Seaboard Weatherproofing & Restoration Restores The Public Theater

PORT CHESTER, N.Y., Aug. 24, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- CORRECTION: Founded by Joseph Papp, the landmark Lafayette Street performance space opened as The Public Theater in 1967 with the world premiere of the musical Hair. Originally the building, which was built in the 1850s, served as the Astor Library. Information about the history of The Public Theater was incorrect in an earlier press release distributed August 15, 2011.

Seaboard Weatherproofing & Restoration recently completed restorations to the facade of The Public Theater, a Manhattan landmark that had been the first building in the original New York Public Library System and today maintains its reputation as a leading cultural institution.

Founded by Joseph Papp as the Shakespeare Workshop, the landmark Lafayette Street performance space opened as The Public Theater in 1967 with the world premiere of the musical Hair.  Today The Public Theater is dedicated to nurturing both artists and audiences as it continues Papp's legacy of creating a place of inclusion and a forum for ideas.

"The Seaboard team carefully planned the logistics of this project in a way that allowed us to adapt to daily changes in the condition of the job site," said Jim Gradt, Seaboard senior project manager. "Throughout the project, as with all our projects, Seaboard balanced the vision of the architect and conservator with the logistical challenges involved in restoring this type of historical landmark."  

The Romanesque revival building holds a distinguished place in New York history. It was created through the generosity of John Jacob Astor, a wealthy German immigrant who in his will pledged $400,000 for the establishment of a reference library in New York. It was designed in the 1850s by German-born architect Alexander Saeltzer and built by William B. Astor, who funded two subsequent expansions. Following a merger with the Lennox Library and the Tilden Trust in 1895, the combined entity formed The New York Public Library.

The building served several functions before being purchased by Joseph Papp in 1965 with help from the City of New York. It became one of the first buildings to be declared a New York City Landmark.

Seaboard craftsmen employed several different methods for restoring the brick and brownstone facade. Damaged sections of the brownstone facade on the building's Lafayette Avenue side required a combination of repair and replacement, along with masonry repointing. Seaboard brought in a team of brownstone craftsmen from Brooklyn, who carved the challenging stone work in place. Large stones that could not be repaired were cut into small blocks and repurposed for Dutchman repairs elsewhere on the facade.  Extremely damaged brownstone blocks were replaced with matched precast concrete replications that were fabricated to match the original facade. The final stage of the two-year project consisted of comprehensive weatherproofing to help protect the facade for years to come.

Project members included Building Conservation Associates, Polshek Partnership Architects (now Ennead Architects LLP), engineers Robert Silman Associates and construction manager Westerman Construction Co. Inc.

About Seaboard Weatherproofing & Restoration Company

Based in Port Chester, N.Y., Seaboard Weatherproofing & Restoration Company is one of the leading restoration and alteration construction firms in the New York-metropolitan area. The company has received several prestigious awards and numerous accolades for its work on high-profile projects, including The Elephant House at the Bronx Zoo, The Cloisters Museum, 555 Broadway (Scholastic Building), Eldridge Street Synagogue and Museum, the Woolworth Building, 90 West Street, 700 Broadway and 55 Liberty Street.  Seaboard Weatherproofing & Restoration is located at 530 Willett Avenue in Port Chester, NY. Reach them at 1-800-347-7464 or visit www.seaboardwpr.com.

Press Contact:
Diana Costello
Co-Communications
914-666-0066
[email protected]

SOURCE Seaboard Weatherproofing & Restoration