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Renovation/Historic Restoration

Glen Echo Park

Glen Echo, MD

OWNER: Montgomery County and the National Park Service

Glen Echo, situated along the Potomac River northwest of D.C., started out life as a National Chautauqua Assembly, a 19th-century summer camp for adults dedicated to promoting “liberal and practical education, especially  among the masses of the people.”  That use waned, and in 1899, Glen Echo re- emerged as a major amusement park with rides, midway, ballroom, swimming pool and sand beach. Today the National Park Service manages the picturesque park and provides year round children's theaters, regular dancing and artist studios.

Spanish Ballroom

The Spanish Ballroom contains the best ballroom dance floor in North America, which has been renovated and preserved in terms of the project. The architecture of the building is of a Spanish Mediterranean design with stucco walls and clay roof tiles. It features Spanish-style decorative painting, which has been restored. The roof of the building failed many years ago, and there had been an extraordinary amount of damage to the structure and stucco finish. The building has now been thoroughly renovated, with the original finishes restored.

 North Arcade

The North Arcade had deteriorated so much over the years that it was considered impractical to renovate the building.  Accordingly, it was completely rebuilt, but the architectural style was retained with multiple radii (featuring a tear drop shape) and ramps and curved balconies.

Tivoli Theater

Washington, DC

The Tivoli Theater was designed by prominent New York architect Thomas W. Lamb. It reflects Italian Renaissance Revival style architecture with its stucco exterior, red tile roof, ornate cornices, and numerous graceful arches. Completed in 1924 at a cost of $1 million, the theater was, until its closing in 1976, one of the most elegant movie houses in Washington, D.C. In addition to the main theater auditorium, the building contained offices on the upper floors and several two-story shops along the 14th Street and Park Road frontages.

In the quarter century it has lain vacant, the building has suffered from neglect, extensive vandalism, and severe water damage due to a leaking roof. Given the complexity of evaluating such a building, a broad team was assembled, including restoration and conservation experts, historic architects, structural engineers and contracting consultants specializing in historic buildings.  The Tivoli Square project is now a more dynamic, exciting project which achieves both goals of historic reservation and economic development.

MONARC CONSTRUCTION’S ROLE IN TIVOLI SQUARE 

The exterior of the historic Tivoli Theater has been completely restored to its original grandeur. The project included restoration of the wood framed windows and restoration of the stucco and cornices, work of the 20th century master John Jacob Early. The original theatre canopies and lighting were restored to their past glories.  The distinct bracketed eaves and clay tile roof have been repaired and the tin soffits refinished. Both landmark "Tivoli" signs were restored.  The intricate projecting show windows and friezes were returned to their past uses as fronts for new neighborhood oriented retail such as a coffee shop, restaurant, bank, and video store.  Also the main feature of the interior restoration work is the  250 seat theater managed by the Gala Hispanic Theater.

To read more about Tivoli Theater please visit: http://www.horningbrothers.com/tivoli/index.htm

American Society of International Law

Sewall Belmont House

Washington, DC

The project consisted of exterior restoration of an existing historic landmark home built in circa 1750, and located at 144 Constitution Avenue, N.E., in Washington, DC; it is bounded by Constitution Avenue on the south, 2nd Street to the east, and the Hart Federal Office Building to the north & west. The building is a three- (3) story brick structure with basement, owned and occupied by the National Woman's Party, housing museum facilities, library and administrative offices. The property is designated a National Historic Landmark and is an affiliate unit of the National Park Service.

The work under this project consisted of removal and replacement of the existing metal roof with metal pans sized to match the original pans, and flashing and wood trim for areas other than the main roof. The additional exterior restoration included repairs and/or replacement and re-pointing of the existing brick, stone and cast stone trim, restoration of the existing wood windows, including hardware, restoration of the existing doors, and replacement of sealants around window and door openings. Restoration of the shutters and metal railings were also part of the work.

Scaffolding was erected around the entire building, and matching brick replaced brick that was damaged or cut out. All mortar joints were matched as closely as possible in accordance with the U.S. Secretary of the Interior Standards for Historic Renovation.

The wood window frames and sashes were stripped of lead paint and the wood restored.  Some glass had to be replaced with "antique" glass that was found in an old antique shop in West Virginia. 

In the rear of the building, there was a second level balcony with wood railings that was replaced to match the original design for this structure.

www.sewallbelmont.org

Originally designed as a residence for war hero, commodore Stephen Decatur, by Benjamin Latrobe in 1798, and erected soon after, this building is the oldest remaining work of Latrobe, also know as a father of the American architecture. The building is in care and ownership of The National Trust For Historical Preservations In The United States.  Recently completed renovation work by Monarc Construction, Inc., was by far, the most ambitious effort in Decatur House’s long history to improve and upgrade safety and functionality of the building.

The scope of work included:

Removal of old heating system installed in 1960’s and installation of new computer controlled state-of-the-art heating and air-conditioning system. Existing chimneys where used to bring air to each individual room, thus avoiding visually intrusive duct-work and minimizing impact to the historic fabric of the building. A new dual fire-suppression system and fire-alarm were installed. The existing elevator was removed and replaced with a new elevator and chair lift that meet ADA standards. The second floor of the Decatur House’s wing, originally used as a slave quarters and at the time used for office space, was converted into changing exhibit galleries to expand museums interpretive space. The visitor entrance was relocated to Gordon Gray Hall at 1610 "H" Street, providing improved access to the museum and exhibit galleries. All work was performed under extremely strict conditions, i.e., the historical fabric of the building was not to be disturbed or affected; and minimal interferences with daily operation of museum/offices was required. 

www.decaturhouse.org                                                                         

                                          

The Tiny Jewel Box

Washington,DC

This project involved the renovation of a six (6) stories plus basement building at 1147 Connecticut Avenue, NW, Washington, DC.  A New York Architect designed all of the structural framing and the building was originally constructed in the 1920s.  The façade of the building had to be restored and the interior structure was modified and strengthened.  The original elevator shafts were removed at the front of the building and the service elevator was restored and made into the primary elevator.  The building had to be brought up to current Code and all utilities had to be replaced and enlarged.  The interior finishes on Floors 1, 2, 3 and 6 comprised of custom fabricated pine cabinetry and the moulding was hand finished, antique finished, and glazed.  All wall surfaces received a faux/glazed finish.

Folger Shakespeare Memorial Library and Tea Room

CONTRACT AMOUNT: $2.3 million

George Washington University Faculty Club

                                       CONTRACT AMOUNT: $2.8 million

Forrest - Marbury House

Beyer Blinder Belle

  Contact Information                           

   Telephone: 703-641-8500

   Fax: 703-641-8504

   Postal address: 2781 Hartland Rd, Falls Church, VA 22043

   General Information: JBellingham@MonarcConstruction.com

   ©Monarc Construction Inc 2006

   Designed By Christa McChancy

  Last modified: January 2008 by Monarc Construction Inc.