cast stone panels. despite this, the installation of refabricated ornamental metal columns and refacing the sandstone piers with ornament brings us much closer to the way it appeared at the time of its constructions in 1881.
all images courtesy of eric j. nordstrom and the bldg. 51 archive. all rights reserved.
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